By Chris Nash, REALTOR®
Royal LePage Team Realty, Brokerage
If a posting out of Ottawa is a possibility, you may already be looking around the house and wondering what needs doing.
There’s useful work you can do while you wait. My advice is to gather information, tackle manageable jobs and leave yourself options. Before listing or making a binding sale or purchase commitment, confirm your plans and any relocation requirements that affect your situation.
Here’s where I’d start.
1. Sketch out the timing
Write down your best estimate of when you might move, clearly marked as tentative. Add household commitments that could affect preparation, showings or a closing date.
Decide who needs to be involved in the housing decisions and who could handle appointments if one of you is away. Think through where pets would go during showings and how much notice your household needs. You don’t need a finished moving calendar, just a sense of where the practical difficulties might be.
2. Get an honest picture of your home’s value
Ask for a current, evidence-based sale range, including what supports it and what could pull the result lower. Recent comparable sales, the home’s condition and competing properties all matter.
An asking price is a marketing decision. It isn’t a guarantee of what you’ll receive. A useful early conversation should also identify likely selling costs and the information needed to estimate your net proceeds.
Treat the figures as a planning snapshot and refresh them when your move becomes definite. If you haven’t chosen an agent, ask how they’d handle showings, updates and closing arrangements if you’re away. If you’re already represented, work through this with your existing agent.
3. Put the property paperwork together
Start a folder with documents you already have:
Property tax and utility bills
Equipment rental agreements, warranties and service records
Renovation receipts, permits and any available survey
A record of repairs, recurring issues and approximate ages of major components
For a condo, add current fee information, notices about major work or assessments, and the documents you have for parking, lockers and building rules. Ask your agent or lawyer when to order a fresh status certificate so it’s useful for the eventual sale.
For a rural property, include well and septic records where applicable. Flag gaps now rather than guessing when a buyer asks later.
4. Choose a manageable preparation list
A possible posting doesn’t need to trigger a kitchen renovation.
Start with things you’ll appreciate even if you stay: clearing storage areas, sorting belongings and taking care of routine maintenance. Make a separate list of repairs that need professional attention.
Before paying for cosmetic work, discuss whether it’s likely to help buyers understand and appreciate the home. Consider the cost, disruption and time available. Some projects are better left alone.
My Ottawa Seller Resource Centre has more on preparing for a sale.
5. Compare selling and renting carefully
Keeping the house may be worth exploring, especially if returning to Ottawa is a possibility. Start with realistic rental income and a full expense estimate, including management, maintenance, insurance, vacancy and unexpected repairs.
Also consider who would handle a problem while you’re away. Speak with your lender, insurer, accountant and a qualified legal professional about the implications before deciding. Ask your relocation adviser how retaining the property could affect your particular relocation file.
An appealing monthly rent figure is only one part of that decision.
6. Confirm the details before committing
Ask your lender or mortgage professional about your existing mortgage, possible payout costs and any portability conditions. Have your lawyer explain the commitments and timing involved in a sale or purchase, including signing while you’re away.
For relocation questions, use the current Canadian Armed Forces Relocation Directive and your appropriate CAF relocation contact. Confirm approvals, eligible expenses and required documentation before spending money on the assumption it will be reimbursed.
Once the posting is confirmed, build a schedule that connects your sale, any house-hunting trip and the next home’s possession date. Discuss what happens if those dates don’t line up, including the actual costs of an overlap or gap.
Write down the everyday needs your next home must meet, including other household members’ commutes. The preparation checklist in my Ottawa House-Hunting Trip Guide can help you think through a short buying trip. Confirm destination-specific details with the agent helping you there.
For now, a clear starting point is enough. You can be better prepared without forcing an early decision.
If a posting out of Ottawa is on your radar, tell me roughly when you might move and what concerns you most about the house.
