Get the exact home on paper
Match the lot, model, elevation, floor area and included features across the documents. Model homes, renderings and staged rooms may include upgrades. Ask what substitutions the agreement permits.
Ask for a full cash schedule
List every deposit and closing payment with its due date. Request a breakdown of development charges, levies, adjustments, upgrades and other costs, including any caps that are actually written into the agreement.
Clarify HST and rebate assumptions
Two advertised prices may use different tax assumptions. Ask your lawyer how the agreement treats HST, who receives any rebate and what happens if you do not qualify. Rebate rules and eligibility are not safely reduced to a universal discount.
Understand timing and cancellation
Read the addendum and all dates with your lawyer. Delays, extensions, termination rights and occupancy arrangements depend on the contract and property type. HCRA has published requirements affecting certain freehold agreements from January 1, 2027; do not apply future rules to an earlier agreement without legal advice.
Check deposit protection limits
Tarion coverage has limits and conditions. For eligible freehold agreements, a $900,000 purchase can have a standard deposit-protection cap of $90,000, so a $180,000 deposit should not be assumed fully protected. Condominium deposit rules differ. Ask your lawyer to assess the actual protection.
Register and keep your warranty records
Check Tarion’s purchase-registration requirements and applicable deadlines for your agreement. Keep the agreement, receipts, inspection records and correspondence. Warranty submission windows depend on the possession date and applicable rules; use Tarion’s current forms and timelines rather than an old checklist.
Use the current official information.
Rules, forms and offers can change. Verify your agreement and eligibility with the relevant professional.
HCRA directives and advisories Tarion pre-possession coverage Tarion forms and timelines Ontario Builder Directory