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Buying from Builders? Be Aware…Be
Prepared
By Ann Smith
You’re starting fresh—brand new—and you’re pumped! You’ve researched the
best spot in the city, the most reputable builders, and not only toured the
various model homes but have already begun picking out paint colours.
You’ve got some things figured out but there’s more to consider…
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Have your lawyer
review the contract before signing. There are binding clauses for you
and not-so-binding clauses for the builders that may be important to you
– and pressure to commit. Resist until you clearly understand the
contract.
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Consider the
neighbourhood. Are there green spaces? Look at the space between the
houses and imagine how the neighbourhood might look without the piles of
dirt and building supplies. Also consider you may not have the same view
from your front porch once other houses have been built.
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Visit the site and
be cognizant of the different stages of progress. The builder should
know you are interested in keeping up with the building development.
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Document the
progress and any issues you can foresee. Keep a journal during the entire
process and document everything. This includes taking pictures of the
site as your home develops. This seems like a nostalgic thing to do but
it may very well come in handy later.
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Postpone the party.
It will be exciting standing at the precipice of moving into your new
home. Don’t celebrate though, until all your concerns have been
addressed (in writing if necessary) regarding finishing touches,
structural concerns, and touch-ups from the pre-delivery Inspection.
Familiarize yourself with the parameters within your contract regarding
the term of how long the builder is responsible to fix anything. Make
sure you are happy with everything. It could be easy to overlook things
with move-in anticipation!
If you have a good understanding of what is going to happen and when,
you’ll be able to judge when something is going askew. Knowing your legal
agreement will help you to get what you’ve planned and paid for. Watching
your home develop will be rewarding unto itself!
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