Guides

Longer, step-by-step guides for leasing, buying, selling and financing commercial property in BC. Each links to the terms it uses and to the official sources behind it.

• Buying a commercial property in BC, step by step
  What I'd want you to know before buying a commercial property, start to finish, in the order it actually happens.
• Leasing commercial space in BC: a tenant's guide
  Leasing your first or next space, from budget and search to the offer and the clauses that matter.
• Leasing out commercial space in BC: a landlord's guide
  For owners leasing out space: setting rent, picking tenants, the clauses that protect you, and what to do when rent stops.
• Commercial due diligence checklist for BC buyers
  The checklist I'd work through before buying a property or a business with real estate. Use it to know what to ask for.
• Negotiating a commercial deal in BC
  How I'd prepare for a lease or purchase negotiation: know your walk-away point, trade terms, and watch the timing.
• How commercial property is valued in BC
  How buyers and lenders put a number on a property, what each method misses, and how to use them together.
• Financing a commercial property in BC through your bank
  How lenders decide what they'll lend you, what they'll ask for, and how to get ready before you apply.
• Buying or leasing a commercial strata unit in BC
  Buying or leasing a strata unit? Here's what to read in the strata documents and the questions to ask.
• Zoning, permits and licences for commercial space in Vancouver
  Before you sign, check that your business is actually allowed in the space. Here's how zoning and permits work.
• Environmental due diligence for commercial property in BC
  Contamination can follow the land and the owner. Here's how the reports work and how to protect yourself in the contract.
• Selling a business that owns or leases its real estate in BC
  Selling a business that comes with a building or a lease. The choices that change your tax bill and your timeline.
• Sale-leaseback for BC business owners
  Selling your building and staying as the tenant. Who it suits, what investors look at, and what to negotiate.
• Is there a 1031 exchange in Canada? What BC owners can look at instead
  Canada has no 1031 exchange. Here's what you can talk to your accountant about instead before you sell.
• Vancouver planning changes: what they mean for commercial owners and tenants
  The planning changes reshaping Metro Vancouver, and what each one could mean for your property or lease.
• What BC regulator decisions teach buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants
  Real disciplinary cases, with names removed, and what each one means when you lease, buy or sell.

General information for British Columbia only. It isn’t legal, tax, accounting or financial advice, laws and rates change, and reading it doesn’t make you my client. Any numbers or scenarios are hypothetical. Check the linked official source and talk to a lawyer, accountant or other qualified professional before you act or sign anything. See the terms and disclaimer.