If you live in Lorraine, on Montreal's North Shore, buying a new semi-detached home near Lorraine almost always goes hand in hand with selling another house.

Two transactions, two timelines, and one recurring question: what order should you do things in? This article doesn't replace a real estate broker or a financial adviser. Instead, it lays out what we know about the Lorraine market, then BÉAcité's three timelines, to help you plan on moving from Lorraine to Sainte-Julie without ending up with two houses, or none.

In Lorraine, moving starts with a house to sell

Lorraine is a town of homeowners like few others. In Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, 97.6% of its households owned their home: 3,315 owner households for 80 renter households. Among owners, 62.4% were still carrying a mortgage.

In practice, leaving Lorraine nearly always means putting a house on the market, often a detached one — that's the case for 88.2% of the town's dwellings. And that sale shapes everything else: the budget for your next home, the date you have to hand over the keys, sometimes the financing.

The Lorraine market, with dated figures

Centris statistics for the third quarter of 2026 give a sense of the local pace:

106 single-family houses sold in Lorraine over the past four quarters, 18% fewer than the year before;
an average selling time of 43 days for those houses, compared with 18 days in Sainte-Julie;
a median price of $773,937 over the same period;
just 4 condo sales, and no plexes at all.

It's a thin market, where every house has its quirks. These figures describe what has happened; they say nothing about how long your own sale will take or what it will bring, which only a broker or an appraiser can estimate. What they do suggest is that it's wise to build some flexibility into your schedule.

Three timelines at BÉAcité

That flexibility is exactly what BÉAcité, in Sainte-Julie, offers: three ways to buy, each with its own horizon.

Right away: a turnkey home

Four homes are built and available for immediate sale, at 405, 408, 423 and 435 Geoffrion Street. Landscaped lot, finishes chosen, garage in place: it's the option that best follows a quick sale.

In about four months: a customizable home

Several customizable homes are ready to be sold quickly; allow about four months. You pick your finishes, and that window can be used to sell, sign and plan the move.

Later on: a home to customize

Twenty more homes, cottages or bungalows, are still open to customization. No precise delivery date is published; the sales director gives you the schedule for each home. It's the most flexible option if you haven't listed your house yet.

What order should you go in?

There's no single answer, but three typical situations help clarify things, and each has an option that fits:

Your house is sold and the move-out date is set. A turnkey home can spare you a temporary place in between.
You're listing your house soon. A customizable home, ready in about four months, leaves room for a sale that takes longer than expected.
You're still thinking it over. A home to customize lets you choose the model and options before your house even goes on the market.

At the sales office, a few questions help you compare the options on the same footing: which homes are still available in each category, which finishes are still to be chosen, and by when those choices must be locked in to meet the date you have in mind. Jot the answers down next to the key dates of your own sale, and a shared calendar quickly takes shape.

Whatever your situation, get the dates you're committing to confirmed in writing, and talk through the order of the transactions with your lender and your broker before you sign.

Moving from Lorraine to Sainte-Julie: the logistics

The average home in Lorraine has 8.5 rooms, and 46.5% have four or more bedrooms. Before you start sorting furniture, measure what's waiting for you. The models' floor areas are known:

semi-detached bungalow: 1,006 sq ft on one level, a basement of the same size and a 294 sq ft garage;
Duo cottage: 2,018 sq ft of living space on two floors, plus an 858 sq ft basement and a 292 sq ft garage;
Urbain model: 1,622 sq ft of living space, with a basement and a garage.

With the plans in hand, you'll know early which furniture comes with you: a big dining table, for example, can be measured against the Duo cottage's 858 sq ft ground floor, and the sideboard against the wall where it would go.

If you work from home, set aside the room that will serve as your office now; our article on choosing a home office near Lorraine goes over the possibilities, from the optional mezzanine to the rooms in the turnkey homes.

For the drive, allow about 50 km from Lorraine city hall, roughly fifty minutes without traffic. Every route goes through the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel, under major repairs until 2027 with lane restrictions that change from one phase to the next, so build in extra time on moving day.

Once you're in Sainte-Julie

The biggest change shows up outside. Landscaping is complete on delivery, and upkeep is then fully taken care of by an all-inclusive program, with details provided by the sales director. In Vilamo, a full commercial strip is within walking distance, and Sainte-Julie's local public transit is free for everyone.

The neighbourhood itself was designed as a whole, with its architectural guidelines and 600,000 sq ft of green space. What you'll find there that feels like Lorraine, and what will be different, is the subject of our article on the planned neighbourhood near Lorraine.

Conclusion

Moving from Lorraine to Sainte-Julie is first a matter of lining up two timelines: your sale's, which no one can predict for certain, and your next home's, which you get to choose. Between a turnkey home, a home ready in about four months and a home to customize, there's an option for every pace. To talk it over, stop by the sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, or book an evening, Saturday or Sunday appointment at 514-812-9633.

Moving from Lorraine to Sainte-Julie: getting the timelines to agree