It’s been more than a decade since Brendan and I bought a home that wasn’t an investment property. After almost 20 years of helping other people buy and sell, I finally went through the process again myself, as a regular buyer with all the regular emotions. I’m here to report back.
The Good
We Finally Made the Decision
Like a lot of people over the last few years, we spent a long time going back and forth. Renovate or move? Wait for rates to drop or just go for it? Watch the market for another six months? At some point, the debating itself becomes the problem. We got to a place where we were comfortable enough with the interest rates, the current home prices, and our ability to handle some uncertainty, and we moved forward. We don’t regret it. Not because the market was (or is) perfect, but because the relief of finally making a decision and getting on with our lives was worth more than anything.
We Did Our Homework
We were buying in an area we weren’t very familiar with, so we did what we’d tell any client to do: research like it’s your job. We spent time walking the streets, checking out the local shops and restaurants, and driving around at different times of day. We did a full noise/traffic stakeout (yes, that’s a thing, and yes, you should do it). We scoured online forums, looked at development applications, and talked to people who already lived in the neighbourhood. None of this was glamorous, but it gave us confidence in our decision that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Pro Tip: If you’re buying in a neighbourhood you don’t know well, put in the legwork. It’s the best investment of time you’ll make.
Buying Canadian Was Harder Than Expected
We went into the furnishing process wanting to buy Canadian-made wherever possible. It was surprisingly difficult. The options are more limited than you’d think, and the lead times can be long. We wrote a whole post about what we found (and didn’t find) in the process.
Related: The Buy Canadian Challenge: How Hard Is It to Furnish Your Home With Canadian Products?
We Hired Help Early
One of the best decisions we made was hiring assemblers and a handyperson for days two and three after the move. They assembled all the new furniture, hung artwork, and mounted shelves while we focused on unpacking the essentials. We were fully settled in a week. Without the help, that easily would have dragged into two or three weeks of half-assembled bookshelves and pictures leaning against walls. If you can budget for it, do it. It’s a game-changer for your sanity.
The Ick
AI Was… Humbling
This is the first time I’ve bought a home since AI became a daily tool. I use it constantly at work and consider myself an advanced user. So I figured it would be a natural fit for room design, furniture planning, and working with floor plans.
It was not.
I spent more hours than I’d like to admit in ALL CAPS arguments with ChatGPT about room layouts. I had some success eventually, but it took far more back-and-forth than it should have. Claude, which I love for writing and research, was a complete design disaster. I’m working on a separate post with my top 10 ways to actually use AI when buying a home, because there are some genuinely useful applications. Room design just isn’t the slam dunk I expected.
Buying in an Uncertain World
It takes guts to make a major financial decision when the economy feels like it changes direction every week. We had to face friends and family who thought we were crazy for buying right now, and honestly, there were moments we questioned it too. I’ve always tried to move opposite to the crowd. When everyone’s buying, I’m cautious. When everyone’s sitting on the sidelines, I’m looking for opportunities. That philosophy has served me well over the years, but it doesn’t make the actual moment of signing any less nerve-wracking.
The Purge
I’m a Marie Kondo devotee. I thought I’d be the last person blindsided by how much stuff I had. I was wrong. Even as someone who regularly declutters, the volume of things that needed to be sorted, donated, sold, or tossed was staggering. Pro tip: start purging well before your move. Like, months before. Don’t wait until you’re packing boxes to decide what comes with you.
Related: Where to Donate, Toss and Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
The Ugly
The Sellers Were Still There
In Ontario, sellers are required to be out of the property when the title transfers and the sale closes. We closed at 1 PM. We showed up hours later with champagne and excitement. The problem? The house was still full of their stuff, and the seller was indignant about being asked to leave.
We weren’t even moving in until the next day, but it didn’t matter. The champagne moment we’d been looking forward to was gone. Emotions were high. At least they left it clean…
Pro Tip: If you’re a seller: don’t plan your move for closing day. Be out the day before. If you’re a buyer: don’t plan your move for closing day either. And if you show up and the sellers are still there, call your realtor or lawyer. This happens more often than it should.
Here’s what we walked into (and no, my fridge will never be as organized as theirs).
The Movers Bailed
I thought I’d heard every mover horror story there is. I knew to keep my expectations realistic. I hired a well-reviewed, recommended and insured company. Met them in person before the move. Confirmed the plan the day of.
They cancelled on us at 4 PM, on the day of the move. And then they fired us.
We’d been waiting for them to arrive all day. When we called to understand what was happening, we were informed that three of their four guys had called in sick that morning. I’m not sure why they didn’t mention that when they asked us to clear the driveway at 7:30 am, or at 1 o’clock when they told us they were running behind, or at 3 o’clock when they told us they were 30 minutes away. At 4 PM on a Friday, the moving company told us they wouldn’t be able to move us until Tuesday. And when I started to cry out of sheer frustration, they fired us as a clients. Let me say that again: the moving company cancelled on us at 4 PM on the day of the move, and then fired us for being upset about it.
We scrambled, found fabulous backup movers, and got it done the following Monday. But let this be a cautionary tale: no matter how much due diligence you do, sometimes things go sideways. Have a backup plan for your backup plan. And don’t schedule your move on a Friday like we did.
The Best
If you’ve been sitting on the fence, debating and waiting and second-guessing, I get it. But at some point, the cost of waiting isn’t financial. It’s the life you’re not living in the home you actually want.
We adore our new house and are looking forward to getting to know our new community and neighbours. It was a stressful move (they all are), but it’s starting to feel like home – even the dogs are getting comfortable.
The BREL Bottom Line
Buying a home is never as smooth as you want it to be, even when you do it for a living. But doing your homework, hiring good people, and finally committing to a decision? That part is always worth it.