The detached home buyer's guide

1. Set a monthly budget, not just a price

Get a mortgage pre-approval, then add property tax, utilities and a repair fund to see the real monthly number. With a detached home, every repair is yours, so set money aside from day one.

2. Choose the style and the lot

A bungalow keeps everything on one floor; a 2-storey gives more space on a smaller footprint; a backsplit or sidesplit sits in between. Then look at the lot: the frontage, the backyard and room to grow. Read lot size and frontage before you start booking showings.

3. See it in person

Visit at different times of day. Check the light, the garage, the driveway and the backyard, walk the street, and look at how the neighbours keep their homes. Note the traffic, the schools and the distance to transit.

4. Make an offer with the right conditions

Most resale detached home offers include a financing condition and a home inspection condition. In a competitive situation there are ways to stay protected and still be attractive to the seller, and a detached home specialist will walk you through them.

5. Do your homework on the home

A home inspector checks the roof, furnace, windows, basement and structure. Use the detached home checklist to know what to ask the seller before the inspector arrives.

6. Budget for closing costs

Plan for land transfer tax, legal fees, title insurance and adjustments for prepaid taxes and utilities. In the City of Toronto there is a second, municipal land transfer tax. The calculators estimate both.

7. Close and move in

Your lawyer registers the transfer and you get the keys and the garage door remotes. Set up your hydro, gas and water accounts before moving day, and arrange home insurance to start on closing.