Buyer tools
Checklists worth having in your hand
Four tools for the moments that actually matter: before you sign, at the walkthrough, when you are working out your rebate position, and when you are budgeting for closing. All of them are free and readable in full on this site, the PDF is just the printable version.
01 / 5 sections
Pre-construction agreement review checklist
Work through the deposit schedule, the HST rebate clause and indemnity, whether development levies are capped, the builder's extension and substitution rights, assignment rights, and the specifications schedule. On a freehold home there is no cooling-off period, so every item has to be checked before you sign.
02 / 8 sections
Pre-delivery inspection (PDI) checklist
Check every outlet, tap, window and door, run all mechanicals, inspect floors, walls, cabinets and the basement, and verify every upgrade you paid for individually. Write everything on the PDI form, the form is your warranty baseline, and damage not recorded is much harder to claim later.
03 / 5 sections
HST rebate eligibility checklist
Work through four tests: is the home new and your primary residence, is your agreement signed inside the programme windows, do you pass the federal first-time buyer test including the spousal limb, and does your agreement assign the rebate to the builder. Failing the last two is what turns a rebate into a bill at closing.
04 / 5 sections
New home closing cost worksheet
Budget 2% to 4% of the purchase price. On a $1.1 million freehold home outside Toronto expect $30,000 to $45,000, land transfer tax of about $18,475, development levies, utility connections, Tarion enrolment, legal fees and grading deposits, plus $25,000 to $60,000 of items excluded from the base price.