When looking at new home builders, it is important to note that the builder does not complete all of the work themselves. A quick trip to any new home construction site and you will see trucks with any number of company logos, and many of them at competing home builder’s job sites.

A home builder will use a variety of project managers, construction managers, labourers, subcontractors, and other suppliers to build the home. In many cases the home builder will operate as a General Contractor, hiring and scheduling specialized help from subcontractors (or Trades) to complete tasks in the building of your house. With this, much of the quality of your home will rely on the quality of the project and time management, and the builder’s capacity to manage the in-process construction and completed product.

I asked a few of the large Ottawa home builder’s representatives (in their sales offices) why I would select them over other builders. The answers came back:

1) Construction Experience

2) Location

3) Style

4) Specifications

The specifications, as the items that are included with the house were last. The included specifications can be a bit difficult to dig up, however I was able to get standard build details from a number of builders, which would allow you to create a direct comparison if required. This being said, the home builders also offer a dizzying array of upgrade options that can completely customize any home. I went through the specification comparison process a few years back when I bought my last home, and found that there were some differences, however the actual components used were similar with competitive houses.

So, where does this leave us, if the builders use the similar materials, and similar subcontractors outside of location and style? Warranty! Basically relying on the quality of the brand in supporting its product. Like all products warranty support, and responsiveness will definitely make a difference in your overall enjoyment of the product. Be sure to check with BBB ratings, and speak to a friend about their home buying experience before you make your final decision!

Costs will vary from firm to firm however budget approximately $1,000 in legal fees. There will also be additional government charges for Land Transfer Tax (LTT), and registration costs. The LTT is calculated by the price of the property, and whether you are a first time buyer. Registration fees will be around $100 per document which will apply to both the Deed and Mortgage.

Your lawyer will also handle a number of expenses that they will pay on your behalf, and bill you for at closing. These include search of title costs, title insurance costs, and the cost of various certificates and off title searches such as tax or utility arrears, for which you will want to budget about $800.

Make sure you speak with your real estate lawyer early about your real estate intentions to avoid any surprises throughout the transaction process.

Changing the Locks and Security System

Changing all of the door locks will add piece of mind. You can do this yourself, or contact a locksmith who may also have other options. If you are considering an alarm system you may want to opt for it sooner than later, as you will likely be piling lots of empty boxes from new products outside on garbage day, something that the bad guys will pick up on.

Painting

Painting is significantly easier when your furniture isn’t in the way, however it will require time and planning to ensure that you have enough of an overlap before your belongings need to be moved in, and out of the old place. Colour selections, paint materials, and / or painters will also need time for selection, as well as their costs accounted for.

Cleaning

You will ideally want to have the home clean before you move in, as it will make access easier. This being said, the job won’t be easier, and you may want to consider the help of a professionals, as they will free up valuable time, and have the proper equipment. Cleaning carpets, drapes, walls and windows before you move in will definitely help to make the home yours, however will come at a cost that you will want to address in advance.

Decorating and Maintenance

Replacing light fixtures, tiling, refinishing hardwood floors and granite countertops, re-carpeting, or even duct cleaning are all easier to do without furniture in the way. It is easier to get these out of the way if possible, but again, you will need time and resources to make these possible.

Home Inspection

You may want to seek a professional opinion to make sure that everything is done, to code, and as defined. Home Inspectors can help with this. See http://blog.simplyhomes.ca/home-inspector/ for more information on selecting a home inspector. You will want to account for these costs as well.

Appliances

If your new home does include appliances, and you don’t have your own, you will need to place your order as soon as you know their dimensions. Some appliances might have installation and delivery charges, and it is not uncommon to hear about delays in appliance delivery.

These costs, in addition to various hook up, access, account creation and deposits can get expensive quickly. Make sure you plan ahead with enough lead time and resources so that you can address these situations!

Looking for faster access to check on the latest houses for sale in Ottawa? If you are an Internet Explorer 9 and Windows 7 user, you can speed your access to SimplyHomes by pinning SimplyHomes directly to your Windows 7 taskbar.

Site pinning gives you simple, one-click access to the best, up-to-the-minute home listings by bringing SimplyHomes right to your Windows 7 Taskbar. Simply go to SimplyHomes.ca in Internet Explorer 9, then click and drag the at the top of the screentab to your Windows 7 Taskbar.

