FAQ's

How to Buy a New Home: Ottawa

For mutual tracking purposes, we accept personal cheques from your bank account. Depending on which home design/product type you purchase, Minto Communities needs between 3 and 6 cheques at the time of sale, post-dated at intervals to meet the payment structure required. The first deposit must be paid using a bank draft or certified cheque.

We require you to be physically present at the Sales Center to sign the contract. This is to align us with the regulations set out by FINTRAC and ensure we are selling the new home to the person signing the agreement. We take homeowner privacy and security very seriously and this is part of the way we ensure your identity is safeguarded.

Some home buyers chose to submit one deposit cheque, which we allow provided it is dated to the first deposit date as per your sales agreement.

Provided they have photo ID with them, yes, they can drop off the cheques on your behalf.

While it is not required to have a lawyer review your agreement on your behalf, it is highly recommended. Your sales agreement is a legal contract and we want to make sure that you have an opportunity to ask any questions to independent legal experts before the end of the conditional period so you have full confidence in your purchase. Many homeowners choose to use the same lawyer who will later facilitate your closing and ensure you receive your keys on your date of possession.

At Minto Communities, moving a closing date is the last resort, but we will make a change if circumstances arise that would compromise build quality. From time to time, situations occur that require a delay such as persistent or abnormal weather, delayed deliveries, significant permit delays, trade shortages, sudden supplier shut down, etc. Closing/occupancy dates can be changed by the builder subject to the protocols and conditions outlined in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale, specifically, the section titled “Statement of Critical Dates”. It explains how and when notice of a chance to your closing date could happen, the procedure and the responsibilities of the builder and buyer in these circumstances. Through your process, your Construction Team or Customer Experience Coordinator can answer any questions about your specific home’s progress.

Changing a closing/occupancy date involves the rescheduling of dozens of trade crews, deliveries and manufacturing deadlines as well as changes to administrative and legal documents. Changing one home’s schedule also has cascading effects on other homes. Due to these factors, we do not allow homeowner initiated changes to closing or occupancy dates. When Minto Communities has to make a change, there is an absolute flurry of activity and re-planning that goes on and most often multiple homes that are behind rescheduled at once.

As outlined in you agreement under the Statement of Critical Dates, if Minto Communities is unable to provide you with 90 calendar days notice that your closing date will change, there are circumstances where Minto would be obligated to provide a fee per day of delay to the homebuyer, as set out by the warranty and the province. See tarion.com or your Statement of Critical Dates for more specific information.

All of Minto’s single family and townhomes include a paved driveway and sodded lawn. We often install these two items after move-in to allow the ground adequate time to settle to help with the longevity of your driveway and yard. Installation is also extremely weather dependent. Minto Communities will provide you notice of these activities if they are being done after you receive your keys.

Yes, you may add a person to the agreement, however, the maximum number of homeowners on title is four. Please note that any changes after the deal goes firm are subject to administrative charges and no changes can be made within 90-days of the occupancy/closing date.

Once your deal becomes ‘firm’ at the end of your conditional period, Minto Communities is responsible to build you that home and carry out the contract. At that point, no you may not cancel the deal. This is why we provide a conditional period so you can be sure you’ve made the choice that’s right for you.

Investing in additional features in your home is completely optional. One of the things we pride ourselves on at Minto Communities is the diversity of options we offer. Your Minto home has a large variety of options that are included in your home’s purchase price such as cabinet colour, flooring colours, tile colours, etc. Purchasing additional options are completely at your discretion.

Like most new homes in Ontario, your Minto home and sales agreement includes a rental hot water rental tank. We’ve chosen this option to address the expectation most homeowners have about a new home being low maintenance. As hot water tank technologies (especially tankless systems) become more complex and energy-efficient, a maintenance program is a sought solution and allows the installation of more energy-efficient and high-end tanks with minimal expense to our homeowners. After you close on your home, you may buy-out your rental if you prefer. Your Sales Representative can let you know which provider is supplying your rental agreement and guide you to more information.

Homeowners are responsible to pay the Tarion enrolment fee, which is based on the purchase price of your home. This fee will be included in your Statement of Adjustments that you receive when you close and take legal title to your property. Detailed information including a table of costs can be found at tarion.com.

Closing costs vary per household and are dependent on a number of factors. They include any legal fees, the Tarion enrolment fee, land transfer tax, registrations fees, and other items. The best person to advise you with accuracy is your lawyer, who will be able to consider your individual circumstances.

