Resources · Education · Homeowner Manual

Everything you need to know about your home.

A complete library for Dunsire homeowners, from your first deposit to your 7-year Tarion warranty. Download the official Homeowner Manual, follow the journey timeline, and learn about the milestones that matter.

7 yr
Tarion Warranty
9
Journey Milestones
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Homeowner Manual
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Dunsire · Official

Homeowner Manual

The complete guide to your new Dunsire home, care, maintenance, warranties, and what to expect from purchase through year seven.

PDF · 51101-DUN-COR Latest
Featured Download

The Dunsire Homeowner Manual.

Every Dunsire homeowner receives this manual at closing. It's also available here for download, keep a digital copy on your phone, share it with your contractor, or reference it before any home improvement project. Updated regularly to reflect the latest Tarion regulations and Dunsire warranty programs.

  • Tarion Warranty
  • Home Care Guide
  • Seasonal Maintenance
  • Service Request Process
  • Warranty Claim Forms
  • Emergency Procedures
  • Mechanical Systems
  • Decor & Materials
Download Homeowner Manual (PDF)
📄 PDF · ~2 MB Document: 51101-DUN-COR Updated 2026
The Homeowner Journey

From purchase to year seven, every milestone matters.

Buying a new home isn't a single moment, it's a journey with clear stages, each with its own paperwork, decisions, and milestones. Here's what to expect from the day you sign your Agreement of Purchase & Sale through the end of your Tarion 7-year warranty coverage.

Step 01 · Day 0

Purchase, Agreement of Purchase & Sale

You select your home, lot, and floor plan. Sign the APS, pay your initial deposit. Your sales representative walks you through pricing, incentives, deposit schedule, and tentative closing date.

APS signed Deposit #1 Lot reserved
Step 02 · 30–60 Days After Purchase

Décor Centre, Finishes & Selections

Meet with your décor consultant at the Dunsire Décor Centre. Choose flooring, cabinetry, countertops, paint colours, exterior elevation, and structural options. Locked-in selections become part of your final price.

Décor appointment Finishes locked Upgrades signed
Step 03 · 6–12 Months Pre-Closing

Pre-Construction & Site Preparation

Servicing, excavation, foundations underway. Receive your construction progress photos through the homeowner portal. Tentative closing date confirmed with Tarion Critical Dates notice.

Foundation poured Tarion notice Photos in portal
Step 04 · ~3 Months Pre-Closing

Frame Walk, First Site Visit

Your home is framed. Walk through with your site supervisor to confirm room layout, window placement, and structural options. Last chance for minor adjustments before drywall.

Walk-through Layout confirmed
Step 05 · 5–10 Days Before Closing

Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI), The Final Walkthrough

The most important visit. You and the site supervisor walk every room, document any deficiencies on the Tarion Pre-Delivery Inspection form. Anything you note here is officially in the record for your Tarion 30-day warranty claim. Bring time, your phone for photos, and someone you trust.

PDI form Deficiencies noted Photos taken
Step 06 · Closing Day

Closing, Keys in Hand

Your lawyer closes the transaction. Final deposit paid, mortgage funds released, title transferred. You receive keys, garage door openers, the Dunsire Homeowner Manual, manufacturer warranty cards, and the Tarion Certificate of Possession.

Keys received Title transferred Manual delivered
Step 07 · First 30 Days After Closing

30-Day Tarion Form & Move-In Warranty

Submit your 30-Day Form to Tarion listing any deficiencies you've discovered after move-in. Dunsire's Service team responds within Tarion's regulated timeframes. Most are resolved within 30-60 days of your form being filed.

30-day form Service requests
Step 08 · Year 1 Anniversary

Year 1 Tarion Warranty Form, One-Year Inspection

11 months after closing, submit your Year 1 Form listing any defects that emerged during the first year. Covers workmanship and materials warranty. Most common: settlement cracks, minor finish issues, mechanical adjustments.

Year-1 form 1-year inspection
Step 09 · Year 2 Anniversary

Year 2 Tarion Warranty Form, Second-Year Inspection

The Year 2 Form covers two-year protection items: water penetration, exterior cladding, plumbing, electrical systems, HVAC, building envelope. Submit between months 22-24 for full coverage.

