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In October 2026, a typical detached home in Coquitlam cost about $608,800 more than a typical townhouse. Most Tri-Cities families bridge that gap with the equity in their townhouse. The two decisions that matter most are whether to sell or buy first, and how to line up your completion dates so you only move once.
Source: Greater Vancouver REALTORS® MLS® Home Price Index benchmark prices, October 2026.
It depends on the city. In October 2026 the gap ran from about $381,000 in Port Coquitlam to about $972,000 in Port Moody, with Coquitlam in between at about $609,000.
| City | Townhouse | Detached | The gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Coquitlam | $854,900 | $1,235,900 | $381,000 |
| Coquitlam | $962,600 | $1,571,400 | $608,800 |
| Port Moody | $895,800 | $1,868,000 | $972,200 |
Benchmark prices from the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® October 2026 stats package. A benchmark is the price of a typical home in that area, not an average. Your townhouse and the house you want can sit well above or below it, so we price both with real comparable sales.
One thing working for move-up buyers right now: prices on both sides have softened. Coquitlam detached benchmarks were down 7.0% over the past year and townhouses were down 6.6%. When both homes move together, the gap you need to cover is smaller than it was at the peak.
For most move-up families we recommend lining the two up instead of choosing one. Sell your townhouse with a firm date and buy the house with a matching completion date, so you aren’t carrying two mortgages or moving twice.
You know exactly what your townhouse sold for before you shop.
You secure the right detached home before you list.
Prep and price your townhouse first, then shop with a clear budget.
The market decides which works best. In October 2026, Greater Vancouver active listings sat 24% above the 10-year average for the month, so buyers had more choice and sellers were more open to subject-to-sale offers than in a hot market. We check where your neighbourhood sits before we pick a plan.
Bridge financing is a short-term loan that covers your down payment when your new house completes before your townhouse sale closes. You usually need a firm, unconditional sale on your townhouse to get one, and it’s paid off when that sale closes.
Your townhouse sale is firm, but it completes days or weeks after your house purchase. Bridge financing fills that gap so you can move in, paint, and move once.
We’ll connect you with mortgage brokers we trust before you start shopping, because a firm pre-approval and a clear bridge plan make your offer much stronger.
Most of our move-up families land in a handful of neighbourhoods, depending on budget, schools and whether they want new construction or a bigger lot. These are the areas where Jordan has sold the most homes.
Newer hillside community with many newer detached homes and townhomes, trails and parks. Popular with families who want newer construction.
Jordan has sold 11 homes hereEstablished neighbourhood close to transit and shopping, with older detached homes on good lots. Often the most house for the money, and a strong fit for buyers open to renovating.
Jordan has sold 11 homes hereQuiet streets and mature detached homes, many with views and big yards, close to central Coquitlam.
Jordan has sold 8 homes hereLarger homes, golf course living and parks. A common next step for families who’ve outgrown a plateau townhouse.
Jordan has sold 4 homes hereFamily-friendly streets near the PoCo Trail and river. Port Coquitlam has the smallest move-up gap of the three cities.
Jordan has sold 12 homes hereDetached homes with trails and views. The biggest jump in price, and a popular step for families who want Port Moody living.
Jordan has sold 4 homes hereSales counts are homes personally sold by Jordan Macnab, as listed on his agent page: 105 in Coquitlam and 174 across the Tri-Cities.
Moving from a strata townhouse means the roof, drainage and mechanical systems become your bill instead of the strata’s. Before you commit, check the big-ticket items: roof, perimeter drains, plumbing, electrical and any suite.
Ask how old the roof is, and whether the perimeter drains have been scoped or replaced. Water problems are the most expensive surprise in older Tri-Cities homes.
Look for poly-B plumbing (common in homes from the 1980s and 1990s), an undersized electrical panel, or old wiring. Some insurers ask about all three.
A mortgage-helper suite can make the numbers work. Check whether it’s permitted, and what it would take to make it legal.
Jordan won Mike Holmes’ Handyman Superstar Challenge on HGTV and has spent his career in and around construction. He’ll walk a house with you and tell you which fixes are cosmetic, which are real money, and what that should mean for your offer. Always get a professional home inspection as well.
Get your strata documents ready early, fix only what buyers will pay for, and launch with marketing that brings serious buyers in the first week. Your townhouse sale price is your down payment, so every dollar here carries into the house.
