Questions To Ask Your Builder
Once you’ve purchased your home, and even before you sign on the dotted line, you are sure to have many questions about items that will affect your life in your new community. Here are some questions we suggest you ask your builder in order to be well informed. We’ve provided below some Mattamy Homes answers, and if you buy from us, you will attend a meet-your-neighbour educational seminar we call Mattamy University, where these topics and more are covered.
Q How do I know what school my child/children will attend? Are they going to be bused?
A Visit the website for the District School Board in which you will be living or contact the Board by phone.
Q When should I expect to be called for Design Centre appointments? For my brick appointment?
A You will be invited to Mattamy’s Design Centre for an appointment approximately six to eight months before your closing date. Brick appointments are done at the sales office in order of purchase, and may or may not be scheduled before your design appointments.
Q What transit services are available from my new community?
A Public Transit schedules are available on line at www.gotransit.com or phone GO Transit at 416-869-3200 (TTY 1-800-387-3652).
Q What are the closest highway exits to my new community?
A Ask someone at the sales office to give you a map of the community and amenities, which should indicate where the major highways are in the city/town.
Q How do I arrange to pick up my mail?
A Visit the local post office. You will need to show a Certificate of Completion and Possession form (CCP), which you will receive at your Pre-Delivery Inspection. You may need to call Canada Post to arrange for mail pick-up. Mailbox units will be placed in your community once major construction is finished.
Q Will I have a sidewalk in front of my home?
A This information may or may not be available at the time of purchase due to the development process. Sidewalks are placed in required locations as provided by the municipality’s policies standards.
Q How do I go about getting a pre-approval for a mortgage?
A On-site mortgage specialists are available at every Mattamy sales office. They can answer questions and assist with needs
Q When can I expect a tax bill representing both the land and the house?
A Land taxes may be available, but the taxes levied against the house itself may not be available for a period from six months up to three years. The supplementary billing for the house portion will be retroactive to your occupancy date, and will be payable in “one” installment. You may want to start putting funds aside in anticipation of the supplementary billing. Eventually, the land and the house billings will be combined into one total to be billed over four regular installments per year.
Q Can the town provide an estimate of what the house taxes will be?
A The basic formula for calculating property taxes is “assessment value X tax rate.” An estimated assessment value can be established by contacting the Ontario Property Assessment Corporation at 1-800-387-5909. The assessment agent will work with you to determine the estimated assessment value. The tax rate can be obtained from the tax department, or for estimating purposed only, using the year 2000 actual residential rate of 1.241505% (ex. $225,000 (estimated assessment value) x 1. 241505% = $2,793.39.
Q Who takes care of the build-up of mud on the roads and construction debris?
A Your builder is responsible for clearing up debris and street cleaning while a site is still under construction. Street cleaning usually happens at the end of the week.
Q Does my pet require a license?
A This differs by municipality. Depending on where you will live, most dogs will require a license and registration. Check with the Town Hall or City Hall to determine how much the license will be, and to find out if cats need a license as well.
Q What by-laws are in effect for parking on the street?
A You can find this information at the bylaw office at your Town Hall or City Hall. Call to find out what the restrictions are.
Q How do we find out when you will be releasing more lots?
A You can go to the builder’s website to register online in order to be notified of upcoming releases, or call to be added to the registration list.