What should a pre-construction buyer check first?
Identify the exact home, seller, province and agreement. Then organise five areas: the documents for legal review, the deposit dates, the builder research, the additional costs and the steps between signing and final closing. Put unanswered questions in writing and give each one an owner. A sales brochure is a starting point for questions, not a substitute for the agreement.
The Canadian Pre-Construction Buyer Kit supplies a six-page guide, two research documents and four editable planners. The following checklist is a free working framework. Neither this article nor the kit determines a purchaser’s legal rights, financing approval or rebate eligibility.
Before the builder meeting: establish the file
- Property: record the project, unit or lot, address if assigned and province or territory.
- People: identify the seller named in the agreement, the buyer’s lawyer and the person who will confirm financing.
- Documents: list the agreement, schedules, disclosure material, plans, specifications and any later changes received.
- Version: record which copy you are discussing. Keep written answers with the relevant document reference.
- Questions: distinguish “not yet answered” from “confirmed”.
Ask the client what concerns them most: cash due during construction, changing dates, what is included or what happens if plans change. Use those concerns to structure the meeting. Do not let a polished presentation make an unresolved item look settled.
Separate Ontario and BC review protections
The Condominium Authority of Ontario describes a 10-day cooling-off period for purchasers of new condominiums, tied to required documents. That is not a Canada-wide rule or a general rule for all Ontario new homes. Have the lawyer confirm the actual deadline and process.
BCFSA’s pre-sale guide describes a different seven-day cancellation framework in British Columbia. Do not substitute the familiar rule from another province. Record the lawyer’s confirmation rather than calculating a legal deadline from a generic checklist.
For the working record, write down what was received, when, who reviewed it and the next confirmed action. Leave the legal interpretation to the professional handling that purchase.
During the meeting: work through four planning questions
| Question | What to record |
|---|---|
| What money is due before closing? | Each payment, timing, source and whether a prior payment is credited |
| What dates can change? | Agreement wording, written explanation and who will confirm it |
| What is included? | Specifications, parking, locker and any selected upgrades |
| What is additional? | Verified taxes, fees, adjustments and a separately identified contingency |
Work through the deposit example to see why a signing payment must be credited correctly. The arithmetic is useful only when the entered schedule matches the contract.
Between signing and closing: maintain a current plan
Keep deposit reminders, new correspondence and revised dates with the approved transaction record. A spreadsheet does not monitor a builder or send a notice. Choose a person and a follow-up date for outstanding questions, and revisit the plan when the actual information changes.
Ask the mortgage professional when financing must be reviewed again. Ask the lawyer about any proposed assignment, amendment or change in intended use before treating it as a simple administrative update. For an applicable condo, discuss interim occupancy costs separately from the final closing calculation.
Budget discussions should distinguish amounts already paid, the remaining purchase price and additional cash costs. Counting the same deposit twice can make the remaining balance wrong even when each individual percentage looks reasonable.
Finish with a useful handoff
End the meeting with a short record: what is confirmed, what remains open, who is checking it and when the client will hear back. Keep broad educational material separate from the signed agreement and professional advice. Date the version you share.
The kit’s buyer property fields start blank or bracketed; the deposit planner retains a labelled editable EXAMPLE schedule. Free Google Docs and Sheets are the tested workflow. Use a fresh copy for the client and confirm local rules before relying on it.