Of every downsizing fear we hear, this is the biggest: what if I list my house and it sells before I've figured out where I'm actually going? Homesafe exists because that fear is legitimate — and because there's a specific contract structure, most sellers have never heard of, that removes it entirely.
"You want to move out of your own volition."— Mark Jontz
Homesafe is that principle written into a contract clause. The fear of a rushed, out-of-control sale is exactly what pushes people to delay downsizing until a crisis forces the decision instead. Homesafe exists so the choice — and the timeline — stays yours the entire way through.
How it actually works
- Your home goes on the market with a "Subject to Finding Another Suitable Property" clause. This gives you a defined window — typically 30, 60, or 90 days — after accepting a buyer's offer to find and secure your next place. Until you do, you're not obligated to complete the sale.
- Once a buyer's conditional offer is accepted, your price and closing date are locked in. Now you know your exact number and exact timeline — which means you're shopping with a real budget, not a guess.
- We coordinate the move to close on the same day. You hand over the keys to your old home and receive the keys (or move-in date) for your new one, in one move — no storage unit, no temporary housing, no double move.
- If nothing suitable turns up in your window, you're not obligated to sell. Zero-obligation is the whole point of the clause.
Built specifically for downsizers: "somewhere to go" doesn't have to mean another house purchase. For this exact reason, we structure Homesafe around whatever your real next step is — a single-level home or condo you're buying, a 55+ community, a retirement residence you're moving into, or simply a rental while you decide what's next. The clause protects you the same way regardless of which one it is.
What "somewhere to go" can actually mean
- A single-level home or condo you're purchasing — the most common path, and the one this site's single-level listings and 55+ communities are built to help you find.
- A retirement residence — since this is a rental arrangement rather than a purchase, we structure the timing around your move-in date instead of a second closing. See our Senior Living Options page for how assisted living and independent retirement residences actually work.
- A rental of any kind — some downsizers want to sell now and rent for a year before deciding what (or whether) to buy next. Homesafe's clause works the same way here: you're not obligated to sell until your rental is actually secured.
What it takes
This isn't automatic — it requires the right clause written into your listing from day one, and coordination between your sale, your next step, and (if you're buying) your lender and lawyer on a matching timeline. This is exactly the kind of structuring Mark Jontz & Associates handles regularly — Mark's team has done this 1,800+ times across Kelowna. It's worth raising before your home is listed, not after.
Honest limitations
- The clause is agreed to by your buyer at the time of offer — most buyers accept it, but it's a negotiated term, not a guarantee.
- If you're buying next, your financing still needs to support the purchase — Homesafe removes the timing risk, not the need for your numbers to work.
- It works best planned in advance — ideally before your home is even listed, not after you've already accepted an offer and are searching under pressure.
Tell us where you're at — buying, renting, or considering a retirement residence — and we'll walk through what the timeline actually looks like.