Possibly. It depends on the type of dwelling you are buying. We can make some alterations to the detached, Single-Family Home plans, but we do not offer a full custom design service. We are not able to do so on the attached dwellings such as Townhomes and Semi-Detached Homes.

While we do offer purchasers of detached homes the opportunity to request some custom upgrades, we do also limit the scope and number of these upgrades. To understand more about custom upgrades, watch this video.

Varies depending on unit type. Deposit timing may vary by community.

Townhomes in Russell (Cornerstone) – $50,000 (in 3 installments – $20,000 at time of contract, $20,000 at 30 days after contract, $10,000 at 60 days after contract)

Townhomes in FC – $60,000 (in 3 installments – $20,000 at time of contract, $20,000 at 30 days after contract, $20,000 at 60 days after contract)

Single-Family Homes & Bungalows:

• • 35 foot lots in ID or FC – $80,000 (in 3 installments – $30,000 at time of contract, $30,000 at 30 days after contract, $20,000 at 60 days after contract)
  • 35 foot lots in Russell (Cornerstone) – $75,000 (in 3 installments – $30,000 at time of contract, $25,000 at 30 days after contract, $20,000 at 60 days after contract)

• • 38 foot lots in ID or FC – $90,000 (in 3 installments – $30,000 at time of contract, $30,000 at 30 days after contract, $30,000 at 60 days after contract)
  • 38 foot lots in Russell (Cornerstone) – $75,000 (in 3 installments – $30,000 at time of contract, $25,000 at 30 days after contract, $20,000 at 60 days after contract)

• • 44 foot lots in ID or FC – $100,000 (in 3 installments – $35,000 at time of contract, $35,000 at 30 days after contract, $30,000 at 60 days after contract)
  • 44 or 50 foot lots in Russell (Cornerstone) – $85,000 (in 3 installments – $30,000 at time of contract, $30,000 at 30 days after contract, $25,000 at 60 days after contract)

It varies depending on a number of factors

1. Upon receipt of building permit, there is a 22-26 week building cycle for Single-Family Homes, Semi-Detached Homes and Townhomes.
2. However, homes are sometimes sold where the lot and road are not yet built. Also, occasionally homes are sold that have been previously built. Therefore, closing dates can range anywhere from 6 weeks to 16 months from time of sale. 

The Tarion warranty program outlines the terms and conditions by which a closing date delay may occur. Visit the Tarion website for more information.

Reserving a lot is typically the initial process in buying a new home from Tartan. When you are ready to buy, we typically request that a reservation form be signed. The reservation form will identify the date on which the Agreement of Purchase and Sale is to be signed by you. It also identifies the lot number and dwelling type for your future home. We require a $1000 deposit with a reservation.

In the overall process there is a lot of work for both of us to do. Upon signing the APS, Tartan provides a comprehensive Homeowner Information Binder which guides our customers through the buying process and provides blank file folders where important documents can be stored. In summary:

• sign reservation form
• sign the Agreement of Purchase and Sale
• work with the Design Centre to complete upgrades & interior finish selections
• attend the Hosted Site Visit of your home under construction with the site supervisor
• watch Tartan’s “My-Move” video series approx. 30 days prior to closing
• Close (take possession) of your new home.

The Tarion program is the regulator of the new home building industry in Ontario. Operating for more than 30 years, Tarion provides a variety of services and establishes warranty and building standards in the industry. Visit the Tarion website.

In 2021, Tartan Homes became a member of the Taggart Group of Companies, joining Taggart Construction Limited, Doran Contractors Limited, Taggart Realty Management, and Tamarack Homes under the Taggart Group banner.

The Taggart Group and Tartan have a long-standing history and partnership, and together have built some of Ottawa’s most well-known subdivisions. As distinct and reputable home builders in Ottawa, the companies hold similar values and principles. The synergies between the two companies will drive value for employees, homeowners, and communities alike.

