Most Ontario offers arrive with conditions, and private sellers who understand them negotiate better than sellers who just see obstacles. Here's what each common condition actually means for you.
Financing condition
The buyer has (typically) 3–5 business days to confirm their mortgage. Normal and healthy — a buyer waiving financing without a strong pre-approval is the riskier deal. What you can ask for: a reasonable deadline and proof they've applied. The condition comes off with a signed waiver or notice of fulfilment; until then, the deal is not firm.
Home inspection condition
Buyer books an inspector, usually within a week. Expect a request list afterward — the game is knowing the difference between real findings (active leak, knob-and-tube) and negotiation theatre (a $30 caulking line item). You can fix, credit, reduce, or hold firm. A pre-emptied, well-lit basement and a furnace-service receipt defuse half of it in advance.
Status certificate condition (condos)
The buyer's lawyer reviews the condo corporation's finances and rules, usually 2–5 days after receiving the certificate. Order the certificate early — the clock only starts when the buyer has it, and a seller who has it ready looks organized. More in our condo seller's page.
Sale of buyer's property (SBP)
The offer only firms up if the buyer sells their own home. This one deserves caution: it can tie your listing up for weeks. If you accept one, insist on an escape clause — you keep marketing, and if another buyer appears, the first buyer gets 24–72 hours to firm up or step aside.
How conditions come off
In writing, always — a waiver or notice of fulfilment signed within the deadline. No paper by the deadline means the offer dies and the deposit returns. Keep every version and every signature; that trail is what your lawyer closes with. If you'd rather have licensed backup on the paperwork, that's exactly what our Offer Handling + Compliance add-on ($399) covers, and the free offer writer keeps unrepresented buyers' offers structured from the start.
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