3 tips for buying a new home this summer

Buyers are attracted to new construction, with brand new, never-lived-in-before purchases accounting for about a third of home purchases in Canada. When buying a new home, people love personalizing it without the onerousness of renovation — just the visit to the design centre to choose cabinetry, flooring and finishes is enough to draw some buyers. Much like buying a new car, the ease and low-cost of maintaining a new build, at least for the first few years, is the clincher.

But laying out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a house that doesn’t exist yet can be a daunting prospect. If you’re entertaining the idea of buying a new home this summer, there are a few things you’ll want to consider as you go.

1) Visit model homes

Pier 27 Tower model suite

They are magnificent, aren’t they? I know more than a few people who practically make it a hobby just to visit the glittering model homes and suites that seem to spring up every few blocks when the weather turns nice. They are a great way to check out the meticulousness of the builder, so try not to be dazzled by the décor when you should be examining trim and evaluating materials (easier said than done, I know). What they aren’t is a great way to predict what your own home will (necessarily) look like.

Remember as you run your hand over the impeccable countertops that much of what you see in a model home are upgrades. Upgrades are part of the profit equation for builders. I’m the first person to defend the right of any business owner to make a reasonable profit, and I don’t begrudge them that, but unless you’re prepared to pay for them, the features and finishes you’re looking at on your Sunday afternoon home tour aren’t necessarily the ones that come with the base model you can afford.

Do remember, though, that while there’s little room for bargaining on the base price, many builders are amenable to incentivizing a purchase through discounts on upgrades. It never hurts to ask. With a market this hot, builders may have little interest in throwing in free upgraded cabinetry, but if you’re also upgrading to hardwood floors and a third bathroom, you may find there’s some room to negotiate.

2) Understand the floorplan

To many of us, a floorplan is a little baffling. It’s hard to judge proportion, and what seems like an intelligent layout on paper may not work as well in life.

For starters, the size of the home is hard to appreciate when you’re looking at a scale drawing. Some builders measure from the exterior walls, so your 800 square foot condo may be a little smaller when measured after you move in. If you’re not sure what you’re living in now, measure it and decide on some priorities. Is your current kitchen too small? Make sure the one you’re considering is bigger. Think about how long you’re going to live there and whether the room sizes will match your future needs as well.

The bigger the home, very often the more complex the floor plan, with cute little mud rooms, pantries and half-baths hither and yon. For builders, floorplans have to consider where the wiring will go and how much drywall they’ll need. For you, a floorplan is a way to envision how your life will work in the space.

As you’re reviewing the floorplans of the available models, look particularly for flow. Imagine yourself pulling into the garage; is there room to walk around the car? Is there a door into the house from there, and is it conveniently placed? Have a mental walk-through of the entire place.

If a den is a priority for you, is it situated to minimize distractions when you’re working from home? If you’ve got favourite pieces of furniture, will they fit in the room where you’d like them to go? Is the laundry room important to you, and if so, is it conveniently located?

Consider the sightlines. An open second-storey playroom that’s visible from the entryway may seem like a beautiful idea on paper, but will you still love it when it’s full of toys and loud teenagers?

If you love some elements but not others, will the builder customize? If you do settle on some customizations, get everything in writing.  

3) Know the neighbourhood’s future

Remember that when you move into a brand new home, you’re effectively moving into a construction site, at least for a while. Established urban neighbourhoods are easy to assess, but suburban developments on the outskirts can be a lot harder to fathom.

Even if you’re already in love with the builder, the floorplan and the model home, ask yourself some hard questions. Are you willing to wait 20 years for mature trees? Homes in new communities tend to be closer together than neighbourhoods that developed organically decades ago.

If there are other residents there already, wander around and ask them what they like and dislike about where they live. Find out about zoning, and ask the city planner’s office what’s in store in the area.

Summer site touring can be one of the great joys of homebuying, just keep a level head — and lots of notes. One site can blend into another when you’re looking at half a dozen in a day. Snap pics or videos on your phone that you can peruse later over iced tea, when the buying fever isn’t burning quite so hot.