Most families do not struggle because they are making a bad decision. They struggle because they are trying to solve too many unknowns at once.
What is the current home worth? How much equity is available? Should you sell first or buy first? What if the right home comes up before your sale? What if you wait too long? What if you move too soon?
The way to reduce stress is to replace uncertainty with structure. Craig Johnston helps Coquitlam families build a practical move-up plan so the process feels clearer, smarter, and more manageable.
The goal is not to force a move. The goal is to create enough clarity that the right move feels realistic and manageable.
Your current home value is the starting point for everything else.
This shows what is actually possible, not just what feels possible.
Focus on location, layout, and budget before chasing listings.
Sell first, buy first, or use a conditional strategy based on your situation.
When the right home appears, you can act with less panic and more confidence.
They start by looking at the next home before they fully understand the current one. That creates unnecessary stress because everything feels uncertain.
When you begin with value, equity, and a realistic price range for the move-up purchase, your decisions become far more grounded. You stop guessing and start planning.
That is often the turning point where upsizing starts to feel possible instead of overwhelming.
Home value first. Equity next. Purchase comfort range after that. Then the neighbourhood shortlist. Then the right timing strategy. That order tends to lower stress, reduce guesswork, and make better decisions easier.
Knowing your comfort range helps prevent emotional decisions and overreaching.
When you know where you are open to moving, your search becomes much more efficient.
Your sale is not separate from the purchase. It funds and shapes the next move.
Knowing whether to sell first or buy first reduces indecision and panic.
You do not need to evaluate every home. You need to focus on the right ones.
A clear process helps families move with more confidence and fewer avoidable mistakes.
Upsizing is not just a buying decision. It is a coordinated selling, timing, and negotiation decision. The strongest outcomes usually come from treating the move as one connected plan, not two separate transactions.
When value, equity, and timing are addressed early, the entire process becomes more manageable.
You can compare homes through the lens of budget, fit, and timing instead of reacting emotionally.
A structured plan does not remove every variable, but it removes many of the avoidable ones.
A five-step process built around clarity, strategy, and no-surprise execution — whether you're buying your first home or selling a property you've owned for twenty years.
We start with a real conversation about your goals, timeline, and numbers. I'll pull current comps, assess your buying power or home's true market value, and tell you exactly what the data says — not what you want to hear.
I build a written strategy around your priorities: target neighbourhoods, pricing strategy, timeline, financing structure, and the trade-offs at each decision point. Every recommendation comes with a reason.
For sellers: pre-list prep, staging direction, pro photography, and a pricing framework that draws interest without leaving money on the table. For buyers: offer structure, subject clauses, and the due-diligence checklist for every property that matters.
This is where experience pays for itself. I negotiate price, terms, subjects, deposit, completion dates, and the small details that don't show up in listings but decide whether a deal closes well or falls apart.
From subject removal through completion and possession, I coordinate with lawyers, lenders, inspectors, and trades so nothing drops. After closing, I stay in your corner for everything from tax-assessment appeals to the next move.
Start with your current home value, estimated equity, and the type of next home you want. That usually makes the answer much clearer.
Often yes, because it creates clarity and reduces risk, but the best approach depends on finances, tolerance for uncertainty, and the type of home you are targeting.
Usually it is getting a clear picture of your current home value and then working backward from your likely equity position.
Set your budget boundaries, identify your preferred neighbourhoods, and decide what features are truly non-negotiable. That keeps the search disciplined.
Craig Johnston helps Coquitlam families create a move-up strategy around value, equity, timing, and neighbourhood goals so the process feels more structured and less stressful.
Keep moving through the ecosystem. These pages connect directly to the decision you are working on.
I have spent the last 5+ years helping Coquitlam move-up buyers and sellers get from where they are to where they want to be — without the panic of owning two homes at once or selling under value. I work the Tri-Cities every day: Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, and the rest of Coquitlam’s move-up neighbourhoods.
If you want a straight read on your timing, pricing, or move-up strategy, the fastest next step is a short call.
The short, honest version. Every answer here is what I'd tell you on a call — no fluff, no generic listing-agent talk.
Most people lose money because they read generic advice and act on it. The pages below are the opposite — Coquitlam-specific, opinionated, and built from real transactions. Pick the lane that fits the move you're actually making.
No hedging. No "it depends." If a page above contradicts what another agent told you, ask them to cite their source — every number on this site is checkable.
