Own Something guide

Vancouver New Construction Realtor: What Buyers Should Check Before Buying

By Matt Brevner Personal Real Estate Corporation

A practical Vancouver new construction Realtor guide by Matt Brevner Personal Real Estate Corporation for buyers comparing presale, newly completed, and recently built homes, including warranty documents, deficiencies, developer history, GST questions, strata setup, financing, inspections, and resale utility.

New construction is three different buyer decisions

Presale, newly completed, and recently built homes can look similar in marketing but carry different timing, contract, inspection, warranty, financing, tax, and strata risks. The first step is identifying which version of new construction you are actually buying.

Presale before completion

Review the disclosure statement, deposit schedule, completion range, assignment terms, developer history, floor-plan utility, financing timeline, and the possibility that the finished home differs from the display suite. Read the Vancouver Presale Realtor guide before relying on renderings or projected appreciation.

Newly completed and recently built homes

• Walk the actual home and record deficiencies carefully.
• Review warranty coverage, reporting deadlines, strata budgets, insurance, bylaws, and early operating history.
• Confirm GST, rebate, legal, and financing questions with qualified professionals.
• Review minutes, warranty claims, repairs, building systems, and whether the first budget proved realistic.

Developer history is context, not a guarantee

Past delivery and deficiency response can inform the review, but every contract and home still requires its own due diligence. Use the strata guide and condo guide for the building layer.

The resale utility test

Compare the floor plan, orientation, light, noise, parking, storage, amenities, monthly costs, neighbourhood supply, and likely future buyer pool. A new home is not automatically a useful home.