How to Write an Offer in BC: Price, Subjects, Deposit, and Dates

Written by Rob Visnjak, Personal Real Estate Corporation | Oakwyn Realty Ltd. | Published November 1, 2026

Writing an offer is the moment house hunting turns into buying. In BC, your offer is a legal contract the moment the seller accepts it, so the four decisions at its core matter: the price you offer, the subjects that protect you, the deposit that shows you're serious, and the dates that set the timeline. Get them right and you can win the home on terms you're comfortable with. Get them wrong and you can overpay, lose the home, or be locked into a deal you can't finish. This guide explains how to write an offer in BC step by step, with a worked example and current Fraser Valley market data to help you decide how aggressive to be.

Writing an offer at a glance

Source: Rob Visnjak, based on the standard BC Contract of Purchase and Sale and common practice in Langley and Surrey. Market data from the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board, September 2026 statistics package. Accessed November 1, 2026.

Selling too? Get my free home value estimate so you know what your current home could bring before you commit to the next one.

Before you write: three things to have in place

A mortgage pre-approval

A pre-approval tells you how much a lender is likely to lend and holds a rate for a period, often 90 to 120 days. It doesn't guarantee the mortgage, but it tells you your price range and makes your offer more credible. My guide to mortgage pre-approval in BC explains how to get one, and my guide to how much mortgage you can afford walks through the stress test math.

Your deposit, ready to send

Under the standard BC contract, the deposit is due within 24 hours of acceptance. Have the money in an account you can move it from quickly, and know how your bank handles large transfers or bank drafts.

A clear sense of the market

Know whether you're in a buyer's, balanced or seller's market for the type of home you want. That decides how much room you have on price and subjects. I cover this in the pricing step below.

Step 1: understand the market for this home

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board defines a balanced market as a sales-to-active-listings ratio between 12% and 20%. Below 12% favours buyers; above 20% favours sellers. In September 2026, the Fraser Valley overall was in buyer's market territory, but the picture varied by area and property type.

Source: Rob Visnjak calculations from FVREB September 2026 sales and active listings.

Across the Fraser Valley in September 2026, condos took an average of 46 days to sell, detached homes 45 days and townhouses 38 days. A home that's been listed well past those averages may have a motivated seller. A home that's just been listed in a tight segment, like Langley townhouses, may draw more than one offer.

Step 2: set your price

Start with comparable sales

The list price is the seller's asking price, not the home's value. Your agent should pull recent sales of similar homes nearby: same type, similar size, age and condition, ideally sold in the last three months. In a falling market, as in much of 2026, the most recent sales matter most. The FVREB detached benchmark for Langley was down 6.7% from a year earlier in September 2026, so a sale from last fall isn't a good guide to this fall. My post on how Realtors price homes explains the method.

Adjust for what's different

Adjust the comparables for differences: a renovated kitchen, a legal suite, a larger lot, a busier street, an older roof. Then decide on a value range.

Decide where to start

Source: Rob Visnjak.

Know your walk-away number

Decide the most you'll pay before you write, and stick to it. It's easy to stretch in the moment, but your budget, and your lender, won't stretch with you. Remember that the appraisal must support the price for most mortgages. My guide to negotiating the price in BC has more on this.

Step 3: choose your subjects

Subjects are conditions you must satisfy or waive before the deal becomes firm. In most Langley and Surrey resale purchases today, buyers keep their key subjects.

The usual subjects

• Financing, so you're protected if the lender won't approve the mortgage or the appraisal comes in low.
• Inspection, so you can have the home inspected and decide whether to proceed.
• Strata documents, for a condo or townhouse, so you can review the Form B, minutes, depreciation report and bylaws.
• Title review, if anything on title needs checking.
• Insurance, if the home could be hard to insure.
• Sale of your home, if you can't buy without selling first.

How long to give yourself

Five to seven business days is common for financing and inspection. A shorter period makes your offer more attractive, but only if you can actually get the work done. Book your inspector and talk to your lender before you write.

Subject-free offers

In a competitive situation, a subject-free offer can win. It also means you can't walk away without risking your deposit if the financing falls through or the inspection finds a problem. Only consider it with a full mortgage approval in hand, a pre-offer inspection, and cash to cover an appraisal shortfall. My guide to subject clauses and subject removal goes further.

Step 4: the deposit

How much

There's no legal minimum. In Langley and Surrey, deposits are often around 5% of the price. On a $802,600 townhouse, that's about $40,000. A larger deposit can make your offer stronger, especially if you're competing, because it shows commitment. A smaller one may be acceptable if the rest of the offer is strong.

When and where

The standard form makes the deposit due within 24 hours of acceptance. It's paid to the listing brokerage, which holds it in trust. On completion, it's credited to you as part of your down payment.

What happens to it

Source: Rob Visnjak, based on the standard BC Contract of Purchase and Sale and the BC Financial Services Authority.

Step 5: completion, possession and adjustment dates

Completion

Completion is when your lawyer registers the transfer and the seller receives the money. Give your lender and lawyer enough time; three to four weeks after subject removal is comfortable for most resale purchases. If you're selling too, line up your sale's completion before your purchase.

Possession

Possession is when you get the keys, usually a day or more after completion at a set time. If you need to move on a particular day, for example because your lease ends, work backward from there.

Adjustments

The adjustment date, usually the same as completion, is when property tax and strata fees are split. My guide to closing costs when buying in BC explains how it works.