The resources below go deeper on the same topic. If you’re piecing together a full picture, these are the next logical reads.
Pricing, regulatory disclosures, and tax implications when selling in Coquitlam — every one of these has an authority behind it. Cross-reference before you list.
External links open in a new tab. The Macnabs is not affiliated with these organizations — they are cited as independent authorities. Any time a number on this page differs from the authority, the authority wins.
Real reviews pulled from Google. No paid placements. No curated-only-positives. Every client below closed with Craig — most sold over asking, several within a week.
“Craig sold my property in just 6 days. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other realtors who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers — all over asking price. Craig didn’t stop there; he negotiated even better terms for me.”
“We worked with Craig on three real estate transactions. In all cases he was extremely professional and efficient. In the case of the two sales, both houses were sold for over asking and within the one week of going on market. Craig analyzed the market accurately and advised on a selling price that was fair and saleable.”
“Craig recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price. Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated realtors I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.”
“We consider ourselves lucky to be able to work with Craig over the last 5 years, over multiple transactions. He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. Craig is a seasoned and well-informed realtor who will be a great asset on any real estate journey.”
“As first-time home buyers, we had a myriad of concerns. Craig immediately put us at ease by taking the time to address each of our questions thoroughly and patiently. At no point did I feel pressured or rushed into making a decision. Instead, Craig empowered us with all the facts and options.”
“One of the most dedicated and professional realtors I’ve encountered. No matter the value of the property, Craig puts great care into preparing high-quality marketing content. With his in-depth knowledge of the Coquitlam area, I highly recommend Craig to anyone looking to buy or sell.”
“His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation skills, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. A remarkable professional who exceeded expectations.”
“Craig absolutely delivered on his promise of selling my condo, exceeding my expectations. A++ communications and he kept me informed and educated every single step of the way. Rock solid performance and a very quick above asking sale, I am beyond grateful.”
“We were referred to Craig by a friend and knew from day one we were in great hands. The marketing was outstanding — we received seven offers, and Craig held firm on our priorities. When we re-listed in January, it sold in three days at the price we wanted, and he went on to find us an off-market buy in Vernon.”
More on The Move-Up Play
Craig writes the Tri-Cities coverage most realtors won't. Every page below is built on the same ground-truth data and the same negotiation playbook Craig uses for every client.
You've earned the move, but the numbers are complicated — capital gains, bridge financing, timing, school catchment, resale position of the current home. Craig's protocol keeps all of it synced.
3-bed to 4-bed, townhouse to detached, flatter lot, better school. Each upgrade has a price tag Craig knows by heart.
You've never done this before. The move-up tax trap, the bridge loan, the overlap period — Craig runs all three so you don't trip.
"Most Coquitlam move-up buyers get the tax math wrong and the sequencing right, or vice versa. Both have to be right for the same move. That's the job."
Whether you're a first-time buyer at $850K or a luxury seller at $4.2M, the sequence is identical. The scale changes. The discipline doesn't.
Your numbers, your timeline, your non-negotiables, your trade-offs — written down before we pick any houses or pick any comps.
Current supply, current absorption, current days-on-market, current buyer pool — per neighbourhood, per property type, not 'Metro Vancouver' averages.
Target neighbourhoods, target price band, target timeline, target offer structure. Written. Agreed.
Whether buying or selling, the offer / listing is engineered — structure, contingencies, comps, pricing logic — not improvised.
Conditions, completion, possession, and the six-month check-in. Most agents stop at keys. Craig doesn't.
No pitch, no pressure. Just your numbers, your options, and the next move that's actually right for you.
In Coquitlam's current market, most move-up buyers should sell first with a long completion, subject-to-completion when writing on the new property. But the right answer depends on your equity, your financing, and your timing tolerance. Craig solves it case by case.
It's the specific combination of capital-gains timing, bridge financing cost, and overlap-period double-carry that catches unprepared move-up buyers. Craig's move-up protocol prevents all three.
Functional minimum in Coquitlam is typically 20-25% down on the new property plus moving costs, commissions, and 2-3 months of overlap reserve. Craig runs your specific number before any showing.
Born in the Tri-Cities. Lived on Burke Mountain for 9+ years. Top 2% Nationwide Team. Craig runs every file — move-up, first-time, seller, investor — through the same repeatable playbook so nothing gets improvised at your expense. Start with the 20-minute fit call or the equity map. No pitch, no pressure, just your numbers and your options.
