New construction
Someone on your side of the show home table
Builder purchase agreements are drafted by the builder's lawyers, and they are not the standard resale contract you may have signed before.
Buying new is genuinely appealing — nobody else's wear, a warranty behind it, and finishes you chose yourself. But the process has almost nothing in common with buying resale, and the person greeting you in the show home is employed by the builder.
I represent you through the whole thing: comparing builders and communities, reading the purchase agreement, pricing the upgrades honestly, tracking the build, and running the pre-possession walkthrough.
In most cases the builder pays my commission out of their marketing budget, so having your own representation does not increase what you pay for the home.
If you're planning a Saturday of show homes, call me first. Ten minutes beforehand is worth more than anything I can do after you've registered.
Planning a build?
Tell me which builders or communities you're looking at.
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Ready in weeks, not a year
Browse quick-possession homes
Finished and nearly finished builder homes across Edmonton and area, updated weekly.
Six things that catch new-build buyers
None of these are secrets. They're just easy to miss when you're standing in a beautiful show home on a Saturday afternoon.
Register with your agent on the first visit
This is the one that catches people. Most builders will not let you add a representing agent after you've registered at the show home on your own. Bring me the first time, or bring my card and give it to the area manager before you sign in.
The base price is not the price
Lot premium, grade level, elevation upgrade, appliance allowance, landscaping, fencing, window coverings, deck. A spec sheet that starts at one number routinely finishes tens of thousands higher. We build the real total before you commit.
Possession dates move
Builder contracts almost always allow the completion date to shift. Know how far it can move, what notice you get, and what happens to your rate hold and your current lease or sale if it does.
Your rate hold has an expiry
If the build runs past your pre-approval window, you re-qualify at whatever rates exist then. Some lenders offer longer holds for new construction — worth asking before you sign, not after.
Deposit structure and protection
New-build deposits are often staged and are larger than resale. Understand what protects them if the builder runs into trouble, and confirm what's held in trust.
Walkthrough and deficiency list
The pre-possession walkthrough is your leverage. Everything you want fixed goes on the list then. Items you notice a week after possession are a much harder conversation.
The warranty behind your build
Alberta's New Home Buyer Protection Act has required warranty coverage on every new home since February 2014. Builders can offer more than the minimum, never less.
1 year
Materials and labour
Flooring, baseboards, trim, cabinets and fixtures.
2 years
Distribution systems
Heating, ventilation, electrical and plumbing delivery.
5 years
Building envelope
Roof, exterior walls and window installation. Builders may offer an extra two years.
10 years
Structural
The load-bearing parts of the home — frame and foundation.
Coverage carries with the home rather than the owner, and monetary limits apply. Any post-2014 home's coverage can be looked up on Alberta's public registry — I'll do that for you before you write. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Heading to show homes this weekend?
Call before you go. Registering with representation costs you nothing and can't be undone afterwards.