January is the quiet hero of the homeowner calendar. It’s the month where a few simple checks can prevent costly repairs later — especially in the cold, wet conditions we experience across the Westshore.

Here’s what every BC homeowner should focus on this month.

Protect Against Frozen & Burst Pipes

Even mild winters cause frozen pipes in garages, crawlspaces and exterior walls.

• Open cabinet doors under sinks on cold nights.

• Disconnect garden hoses and shut off exterior taps.

• Let faucets drip slightly during freezing temperatures.

• Find and test your main water shut-off now — not during an emergency.

Check Attic & Bathroom Venting

Condensation buildup is a leading cause of mold and structural damage in winter.

• Run bathroom fans for at least 20 minutes after showers.

• Ensure vent pipes are properly secured in the attic.

• Watch for moisture staining around ceiling fans or skylights.

Inspect Your Roof After Winter Storms

January storms quietly expose roof issues.

• Look for lifted shingles or loose flashing.

• Check ceilings for faint water rings or discoloration.

• Clear debris from gutters so water drains freely.

Service Your Heating System

Your furnace or heat pump is working overtime right now.

• Replace or clean filters.

• Book annual servicing before breakdown season hits.

• Ensure all vents are open and unobstructed.

Control Winter Humidity

BC homes trap moisture in winter, especially suites and basements.

• Install or use fan timers and humidity sensors.

• Run dehumidifiers in lower levels.

• Aim for indoor humidity between 35–50%.

Test Safety Systems

New year, fresh batteries.

• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

• Replace detectors over 10 years old.

• Make sure everyone knows where emergency shut-offs are located.

Final Thought

January isn’t about renovations — it’s about prevention. These small checks protect your home, your comfort, and your investment all year long.

Your Trusted Westshore Real Estate Advisor

If you live in Langford, Colwood, Royal Bay, Bear Mountain, Metchosin or anywhere across the Westshore, staying on top of home maintenance is one of the smartest ways to protect your equity.

With over 20 years of experience helping Westshore homeowners, I guide clients through every stage of ownership — from preventative care and market timing to strategic selling and design-forward marketing.

Whether you’re planning a move this year or just want to understand your home’s current value, I’m always happy to help.

Cheryl Barnes, REALTOR®
Westshore Real Estate Expert – Langford • Colwood • Bear Mountain • Royal Bay • Metchosin
Certified Home Stager | Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist | SRES
📍 Macdonald Realty Victoria
📞 250-413-7943
🌐 www.CherylBarnes.ca

Looking for the most trusted Westshore real estate agent? I provide local market expertise, professional staging, data-driven pricing strategies, and a boutique selling experience tailored to your home and your goals.

Short answer: yes — if you understand the cycle and buy with a plan.

Langford has evolved from an affordable suburb into one of the most active real estate markets in Greater Victoria. What makes it especially attractive for investors is the mix of strong population growth, steady rental demand, and comparatively attainable price points.

Why Investors Keep Choosing Langford

1. Population growth is built in
Langford continues to attract young families, first-time buyers, military relocations and downsizers. That steady inflow fuels both resale demand and rental absorption.

2. Prices remain accessible — for now
While Victoria Core prices have softened, Langford values have held more consistently. This creates a window where buyers can still enter the market without competing in the ultra-premium price tiers seen closer to downtown.

3. Rental demand isn’t slowing
Townhomes, duplexes and secondary-suite homes in Langford rent quickly. Proximity to base, trades employment, new schools and highway access keeps vacancy rates low compared to many other communities.

4. Infrastructure keeps adding value
Retail centres, recreation facilities, schools and transit expansion aren’t speculative — they’re already in place. Investors benefit from real lifestyle infrastructure, not future promises.

What Type of Property Works Best?

Not every purchase is an investment.

The strongest performers in Langford tend to be:

• Homes with legal or easily added suites

• Townhomes in family-oriented developments

• Properties walkable to schools, transit and retail hubs

The Risk to Watch

Inventory has risen across Greater Victoria. That doesn’t weaken Langford — but it does mean pricing strategy matters more than ever. Buying based on emotion instead of math is how investors get stuck.

