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Moving Up to a Bigger Home in St. Thomas
Plenty of St. Thomas families bought a starter home and have outgrown it — another child, a home office, a basement that needs to become a bedroom. Moving up here means selling into the same market you're buying in. Here's how I plan it so you move once, not twice.
It depends on how quickly homes like yours are selling right now. Entry-level and established resale homes draw buyers from London looking for more space, which can make buying first more realistic — but only with financing in place for an overlap. If your type of home is sitting, sell first or buy with a condition on your sale. I'll pull recent sales for your pocket before recommending an order.
Yes, and it's common, because new-build closings are often months away. The risk is timing: the builder's closing date can move after your sale is already firm, or your sale can be slower than planned when the builder is ready. Don't sell firm until the builder has set a final closing date, and leave room in both agreements.
Ontario land transfer tax on a $700,000 home is about $10,475. St. Thomas adds no municipal land transfer tax, but you also won't get the first-time buyer rebate on a second purchase — it's one of the costs move-up buyers most often forget to budget for.
Negotiate a longer closing when you sell, if the buyer can accommodate it, so you have time to search. The fallback is a short-term rental. Deciding which you'd accept before you list keeps you from being rushed into the wrong purchase.
Stay in St. Thomas if you want more space for the money and your work or family ties are here — Harvest Run, Miller's Pond and Southwest St. Thomas are where many local families move up. Look at London if a job has moved there or you want a particular school area. Commuting from St. Thomas to London takes about 20 to 25 minutes, so many families can do either.
The same way it works in London: for a qualifying home that's new to the market, we agree your list price and closing date in writing when you list, and if it doesn't sell during the listing period, I buy it at the guaranteed price in your agreement. It's paired with your next home being one of my listings, and an application fee and other conditions apply. Ask me for the full written terms for your home.
Where St. Thomas families move up to
- Harvest Run. A newer subdivision in the southeast, and one of the area's most active new-home communities.
- Miller's Pond. A family-oriented new-build pocket close to schools and parks.
- Southwest St. Thomas. Established streets and larger lots, with an easier drive to the 401.
- Or across to London. If a job has moved, Byron and north London for schools and newer homes — about 20 to 25 minutes away.
Selling your starter home in St. Thomas
The homes move-up buyers sell — established resale and entry-level homes — are exactly what first-time buyers and buyers crossing over from London are shopping for. That's an advantage, but only if your home is priced from recent sales in your pocket and listed when buyers are active.
It also shapes the order you do things in. When your type of home is selling well, buying first with financing in place for an overlap becomes realistic. When it isn't, selling first or buying conditionally protects you from carrying two homes.
New build or resale for your next home?
- New build. Choose your finishes and skip the renovations — but closing dates can move, so your sale has to be timed against a date you don't control. Deposit schedules and closing adjustments add up.
- Resale. A closing date you negotiate to match your sale, a finished lot and mature trees — with an inspection that matters more on older homes.
Comparing builders? Start here. Best New Home Builders in London & St. Thomas →
Why St. Thomas move-up buyers work with me
- Both deals, one plan. Your sale and purchase negotiated together, so conditions and closing dates fit.
- Guaranteed Sale Program. Guaranteed Sold — or I'll buy it, on qualifying homes when your next home is one of my listings.*
- Buyer Protection Guarantee. Not satisfied with your new home within 18 months? I'll sell it for free.*
*Terms apply — not intended to solicit buyers or sellers already under contract with another brokerage. Guaranteed Sale Program: for qualifying London and St. Thomas homes that are new to the market, when the seller's next home is one of Andy's listings (other purchases considered case by case). The seller and Andy agree the list price and closing date in writing at the time of listing; if the home doesn't sell during the listing period, Andy buys it at the guaranteed price in the written agreement, set as described in the terms and conditions on the Guarantees page. An application fee, minimum listing and closing periods, a price limit and property-type exclusions apply. Ask me for full written program details.