If you are looking to immigrate to Canada with your family then you are hopefully going to be there for the long term. Whether you are getting transferred by a job or looking to land a dream job on your own it is a fantastic place to raise a family.
One of the things you will eventually be doing once you’ve settled in is to find the perfect house for you and your family. What is buying a house like as a foreigner? The situation is not as cut and dry as it would be if you were a Canadian citizen. In this article, I will go over what the process is likely to be when you are looking to buy a house as a foreigner in Canada.
Short term stay
If you are looking to come to Canada and work then you have 180 days without a visa being necessary. We won’t get into the requirements to get a work visa as that is an article in itself. But, you will need to look for a job or if you have a job to look for a house to buy.
You can stay in a short term rental to do this search as it is the best way to get started. This helps you avoid having to sign a lease that would be difficult to get out of if you find a house sooner than the rental agreement finishes. There are short term rentals that will give you the flexibility that you need. For instance, apartments for rent Scarborough or anywhere else in the country that you need one.
What to expect from the process
Much of the process is going to look identical to how you would go about buying a home in the US. You’ll likely look online at any MLS listing to find the house that you like based on your specific parameters.
This is the same way that you would find the right house or at least type of house that interests you the most. And best of all, it allows you to search for the house while you are still in your home before you move. If you are feeling bold you could even start the buying process before you arrive if you find a house that ticks all of your boxes.
The costs
There are some additional costs to be aware of depending on where you are looking to buy. For instance, in the Greater Horseshoe area around Toronto, you will have to pay an additional 15% of the purchase price of the home along with the other costs involved.
The other costs are around 2 to 4% of the closing costs for the house. A nice perk is that you don’t pay for the real estate agent fees as the seller takes care of those. This may make it more attractive to wait until you arrive in Canada to start your search since it costs nothing to have an experienced agent guide you through the process.
Canada is a great place to live.