Section 01
Request the complete permit file
Development permit, building permit, any variance, and the inspection record together tell you what was approved and what was verified.
Discrepancies between drawings and the built condition are best identified before possession, when they are still the builder's problem.
Section 02
Grading and drainage completion
Confirm whether final grading has been approved. Incomplete grading is a common source of basement moisture complaints and neighbour disputes in the first two years.
Where landscaping is deferred, understand what holdback protects you and when the work is scheduled.
Section 03
Trees, side yards and privacy
Check what mature vegetation survived construction and what protection was in place. Replacement planting takes decades to become canopy.
Look at where your windows face relative to the neighbouring house, and where a future redevelopment next door would place its windows.
Section 04
Shared structures and lot lines on narrow parcels
Semi-detached and narrow-lot infill can involve shared walls, common drainage, shared driveways or registered agreements.
Read any registered agreement on title carefully; it governs maintenance and cost sharing for the life of the property.
Section 05
Think about the exit at the entrance
Ask which properties a future appraiser and buyer will compare yours to, and whether the surrounding street supports that comparison.
Blocks with several completed redevelopments generally present a more coherent comparison set than a single new house among originals.