For those who have purchased a condominium, such as a terrace home or a suite in a tower, there it is the monthly fee that homebuyers will pay until the condominium is fully registered as per the provincial Condominium Act. This fee includes condo fees, property taxes and the interest owing on the remaining balance of the purchase price. Once the condo is registered, the homeowner will only pay condo fees.

While we do not offer the option of adding brick or stone in an ad-hoc fashion, many of our elevations already include these materials. In cases of our single family homes, you often will have the option of which exterior elevation you choose (subject to architectural control guidelines), which determines the placement and quantity of exterior materials such as brick, stone, and siding.

Many factors go into window placement and sizing, and our Product Design Team has carefully thought out considerations of light and furniture placement, useable wall space, location of electrical switches, lining up window heights from the exterior, etc. For this reason, we do not offer the option of window enlargement. The amount of glazing (window surface) on the exterior of a home is also governed closely in the building code and in many cases, we have already maximized the amount of glass we are permitted.

As above, we think that natural light is essential to living better, and so many of our homes already maximize the amount of glass we are permitted on the surface of the house in accordance with the building code. A select number of single family home models have the option of an additional basement window, which you select at our Sales Centre (select designs only). Otherwise extra windows are not available options.

As part of our obligations to you and to obtain occupancy permits, we need to install the included carpet in the house to fulfill the requirements in your agreement of purchase and sale. Once you own the home, you may remove it to install your own hardwood or other surface.

When your sales agreement becomes firm, no further changes can be made to the selections you have already authorized. Almost as soon as the conditional period is over, the information you have provided is used to start scheduling Trades, producing drawings, ordering materials, assign resources, adjust the grading of your lot and community based on what you have selected, and many other behind the scenes activities. Furthermore, your sales agreement is a legally binding contract that outlines Minto’s commitment on what we will build for you, and we are dedicated to seeing that through.

In addition to being able to personalize your home to have it reflect your lifestyle and tastes, a new home has plenty of advantages including the latest technology, higher energy efficiency, the security of warranty protection, and many other ‘known’ factors as outlined in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Especially if this is your first time buying new, ensure you know what to expect:

• Utility structure locations - Utilities such as gas, hydro, water, sewers, and telecommunications are essential to any new home and require utility structures or boxes to be located in the community. Utility structures, (hydro transformers, street lights, fire hydrants, etc.) are located jointly by the City of Ottawa and the Engineer designing the community in accordance with the regulations, set-backs and distance restrictions governing each utility and are placed in a way to be as unobtrusive as possible while still best serving the community. These locations aren’t usually known at the time of sale, but we can share their locations once known.
• Details and brands are left to the builder’s expertise - As per your contract, it at the builder's discretion as to which trades are chosen to build a home, the methods that they use to build and the materials that are being used. Minto utilizes skilled and reputable trades, who are always looking for ways to improve the methods used to build as well as materials used. We would like to build your home effectively, efficiently and keep it at a cost that is fair to the homeowner without compromising quality.
• Your closing date could change – While we do everything in our power to maintain your closing date, the Construction industry is subject to disruption due to weather, Trade shortages, strikes, tariffs, specialized equipment break downs, and other factors. All builders in Ontario are required to provide a closing date at the time of sale and outline the notification time and procedure for making changes to your occupancy/closing date in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Delay of build is always a last resort decision and while delays can be disruptive, it is not a decision that a builder takes lightly and at Minto Communities, we can assure you that if you receive a delay, it is the best decision for your home in order to not compromise quality and to minimize work that may occur post move-in.
• New doesn’t mean perfect - In a new home build, there are over 80 Trades that go through your home and 60,000 pieces that go into the build. A home is a handmade project and it is expected that there will be some items that need correction noted during the build or after you receive your keys. At Minto Communities, we fully stand behind what we build, and in addition to the warranty obligations, are committed to making right anything that isn’t as per our commitment to you.
• The Agreement of Purchase and Sale is a firm agreement - The Agreement of Purchase and Sale outlines the responsibilities and deliverables of both the homeowner and us as the builder. This is a firm and binding contract and that means it cannot be cancelled or changed after each step has been finalized. It’s important to understand and review the commitments you are making before signing with your Sales Representative, and if you choose, further review it with a lawyer prior to your conditional period expiring. This minimizes confusion later on during your home-owning journey.