Enter your price to see your own closing costs as a range, with the transfer tax rule that applied.
Closing costs are the one-time costs you pay on top of your down payment when a purchase completes. In BC the biggest is usually the property transfer tax; the rest are fees for the people and records involved. This page lists them with realistic ranges, using the same figures as the closing costs calculator.
The short answer
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada suggests being ready to spend about 1.5% to 4% of the purchase price on closing costs. On a $650,000 home that is $9,750 to $26,000.
For a $650,000 resale home bought by a qualifying first-time buyer, the calculator’s default ranges come to roughly $5,700 to $10,900, because the first-time buyer exemption removes the transfer tax. For a $900,000 resale home with no exemption it is roughly $18,700 to $23,900, of which $16,000 is transfer tax.
What you pay, item by item
| Cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Property transfer tax | 1% to 2% of price (see rates) | Often the biggest cost; exemptions can reduce it to $0. Exemption guide |
| Lawyer or notary | $1,000 to $1,800 before taxes | Plus 5% GST and 7% PST on the fee, and other disbursements of $100 to $300 |
| Land title registration | $83.82 for the transfer, $83.82 to register a mortgage | LTSA fees from April 1, 2026, exempt from GST and PST |
| Title insurance | $150 to $400 | One-time premium; optional unless your lender requires it |
| Home inspection | $400 to $700 | Strongly worth considering on a resale home |
| Appraisal | $250 to $350 | Only if your lender charges you for it |
| Property tax adjustment | $0 to about $1,500 on typical taxes | You reimburse the seller for property tax they prepaid beyond the completion date |
| Strata documents (condos and townhouses) | Form B up to $35 plus $0.25 a page, Form F up to $15 | Capped by BC rules; rush fees can be extra |
| Moving | $500 to $2,500 | Your own choice and quotes |
Only the tax and fee rules are official. The ranges for fees are planning assumptions rounded from public price guides, with no official price list behind them, so get written quotes. The calculator lets you edit every one.
Buying new: GST and rebates
A new home carries 5% GST. If you are a first-time home buyer signing for a new home between March 20, 2025 and the end of 2030, the first-time home buyers’ GST rebate covers up to $50,000 of it: all of it on a home of $1,000,000 or less, fading to nothing at $1,500,000. A buyer who is not a first-time buyer may get the GST new housing rebate, but only under $450,000 (up to $6,300), so at most BC prices it is nothing. The two are not added together.
What is not a closing cost
Your down payment, your moving-in budget for repairs and furniture, and the mortgage default insurance premium (which is normally added to the mortgage rather than paid in cash) are separate. The calculator shows the premium on the planner page.
Common questions
Do closing costs come out of my down payment?
No. Closing costs are paid in addition to your down payment, in cash, on or just before the completion date. That is why the planner subtracts them from your cash first and shows what is left for the down payment.
Is property transfer tax part of closing costs?
Yes, and it is usually the largest single item. It is $11,000 on a $650,000 home before any exemption. First-time buyers and buyers of qualifying newly built homes may owe less or nothing.
Is there GST on a resale home?
No. The resale of a previously occupied home is exempt from GST. GST applies to new homes and to services such as legal fees, and the first-time home buyers’ GST rebate or the new housing rebate can reduce it on a new home.
Sources
- canada.ca (FCAC) - Buying a home (Home buying costs). Checked October 26, 2026.
- gov.bc.ca - Property transfer tax. Checked October 26, 2026.
- LTSA - Fees (customer fee listing as at April 1, 2026). Checked October 26, 2026.
- gov.bc.ca - Bulletin PST 106, Legal Services (revised October 2026). Checked October 26, 2026.
- canada.ca (CRA) - RC4028 GST/HST New Housing Rebate (Rev. 10/2026). Checked October 26, 2026.
- canada.ca (CRA) - RC4028 GST/HST New Housing Rebate. Checked October 26, 2026.
- gov.bc.ca - Form B: Information Certificate. Checked October 26, 2026.
Every figure on this page comes from data/rules.json, the same file the calculators use, so the page and the tools always agree. Rules last verified: . See how the calculators work.
Related tools and guides
Estimates only. Not tax, legal or financial advice.
These are planning estimates built from the public rules linked in the sources, the numbers you enter and typical-cost assumptions. They are not a quote, a mortgage pre-approval or a lender's decision, and they are not tax, legal, mortgage or financial advice. Rules change and your situation may differ, so confirm with the official pages and a qualified professional (a lawyer or notary, an accountant, your lender). See Disclosures and Methodology.