Buying a first home in Gatineau, from budget to keys
The road is the same for everyone, and almost nobody explains all of it. Three phases, nine short steps, in the order they happen, with sourced figures and concrete things to do this week. Start with the first one.
Get the guide (PDF)The nine steps, in three phases
1Getting ready
- Step 1
Deciding, and knowing your means
Before any visit: your real budget and what a bank will lend you.
Read the step → - Step 2
The down payment and the programs
No, you do not need 20%. What you really need, and the programs that help.
Read the step → - Step 3
The pre-approval
The real first step before visits: your budget confirmed by a lender.
Read the step → - Step 4
The real cost: fees and monthly budget
The costs that come on top of the price, and what a house costs per month, for real.
Read the step →
2Finding and making an offer
3Closing
- Step 7
The pre-purchase inspection
What the inspector looks at, what the report allows, and why you do not skip it.
Read the step → - Step 8
Financing and insuring
Final approval, loan insurance, home insurance, and the choices that remain.
Read the step → - Step 9
At the notary's
The deed of sale, the funds, the keys, and the welcome tax that comes after.
Read the step →
Special cases
Three situations that come up often and deserve their own page.
Buying with someone
As a couple, between friends or in the family: the programs add up, and one thing goes in writing.
Read →The condo, the way in
Not enough for a house? The condo is not a plan B, and it has its own checks.
Read →Waiting or buying
Waiting for the perfect moment has a monthly cost. What separates preparing from hoping.
Read →Get the guide, the budget worksheet and the checklists
The nine chapters as a PDF, a fill-in budget worksheet and the checklists for every step, in your inbox. Three questions, thirty seconds.
A question about your situation?
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