Dates can help you win

Sometimes the seller cares more about dates than an extra few thousand dollars. If they need a long completion because they're waiting on a new home, offering it can make your offer the one they choose. Ask the listing agent what dates work for the seller.

Step 6: the other details

Included items

List every appliance and chattel you expect to stay, such as the fridge, stove, washer, dryer and any window coverings. If it's not in the contract, the seller can take it.

The viewed date

Fill in the date you last viewed the home. The contract says the property will be in substantially the same condition at possession as on that date.

Offer expiry

Give the seller a deadline to respond. A short one, such as a few hours or the next morning, limits how long they can use your offer to shop for others.

Extra terms

Anything else you've agreed, such as the seller fixing a broken window or removing a shed, goes in as a term. My guide to every clause in the BC Contract of Purchase and Sale covers these in detail.

How the offer changes by property type

Condos

Add a strata documents subject and give yourself enough time to read them. Ask the listing agent for the Form B, recent minutes and the depreciation report before you write, if you can. Check the parking stall and storage locker numbers, and whether the strata fee includes heat or hot water. With many Fraser Valley condo segments in buyer's market territory in September 2026, you often have room to negotiate on price and to keep a full set of subjects.

Townhouses

Townhouses combine strata issues with house-like maintenance. Read the minutes for planned roof, siding or window projects, and ask whether a special levy is being discussed. In Langley and Cloverdale, where townhouses were the tightest segment in September 2026, well-priced units can draw competition, so be ready with a clean offer and a short subject period.

Detached houses

Inspections matter most here. Consider a sewer scope on an older home, check whether any suite is permitted, and review title for easements. If the house is on a larger lot or in a rural area, add septic, well or survey subjects as needed.

New homes and presales

New homes from a builder usually use the builder's own contract, not the standard form. Prices may or may not include GST, and deposits are often structured in stages. My guide to presale deposits in BC explains how they work.

A worked example: an offer on a Langley townhouse

Here's how an offer could look on a townhouse listed at $819,000 in Willoughby, in a segment where the September 2026 benchmark was $802,600 and the market leaned toward sellers.

Source: Rob Visnjak illustration. Not a real listing.

The seller counters at $812,000 with five business days for subjects. The buyer accepts. During the subject period, the inspection finds a few minor items and the strata documents are clean, so the buyer removes subjects on day five. My guide to making an offer in Langley goes deeper on local strategy.

After you submit: counters, multiple offers and acceptance

Counteroffers

The seller can accept, reject or counter. A counteroffer changes one or more terms, and you can accept, reject or counter again. Each round has its own deadline. Once both sides sign the same terms, there's a deal.

Multiple offers

If several buyers offer at once, the seller usually sets a time to review them all. You may get only one chance, so put your best price and terms forward. My post on multiple offers explains how it works.

After acceptance

• Pay the deposit within 24 hours.
• Know your rescission window: three business days to cancel for 0.25% of the price.
• Book the inspection and send the contract to your lender right away.
• Choose your lawyer or notary, and send them the contract.
• Remove subjects in writing before the deadline, or ask for an extension in writing.

Common offer mistakes

• Offering based on list price alone instead of comparable sales.
• Short subject periods you can't meet, which can force you to go firm before you're ready.
• Forgetting to list the appliances, then finding them gone.
• Dates that don't work for your lender, leading to a late completion.
• Writing a subject-free offer without a full approval and finding the appraisal is short.
• Letting emotion push past your walk-away number.

FAQ

How much below asking should I offer in BC? There's no rule. It depends on comparable sales and the market for that type of home. In a buyer's market, a well-supported offer below asking is common; on a well-priced home in a tight segment, you may need to be near or above asking.

How much is a deposit on a house in BC? Often around 5% of the price in Langley and Surrey, though it's negotiable. Under the standard form, it's due within 24 hours of acceptance.

Can I back out after my offer is accepted? You can rescind within three business days for 0.25% of the price, or let a subject lapse in good faith. After subject removal, the deal is firm.

How long does a seller have to respond? As long as your offer allows. Set an expiry time in the offer.

Should I write a letter to the seller? It's allowed, but it rarely changes the outcome compared with price and terms. Avoid sharing personal details that could raise fair housing concerns.

Can I make offers on two homes at once? You can, but if both are accepted, you could be bound to buy both. Talk to your agent and lawyer before doing this.

Conclusion

A strong BC offer comes down to four things: a price backed by comparable sales, subjects that protect you without scaring off the seller, a deposit that shows you're serious, and dates that work for both sides. Know the market for the specific type of home, have your pre-approval and deposit ready, list your included items, and don't stretch past your walk-away number. With most of the Fraser Valley in balanced or buyer's market territory as of September 2026, buyers have more room to negotiate than they've had in years, but well-priced homes in tight segments still move fast. My earlier guide to making an offer in BC has more background.

What happens next: When you book a chat, I'll pull the comparable sales for the home you're considering and help you write an offer that's competitive without overpaying. There's no cost and no obligation. Book a no-pressure chat with Rob.

This article is general information based on the standard BC Contract of Purchase and Sale and market data as of November 2026. It isn't legal or financial advice. Contract terms vary, and market conditions change. Have your lawyer or notary review your contract before you sign. Rob Visnjak Personal Real Estate Corporation, Oakwyn Realty Ltd.