New construction in Scugog

A house bought from a builder in Port Perry comes with the Tarion warranty, which covers defects in work and materials for the first year, water penetration and major systems for two, and major structural defects for seven, and the balance transfers to the next owner if you sell. HST applies to a new home bought from a builder, and in most cases the builder credits the federal and provincial rebates against the price on the condition that you occupy it, so an investor who does not move in can owe the rebate back. Check whether the lot is fully serviced by Region water and sewer, which it should be inside the urban boundary, whether the road and sidewalk are assumed by the township yet, and what the builder's schedule says about grading and sod. Request the Tarion enrolment number; a builder must be licensed by the Home Construction Regulatory Authority.

A house two or three years old, sold by its first owner, is often the smartest purchase on this page: the builder's snags are fixed, the lawn is in, the basement may be finished, and HST does not apply to a resale of a home that was lived in. Ask whether the Tarion warranty was registered and whether any claims were made, and read the first owner's list of upgrades against the builder's standard finishes. A custom build on a rural lot is a different animal. It should still carry Tarion coverage unless the owner built it themselves, in which case there may be none. Verify the well and septic permits, the final inspection, the road access agreement if the driveway crosses a neighbour, and whether any outbuilding was included in the building permit. On the moraine, confirm the site plan approval, since those lots reportedly carry extra conditions.