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, whether buying, renting, or considering a retirement residence, and we'll walk through what the timeline actually looks like.