Year-2 form Envelope coverage
Step 10 · Year 7, Final

Year 7 Major Structural Defect Warranty, End of Coverage

Your Tarion coverage closes at year seven. The 7-year warranty specifically covers Major Structural Defects (MSDs), foundation, load-bearing components, structural integrity. If you've spotted concerns, submit the claim before the 7-year mark.

Year-7 deadline MSD coverage
Quick Reference Guides

Topic by topic. Everything you'll wonder.

Short, focused guides on the questions Dunsire homeowners ask most. Each is self-contained, read what you need, skip what you don't.

Topic 01

What is Tarion?

Ontario's new home warranty corporation. Every new home in Ontario is automatically enrolled. Covers your home for 1, 2, and 7-year warranty periods. Plus the Critical Dates timeline.

Learn on Tarion.com
Topic 02

HST on a New Home

The federal and provincial governments have eliminated HST on qualifying new homes through March 2027, so there's no HST to add to a new Dunsire home's base price right now, the price you see is the price you pay. We'll confirm what applies to your purchase.

See current pricing
Topic 03

Deposit Schedule, How Much, When

Most Dunsire homes use a standard staged deposit schedule. Typically: deposit on signing, deposit on financing approval, deposit at framing, balance on closing. Each community confirms its own schedule.

See deposit FAQ
Topic 04

Tarion Critical Dates

The legally-defined notice Dunsire must give you of your closing date. Includes the "firm" and "tentative" dates. If construction is delayed, you'll receive Critical Dates notices. Compensation rules apply.

Topic 05

The PDI, Why It Matters

Pre-Delivery Inspection is your single most important visit. Bring time. Take photos. Document everything. Whatever you note becomes your Tarion 30-day claim record. Don't skip it.

Topic 06

First-Time Home Buyer Programs

Federal Home Buyers' Plan (HBP), First Home Savings Account (FHSA), Land Transfer Tax rebates. Ontario buyers can stack several incentives. Talk to your lawyer or mortgage broker.

T

Tarion 1·2·7

The Ontario new home warranty system. Three tiers of coverage from closing day through year seven.

Tarion Warranty Coverage

The Tarion 1·2·7 warranty explained.

Every Dunsire home is Tarion-enrolled at closing. Tarion is Ontario's new home warranty corporation, and your protection is automatic and legally guaranteed. Here's what's covered, year by year.

Year 1
Workmanship & Materials · Defects in workmanship and materials supplied. Includes appliances, finishes, fixtures.
Year 2
Building Envelope · Water penetration, exterior cladding, plumbing, electrical, HVAC. The mechanical and structural systems.
Year 7
Major Structural Defects (MSDs) · Foundation, load-bearing structure. The "deep" guarantee that the home is structurally sound.
Deposits & Closing Costs

What you'll pay, and when.

Two questions every buyer asks: how the deposit is staged, and what to budget for closing day beyond the purchase price. Here's the honest breakdown, final figures for your community and lot are confirmed at signing.

The staged deposit schedule.

Dunsire homes use a staged deposit, paid in instalments across the build rather than all at once, typically totalling about 5% of the purchase price. A representative schedule looks like this:

01
On signing the Agreement of Purchase & SaleYour first deposit reserves the lot and floor plan the day you sign your APS.
02
On financing approvalA further deposit once your mortgage pre-approval is confirmed, usually within the first 30–60 days.
03
At framing / construction milestoneAn instalment as your home reaches a defined build stage, keeping payments aligned with progress.
04
Balance on closingThe remainder of the purchase price is funded by your mortgage and paid through your lawyer on closing day.

Deposits are held in trust and protected under Tarion's deposit coverage, which also backs delayed-closing compensation. Exact amounts and dates are confirmed at signing and vary by community, see your sales representative for the schedule on your home.

Closing costs to budget for.

