Selling Your Canadian Property Before Leaving the Country?
We handle the complexity — Section 116, non-resident tax, and remote closings. You don't need to be here.
Leaving Canada is complicated enough without a property holding you back.
Whether you're relocating for work, returning to your home country, or moving abroad permanently, selling a Canadian property from a distance creates a unique set of challenges. There's the tax complexity — non-resident withholding under Section 116, capital gains calculations, and CRA clearance certificates. There's the logistics — coordinating showings, repairs, and a closing when you're in a different time zone. And there's the risk of leaving a property vacant and unmanaged for months while it sits on the market.
Traditional real estate sales are hard enough when you're local. When you're managing one from another country — or trying to wrap it up before your departure date — the delays, uncertainty, and coordination challenges multiply.
I Buy Ugly Houses offers a direct alternative. We buy your property for cash, handle the closing remotely, and work within whatever timeline your departure requires. No showings, no staging, no months of waiting. Just a fair offer and a clean close.
Selling before you leave eliminates the risk and cost of managing from abroad.
A vacant property in Canada while you're overseas is a liability. You're paying mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities on a home you can't use or monitor. Burst pipes, break-ins, and maintenance issues can go unnoticed for weeks. If you're renting it out, you become a remote landlord dealing with tenant issues across time zones — plus the additional tax obligations that come with non-resident rental income.
Selling before departure converts the property to cash and eliminates all of those ongoing obligations. It also simplifies your tax situation — you can apply for the Section 116 clearance certificate as part of the sale and resolve your Canadian tax obligations cleanly rather than managing them from abroad for years.
We understand the urgency that comes with a departure date. We've closed transactions in under two weeks for sellers who needed to settle their Canadian affairs before boarding a flight. If you need speed, we deliver it.
Getting started — whether you're still here or already gone.
Call 1 (888) 986-9883 or fill out the form below. Tell us about the property and your timeline. If you're already outside Canada, we can handle the property visit without you and coordinate everything with your lawyer.
We provide a cash offer within 24 hours. Closing can happen in as little as 7 days — or we can align with your Section 116 certificate timeline.
We work with sellers across every province and regularly coordinate with lawyers, tax professionals, and notaries to manage the non-resident sale process end to end.
Everything handled by your lawyer and our team. You don't need to set foot in Canada.
Common questions about selling when leaving Canada
Can I sell my Canadian property from outside the country?
Yes. We regularly work with sellers who are already overseas or planning to leave. The entire process can be handled remotely — your Canadian lawyer manages the closing, and we coordinate everything by phone, email, and video. You do not need to be physically present at any point.
What taxes apply when a non-resident sells Canadian property?
Non-residents selling Canadian real estate are subject to withholding tax under Section 116 of the Income Tax Act. The buyer (or their lawyer) is required to hold back 25% of the sale price (or 50% for non-depreciable property) unless the seller obtains a clearance certificate from the CRA before closing. Capital gains tax applies on any profit. We recommend working with a tax professional who specializes in non-resident dispositions.
What is a Section 116 clearance certificate?
A Section 116 certificate is a document from the Canada Revenue Agency confirming that appropriate tax has been paid or that the buyer can release the withheld funds. Without it, the buyer must hold back a significant portion of the sale price. Applying early is important — CRA processing can take 8 to 16 weeks. We can structure the closing timeline to accommodate this process.
Do I need to be present in Canada for the closing?
No. Your lawyer in Canada handles the closing on your behalf. Documents can be signed remotely, often through a notary or Canadian consulate in your country of residence. We have closed dozens of transactions where the seller was in another country entirely — the process is well-established and works smoothly.
Can my lawyer handle everything on my behalf?
Yes. With a valid power of attorney, your Canadian real estate lawyer can handle the entire transaction — signing documents, receiving funds, filing the Section 116 application, and coordinating with the CRA. We work closely with the seller's lawyer to ensure nothing falls through the cracks, especially on the tax compliance side.
Sell before you go — or after you're gone.
Fill out the form and we'll respond within hours. We work across all time zones.
Related resources
Learn about our experience and trust, see how our process works, or read our frequently asked questions.
We also help with relocations within Canada, inherited properties, and selling with tenants. For Hamilton-area properties, visit Michael the Homebuyer.
Close the Canada chapter cleanly.
A fair cash offer, remote closing, and one less thing to worry about as you move on.