Have your Form B, recent minutes, financial statements and depreciation report ready before you list. It speeds up subject removal and keeps buyers from walking away.
Paint, lighting, small repairs and a deep clean usually beat big renovations. We’ll tell you room by room what’s worth it.
Cinematic video, drone, 3D tours and a launch event put your home in front of buyers the first weekend. See how we sell in Coquitlam.
Beyond the price gap, budget for Property Transfer Tax on the new house, legal fees on both sides, a home inspection, moving costs and any mortgage penalty. You’ll stop paying strata fees, but the house’s upkeep becomes yours.
We price your townhouse and map your budget for the house.
Lock in financing, including a bridge plan if you need one.
Strata documents, smart fixes and a launch plan.
We walk homes with you and flag the real costs before you offer.
Negotiate completion dates that work together.
One move, into a home with room to grow.
Our clients found the house they wanted in Ranch Park before their Port Moody townhouse was listed. The sellers turned down a subject-to-sale offer, so we went firm, then sold the townhouse before the house completed and lined up the dates so they moved once.
We wrote an offer on the Ranch Park house with a subject to the sale of their townhouse. The sellers didn’t accept it, and our clients really wanted this house.
We talked through the risk and they committed: a clean offer with no subject to sale. That won them the house, with a completion date we now had to sell before.
We listed the Port Moody townhouse right away with great photos and well-timed marketing. It sold, and we lined the completion dates up so they moved straight from one home to the other.
Why it worked: buying first only makes sense with a clear plan to sell fast. A firm offer won the house, and a strong launch sold the townhouse in time. We’ll tell you honestly whether that plan fits your townhouse and your market before you commit.
Our clients bought a three-level townhouse before they had a child, and a few years later they’d outgrown it. We had their photos and video done before they started shopping. When they found the right house, the sellers would only give two weeks on a subject-to-sale offer. Because the marketing was ready, their townhouse hit the market right away and sold inside that window.
Before they booked a single showing, we had professional photos and video of their townhouse done and ready to launch.
We made an offer subject to the sale of their townhouse. The sellers agreed, but would only give us two weeks to sell.
We listed the townhouse right away and had an accepted offer in time. Subject removed, deal done, and one very happy family.
Why it worked: a short subject-to-sale window is only scary if you’re starting from zero. Getting your home’s marketing done before you shop means you can list the day you need to, not a week later.
In October 2026 the Coquitlam benchmark was $1,571,400 for a detached home and $962,600 for a townhouse, a gap of about $608,800. In Port Coquitlam the gap was about $381,000, and in Port Moody about $972,200. Your gap depends on your townhouse and the specific house you want.
For most families we recommend lining the two up: prepare and price your townhouse first, then sell and buy in the same window with completion dates that match. Selling first is the lowest-risk option. Buying first works when the right house is rare, but usually needs bridge financing.
It’s an offer on a house that only goes ahead if you sell your current home by a set date. Sellers accept them more often in slower markets, like Greater Vancouver in fall 2026. In a busy market they’re weaker, so we may suggest selling first instead.
Only if your new house completes before your townhouse sale closes. Bridge financing covers your down payment for that short window and usually requires a firm sale on your townhouse. Ask your lender about it, and about porting your mortgage, before you shop.
Our move-up families most often choose Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Ranch Park and Coquitlam West in Coquitlam, Riverwood in Port Coquitlam and Heritage Mountain in Port Moody. The right one depends on your budget, schools and whether you want newer construction or a bigger lot.
The roof, perimeter drains, poly-B plumbing, the electrical panel, and whether any suite is permitted. These are the expensive items that used to be the strata’s job. Jordan’s construction background helps you spot them early, and you should always get a professional inspection too.
Jordan helps Tri-Cities families move up from townhouses to detached homes. He has 18 years in real estate, is a top 1% Greater Vancouver agent and a Medallion Club, President’s Club and Chairman’s Club member, and won Mike Holmes’ Handyman Superstar Challenge on HGTV. He has personally sold 105 homes in Coquitlam and 174 across the Tri-Cities. Jordan and his brother Russ lead The Macnabs Real Estate Team at Real Broker.
A 30-minute call gets you a price for your townhouse, a realistic budget for the house, and a plan for the timing. No pressure.