Buyers

Once you have a good idea about your finances, you’ll need to think clearly about the home you’d like to buy. Try to buy a home that meets most of your needs for the next 5 to 10 years, or find a home that can grow and change with your needs.

Here are some things to consider.

Size

• How many bedrooms do you need?
• How many bathrooms do you need?
• Do you need space for a home office?
• What kind of parking facilities do you need? For how many cars?

Special features

• Do you want air conditioning? If so, what type?
• Do you want storage or hobby space?
• Is a fireplace or a swimming pool high on your list?
• Do you have family members with special needs?
• Do you want special features to save energy, enhance indoor air quality, and reduce environmental impact?

Lifestyles and stages

• No matter what type of housing you choose, you must have a clear idea of your needs today as well as your possible future needs. These are some examples of questions home buyers might ask:
• Do I need a home office?
• Do I plan to have children?
• Do I have teenagers who will be moving away soon?
• Am I close to retirement?
• Will I need a home that can accommodate different stages of life?
• Do I have an older relative who might come to live with me?

What Location Should You Choose?

Location is a critical factor. A home with everything you need but in the wrong location, is probably not the right home for you. Here are some things to consider about location.

• Do you want to live in a city, a town or in the countryside?
• How easy will it be to get to where you work? How much will the commuting cost?
• Where will your children go to school? How will they get there?
• Do you need a safe walking area or recreational facility, such as a park, nearby?
• How close would you like to be to family and friends?

What is a Sustainable Neighbourhood?

A sustainable neighbourhood meets your needs while protecting the environment. Homes in a sustainable neighbourhood are located near shops, schools, recreation, work and other daily destinations. This helps reduce driving costs and lets residents enjoy the health benefits of walking and cycling. Land and services, like roads, are used efficiently. Sustainable neighbourhoods also feature a choice of homes that are affordable.

In your search for a sustainable neighbourhood, here are some questions to ask:

Easy transportation

• Are stores, schools, recreation facilities, restaurants, and health services within walking or cycling distance? Will your children need to take a bus to school? Can they walk to the park? Can you do most of your shopping without a car?
• Are there nearby bus stops and cycling lanes? How long is the bus ride to work, or school? Can you safely bike?

House size and features

• Are the homes compact with shared walls to reduce heating costs?
• Are homes reasonably sized with lots requiring less upkeep?
• Are there different dwelling types (such as single-detached, semi-detached, townhouse and apartments) in the neighbourhood?
• Are the lots modestly sized? Roadways narrow? Driveways/parking areas small? Do natural drain ways lead to streams or park lands? Is there native vegetation and streams with woodland edges?

“Look and feel”

• Do the buildings have a friendly face to the street? Are the community centres, shops and meeting places welcoming?
• Are there trees lining the street? Do you find the homes interesting to look at?  Do the building sizes feel comfortable to you? Are the roads easy to walk along or cross?

Safety

• Do the homes have “eyes on the street”? (In other words, are there people around who might watch out for you? Is there somewhere to go in an emergency?)
• Is there adequate street lighting?
• Are there safe places for children to play?
• Are the streets safe for cyclists and pedestrians?
• Is traffic slow moving and light?

Do You Want a New Home or a Previously-Owned Home?

A new home is one that has just been built — no one else has lived in it yet. You might buy a new home from a contractor who has built it, or you might hire a contractor to build it for you. A previously-owned home (often called a resale) has already been lived in. Here are some characteristics of each type of home.

New Home

• Up-to-date: A new home has up-to-date design that might reflect the latest trends, materials and features.

Choices

• You may be able to choose certain features such as style of siding, flooring, cabinets, plumbing and electrical fixtures.
• You may have to pay extra if you want to add certain features, such as a fireplace, trees and sod, or a paved driveway. Make sure you know exactly what's included in the price of your home.

Costs

• Taxes such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) (or, in certain provinces, the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)) apply to a new home. However, you may qualify for a rebate of part of the GST or HST on homes that cost less than $450,000. For more information about the GST New Housing Rebate program, visit the Canada Revenue Agency website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
• A new home will have lower maintenance costs because everything is new, and many items are covered by a warranty. You should set aside money every year for future maintenance costs.

Warranties

• A warranty may be provided by the builder of the home. Be sure to check all the conditions of the warranty. It can be very important if a major system such as plumbing, or heating, breaks down.
• New Home Warranties may be provided by provincial governments. There are also private new home warranty programs. In some provinces a warranty may be provided by the builder of the home. Check with your realtor or lawyer/ notary to find out what the new home warranty program in your province covers.
• Check the internet for Home Warranty Programs in your province.

Neighbourhood amenities

• schools, shopping malls and other services, may not be completed for years.

What Type of Home Should You Buy?

What types of homes will you be visiting with the idea of buying? Do you see yourself living in a detached single-family home? Or, perhaps a townhouse? Maybe, a duplex?

Single-family Detached

A single-family detached home is one dwelling unit. It stands alone, and sits on its own lot. This often gives the family a greater degree of privacy.

Single-family Semi-detached

A semi-detached home is a single-family home that is joined on one side to another home. It can offer many of the advantages of a single-family detached home. It is often less expensive to buy and maintain.

Duplex

A duplex is a building containing two single-family homes, located one above the other. Sometimes, the owner lives in one unit and rents the other.

Row House (Townhouse)

Row houses (also called townhouses) are several similar single-family homes, side-by-side, joined by common walls. They can be freehold or condominiums. They offer less privacy than a single-family detached home, although each has a separate outdoor space. These homes can cost less to buy and maintain, although some are large, luxury units.

Stacked Townhouse

Stacked townhouses are usually two-storey homes. Two two-story homes are stacked one on top of the other. The buildings are usually attached in groups of four or more. Each unit has direct access from the outside.

Link or Carriage Home

A link, or carriage home, is joined by a garage or carport. The garage or carport gives access to the front and back yards. Builders sometimes join basement walls so that link houses appear to be single-family homes on small lots. These houses can be less expensive than single-family detached homes.

Manufactured Home

A manufactured home is a factory-built, single-family home. It is transported to a chosen location and placed onto a foundation.

Modular Home

A modular home is also a factory-built, single-family home. The home is typically shipped to a location in two or more sections (or modules).

Mobile Home

Mobile homes, like manufactured or modular homes, are built in factories and then taken to the place where they will be occupied. While these homes are usually placed in one location and left there permanently, they do retain the ability to be moved.

Apartment

A self-contained unit in part of a building consisting of a room or set of rooms including kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Once you've answered these questions, you're ready to go house hunting!