The Bottom Line

Langford remains one of the most reliable long-term investment communities in the region — not because it’s trendy, but because it functions like a real city now.

Smart investors focus on:

• Neighbourhood fundamentals

• Rental demand

• Exit strategy before purchase

Local Market Insight

I specialize in helping homeowners in Langford, Colwood and the Westshore understand how local price trends, inventory levels and buyer demand affect their property value — not just what’s happening across Greater Victoria.

If you’d like a neighbourhood-specific breakdown for your home or condo, feel free to reach out.

Cheryl Barnes
Westshore Real Estate Specialist
Macdonald Realty
📞 250-413-7943

2025 didn’t bring wild swings — it delivered something far more valuable: stability.

Across Greater Victoria, a total of 6,918 properties sold in 2025, slightly ahead of 2024’s 6,893 sales — a modest 0.36% increase year-over-year. In a market shaped by economic uncertainty, that’s a strong signal of resilience.

More Inventory = Better Decisions

One of the defining features of 2025 was inventory.

By the end of December there were 2,544 active listings, up 11.1% from December 2024. Buyers had more choice, more time, and more negotiating power. Sellers, meanwhile, benefitted from clearer pricing expectations and fewer emotional surprises.

Price Trends: A Tale of Two Markets

The numbers tell a nuanced story:

• Victoria Core Single-Family Homes
  Benchmark price ended the year at $1,255,000, down 4.7% year-over-year.

• Victoria Core Condos
  Benchmark price edged up to $549,900, a 0.7% increase from 2024.

• Westshore
  While the Core softened, the Westshore quietly outperformed with modest gains, reinforcing the appeal of communities like Langford, Colwood and Sooke for value-driven buyers.

The Market Stayed… Balanced

The Sales-to-Active-Listings Ratio hovered between 17% and 28% throughout the year, the range defined as a balanced market — meaning neither buyers nor sellers held a decisive advantage.

This balance kept prices from spiking or collapsing — a healthy sign for long-term homeowners.

What This Means for 2026

2025 proved that preparation matters more than timing.

• Buyers succeeded when they acted decisively on well-priced homes.

• Sellers who focused on presentation, pricing strategy and local trends still achieved strong results — even in softer segments.

If inventory remains elevated into 2026, the winners will be the ones who approach the market with clarity, not guesswork.

I specialize in helping homeowners in Langford, Colwood and the Westshore understand how local price trends, inventory levels and buyer demand affect their property value — not just what’s happening across Greater Victoria.

If you’d like a neighbourhood-specific breakdown for your home or condo, feel free to reach out.

Cheryl Barnes
Westshore Real Estate Specialist
Macdonald Realty
📞 250-413-7943

Each year the Victoria Real Estate Board tracks where buyers are currently living at the time they purchase a home. The 2025 numbers are in — and they tell an interesting story about how our market is evolving.

The Big Picture

In 2025, 91% of all buyers were already living in British Columbia. Only 7% came from elsewhere in Canada, and just under 2% came from outside the country.

What stands out most is that local buyers are driving the market more than ever before — especially here in Greater Victoria.

Buyers Living in BC – 2025

Out of 6,592 total buyers last year:

• Greater Victoria: 5,008 buyers (75.97%)

• Lower Mainland: 491 buyers (7.45%)

• Southern Gulf Islands: 153 buyers (2.32%)

• Malahat & Area: 131 buyers (1.99%)

• Elsewhere in BC: 200 buyers (3.03%)

• North Island: 34 buyers (0.52%)

That means three out of every four buyers in our market already live right here in Greater Victoria.

Buyers From Elsewhere in Canada – 2025

Out-of-province buyers still play a meaningful role, especially for lifestyle and relocation purchases.

• Alberta: 207 buyers (3.14%)

• Ontario & Quebec: 177 buyers (2.69%)

• Saskatchewan: 25 buyers (0.38%)

• Manitoba: 25 buyers (0.38%)

• Atlantic Canada: 21 buyers (0.32%)

• Canadian North: 11 buyers (0.17%)

Together, buyers from outside BC represented 7.07% of all purchases in 2025.