Once you’ve pinned SimplyHomes, you can access SimplyHomes.ca right from your taskbar, without having to open Internet Explorer beforehand for the fastest access to Ottawa Real Estate!

Writing the description for your home should be treated like writing marketing ad copy. A clear, concise and catchy description of your home will help to draw people in to take a closer look at your add. Houses aren’t sold online, so you will want to create your description to focus on the key selling features of your home, in a manner that draw a prospect in to schedule a viewing. SimplyHomes offers 1,000 characters, however these will go fast, so you will want to focus your description.

Start with taking a look at a number of other home descriptions for inspiration, and you will quickly identify the ones that draw your attention. You will want to write your description in a word processing program, to make spelling and grammar easier to deal with. In Word, there is a counter in the bottom left of the screen that will define the numbers of words or characters used, that can help you to tailor the length of your description.

Create a list of all your home’s features and write, and rank them in order of importance to your prospective audience. Do the same for your location, focusing on area amenities that will add value to home shoppers, such as access to transportation, schools, and shopping (see the earlier blog post on Google My Maps for creating a step by step neighborhood tour). Focus on describing why the features are important, rather than just providing an emotionless list. Try to focus on describing the features that the target buyer of your property will be interested in.

If you are running tight on space, there is a list below of common MLS abbreviations; however they will take away from your copy, so try to use sparingly. Use “ctrl-F” to open the ‘Find’ function to make it easier to find your required terms on this post. As well, SimplyHomes.ca provides extensive lists of common features in on the listing itself, which can save you space in your description

Be truthful in your description, as this is a legal definition of your home, and you will want to ensure that you are attracting the right audience, however think and write like a marketer, as you are advertising your biggest asset!

A/C – Air Conditioner

Acc – Access

Agr – agricultural

Alum – Aluminum

Apt – Apartment

Apx – Approximate

BBQ – Barbeque

B/I – Built-In

Bkfst – Breakfast

Bldg – Building

Bldrs – Builders

BR – Bedroom

Brdlm – Broadloom

Bsbrds – Baseboards

Bsmt – Basement

CAC – Central Air Conditioning

Comb – Combined

Comm – Commission

Cond – Condition or Conditional

Condo – Condominium

Cov – Coverings

Cvac – Central Vacuum

Desig – Designation

Det – Detached

Dir – Direction

DR – Dining Room

DRs -Doors

Dryr – Dryer

EAC – Electronic Air Cleaner

Egdo – Extra Garage Door Opener

Elect – Electric or Electrical

ELFs – Electrical Lighting Fixtures

Ent – Entrance

Excl – Excluded

Exh – Exhaust

Ext – Exterior

FAG – Forced Air Gas

Fam – Family (as in Fam Room or Fam Rm, or FR or F/R

Feat – Feature or Features (as in Feat a pool)

Fin – Finished

Fl – Floor

Fr – Front Room, also FRrm

Gar – Garage, also Grg

Gdo – Garage Door Opener

GdoR – Garage Door Opener remote

GB&E – Gas Burner & Equipment

Hi-Eff – High-Efficiency (furnace)

Hwt(r) – Hot Water Tank (rental)

I/G – In ground

Incl – Included

Insp – Inspection

Irr – Irregular

Jr – Junior

Kit – Kitchen

Loc – Location

LR – Living Room

Lvl – Level

Mbr – Master Bedroom

Micro – Microwave

Mn – Main

Mnths – Months, also Mos or Mth

Msrmts – Measurements

Nr – Near

O/Looks – Overlooks

ONHWP – Ontario New Home Warranty Program

Part – Partly

PC – Piece , also pc (as in 4PC bathroom, 4pc BR)

Pvt – Private

Pwdr – Powder

Rec – Recreation

R/I – Rough-In

Rm – Room

Sds – Sides

Sec – Security

Sep – Separate

Sgwo – Sliding Glass Door Walkout

Sl – Sliding

Sol – Solarium

Spec – Special

Sqft – Square Feet

S/S – Stainless Steel

Stv – Stove

Sys – System

Upgr – Upgraded

W – With

Win – Window

W/I – Walk-In

W/O – Walk-Out

W/W – Wall-to-Wall

Yr – Year