On closing day there are costs beyond the purchase price. Your real estate lawyer provides an exact statement of adjustments before closing, these are the categories to plan for:

Ontario Land Transfer Tax, payable on closing; first-time buyers receive a provincial refund of up to $4,000.
Legal / lawyer fees & disbursements, for closing the transaction, registering title and the mortgage.
Title insurance, a one-time premium protecting your ownership and lender.
Tarion enrolment fee, the new-home warranty enrolment charge for your home.
Utility hook-ups & meter installations, connection and meter charges for water, gas, hydro and similar services.
Development charges, municipal levies that are often capped or included by the builder where applicable; check your Agreement.
HST, eliminated on qualifying new homes through March 2027, so there's no HST adjustment to reconcile during the window; confirm eligibility with our team.
Rule of thumb: closing costs commonly run about 1.5%–4% of the purchase price. Where an exact figure isn't yet known, budget the category, your lawyer confirms the precise amounts on your statement of adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions

The money questions, answered plainly.

The no-HST window, deposits, closing costs and warranty, the things every buyer asks before signing. Straight answers, no fine-print games.

Do I pay HST on a new home in Ontario right now?

For a limited time, no. The federal and provincial governments have eliminated HST on qualifying new homes through March 2027, so there's no HST to add to the purchase price, the base price you see is the price you pay, with no rebate paperwork to work through. It's the simplest, and best, time to buy new. After the window closes, the usual New Housing Rebate rules return for eligible owner-occupant buyers. Eligibility may vary, so confirm the details with our team for your purchase.

What is the deposit structure on a Dunsire home?

Dunsire uses a staged deposit schedule, typically totalling about 5% of the purchase price spread over several payments: an initial deposit on signing the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, a further deposit on financing approval, a deposit at framing, and the balance on closing. Deposits are held in trust and protected under Tarion's deposit coverage. The exact amounts and dates are confirmed per community at signing.

What closing costs should I budget for?

Beyond the purchase price, budget for: Ontario Land Transfer Tax (first-time buyers receive a rebate up to $4,000); legal fees and disbursements (roughly $1,800–$2,500); Tarion enrolment and title insurance; utility connection and meter hookups; and builder closing adjustments such as development charges where applicable, many Dunsire offers cap or include these. A common rule of thumb is 1.5%–4% of the purchase price. Your real estate lawyer provides an exact statement of adjustments before closing.

What is the new-home buying process with Dunsire, step by step?

It follows clear stages. You sign the Agreement of Purchase & Sale, choose your lot and floor plan, and pay your initial deposit. Next you visit the Décor Centre to select finishes and structural options. During construction your home is serviced, excavated and framed, and you attend a frame walk. Five to ten days before closing you complete the Tarion Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI), documenting deficiencies. On closing day your lawyer transfers title, the balance is funded by your mortgage, and you receive your keys, Homeowner Manual and Tarion Certificate of Possession. After move-in you file your Tarion 30-day, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 7 warranty forms. The full timeline is laid out above.

What does the Tarion warranty cover, and for how long?

Every new Dunsire home is automatically enrolled in Ontario's Tarion warranty at no extra cost. Coverage is tiered: Year 1 covers defects in workmanship and materials; Year 2 covers the building envelope, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and water penetration; and Year 7 covers major structural defects. Your deposits and any delayed-closing compensation are also protected under Tarion.

What first-time home buyer programs can I use in Ontario?

First-time buyers can combine several incentives: the federal Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) to withdraw from an RRSP, the First Home Savings Account (FHSA), the federal First-Time Home Buyers' GST/HST rebate where eligible, and the Ontario Land Transfer Tax refund of up to $4,000. These can often be stacked, confirm eligibility with your mortgage broker or lawyer.

Can I combine the no-HST savings with Rent Save Own?

Yes. With HST eliminated on qualifying new homes through March 2027, there's no HST to add to the base price, and Dunsire's Rent Save Own program separately lets renters earn up to $15,000 toward a future Dunsire home. Stacked with first-time buyer incentives, the savings add up quickly. Confirm eligibility with our team.

Still have a question? Our team answers buyer questions every day, no pressure, no obligation.

Book an appointment Or email the team