Buyers From Outside Canada – 2025

International buyers are still a small part of the market, but they are growing again.

• United States: 92 buyers (1.40%)

• Europe: 9 buyers (0.14%)

• Asia: 1 buyer (0.02%)

• Other countries: 7 buyers (0.11%)

Total international buyers accounted for 1.65% of all purchases, nearly double last year’s share.

How This Compares to 2024

• Greater Victoria buyers increased from 73.07% to 75.97%.

• Lower Mainland buyers declined from 9.10% to 7.45%.

• International buyers rose from 0.94% to 1.65%.

In simple terms, the 2025 market became more locally driven, while long-distance Canadian demand softened slightly and overseas interest began to return.

What This Means for Sellers

If you’re selling in 2026, your most likely buyer based on last years’ info is not coming from Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto — they’re already living here in Greater Victoria. Pricing, marketing, and presentation need to speak first to local move-up buyers, with lifestyle storytelling layered in for Alberta, Ontario, and U.S. interest.

Understanding who your buyer really is makes all the difference in how your home is positioned — and ultimately, how successfully it sells.

NOTE:  This information is based on data supplied by member REALTORS® who reported the unconditional sales of their listings during the reporting period. The answers supplied respond to the question: ‘Where is the buyer currently residing?’. This data cannot be used to deduce the nationality of the buyer.

I specialize in helping homeowners in Langford, Colwood and the Westshore understand how local price trends, inventory levels and buyer demand affect their property value — not just what’s happening across Greater Victoria.

If you’d like a neighbourhood-specific breakdown for your home or condo, feel free to reach out.

Cheryl Barnes
Westshore Real Estate Specialist
Macdonald Realty
📞 250-413-7943

Assessment notices for 2026 are out now — based on property values as of July 1, 2025. You should receive yours in the mail or online soon.

These assessments help your municipality calculate property taxes, and they give you a snapshot of how your home’s value compared to last year.

📅 Important: If you think your assessed value isn’t right, you have until January 31 to file a review with BC Assessment.

Curious how your number compares to others in your area? I can help break it down — just send me a message!

I specialize in helping homeowners in Langford, Colwood and the Westshore understand how local price trends, inventory levels and buyer demand affect their property value — not just what’s happening across Greater Victoria.

If you’d like a neighbourhood-specific breakdown for your home or condo, feel free to reach out.

Cheryl Barnes
Westshore Real Estate Specialist
Macdonald Realty
📞 250-413-7943

Yesterday I wrote about that quiet stretch of time where one chapter hasn’t quite ended and the next hasn’t fully begun. Today I’m still sitting with it — intentionally.

For the first time in a long time, I’ve chosen to feel the pause instead of rushing past it. No filling the space with noise. No forcing momentum. Just letting myself be in the in-between, even when it feels unfamiliar.

Lately, that pause has been filled with a kind of longing I didn’t expect. I find myself missing the old days — when my children were little, when life felt slower and louder all at once. I catch myself wishing I could go back for just a moment, to be in one of those quiet, sacred places that once held our small everyday magic.

The in-between doesn’t come with fireworks or fanfare. It feels like standing in a hallway with the lights dimmed, knowing you’re meant to walk through one of the doors, but not being sure which one yet. It can feel unproductive, even uncomfortable — like you should already have it figured out.

But this is where the real recalibration happens.

When you’re no longer chasing the old thing, but not yet committed to the new one, you finally get quiet enough to hear yourself again. You notice what feels heavy. What you’re done tolerating. What you’re ready to protect. The in-between is where your standards start to sharpen.

It’s where you stop asking, What do I want to do next? and start asking,
Who do I want to be when I get there?

There’s no checklist for this season. No timeline you can rush. It isn’t about forcing clarity — it’s about allowing it.

So if today feels slow, uncertain, or softly nostalgic, maybe that’s not a problem to fix. Maybe it’s the invitation. The pause before momentum. The breath before the shift.

I’m choosing to stay here just a little longer —
holding the memories gently, and trusting the next chapter is already forming.