The acquisition of Tartan Homes includes their land, design centre, and current project sites, as well as welcoming Tartan’s employees to the Taggart team. Tartan will continue to operate as a separate entity under the umbrella of the Taggart Group of Companies. Through this acquisition, both Tamarack and Tartan will be able to accelerate their strategic growth plans, while continuing to deliver some of the highest quality homes in the National Capital Region.

There will be no change to any of the operations at Tartan Homes. 

A program under which Tartan pays you $$ for referring a friend who buys a home from us. You must be an existing buyer. Details available at our Sales Offices.

Tartan is not able to offer advice on HST and rental issues. Here are two links for you to review.
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/notices/hst/02.html
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/notices/hst/04.html

Please read our Hood Fan blog post for detailed information regarding hood fans. Click here

Yes. The amount of commission paid to the Broker/Sales Agent on new build homes is 2% of the Base Price. 1% will be paid upon sale firm up and the other 1% upon closing.

On qualifying ‘Move in Ready’ homes that close with 120 days of a firm sale, the commission is 2%. 1% will be paid upon sale firm up and the other 1% upon closing.

This depends on your closing date.  You may only visit the Design Centre during scheduled appointments.  

The Design Centre will issue credentials to our Design Centre online and then you will be contacted by the Design Centre to coordinate your next appointment times. Typically, your first Design Centre appointment will be several months prior to your closing date.

Once Tartan receives the building permit for your home building will commence.  You will be notified via e-mail when this happens.

Yes. Tartan provides a guided tour of the home during the construction process. Your sales rep will contact you to establish this. For reasons of your safety and management of liability we are not able to allow buyers to walk through the unit unattended.

Buying a new home is a unique experience in that it is one of the few things that we, as consumers, can watch get built in front of our eyes. For example, we never watch an automobile or appliance get constructed. You can expect many things during the construction process. At times it will appear that construction progress is fast, and yet at other times it may appear to be slow. There will be times when the house and lot are neat and tidy and other times when it is messy. All of this is normal in the new home construction process.

These are the features that are included in your home, such as oak railing, hardwood floors, trim, interior doors etc. The standard features to be included in your home are clearly identified in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale as well as marketing material available in the sales office.  Each of our communities has a ‘standard’ model home that you can view so that you can see all the standard features and finishings that come with your Tartan Home.

We schedule the construction timing of your home well in advance of starting construction. Furthermore, lead time is needed to order the material to be constructed in your home. Cut off dates are required to ensure we do not miss including an upgrade feature in your home.

Addresses are assigned by the City of Ottawa and are given to Tartan. Unfortunately, they are not always available at time of sale. However, in all instances our Sales Representative will confirm your address once we have picked up the building permit and have started construction on your home. For schools, post office, garbage pickup and other municipal services we suggest you contact the government authority (e.g. school board) responsible for this service.

We are a sole source company – that is we sign contracts with suppliers and trades people who construct your home. These contracts include both SUPPLY and install. Furthermore, complications can arise when buyers install their own items in a home in terms of warranty and liability.

During the spring, summer and fall, our Customer Portal, will provide you with specific information on landscaping activities in our various communities. In general, curb installation, the laying of sod, and driveway installations are seasonal work, and this work occurs between May and November. The installation occurs in the same order; curb, sod, then driveway. Because this work is done by three independent sub-trades, there can sometimes be a gap in time between each installation. With respect to sod, the landscaper will arrive at a new phase when the ground has dried out in late spring. They will start at the drier lots and move through the phase laying sod at all houses that are occupied, and at those houses where the exterior work is complete. Tartan is not able to pre-determine the order by which the sod is laid.
The landscaper will typically come back in the fall and go through the phase again, laying sod where the homes were completed in the summer. Driveway installation occurs after sod installation. As all seasonal work is dependent on good weather and dry ground, we are unable to create reliable schedules but continue to make every effort to enhance your community in a timely manner.

Minor surface cracking in concrete foundation, basement floor and porches is a common occurrence in new homes and has no detrimental effect on the performance of the foundation. Cracks may appear initially at the concrete curing stage where moisture evaporates from the material and the loss of volume results in material shrinkage cracks. Minor surface cracking may also result from stresses caused by extreme seasonal temperature variances where the material encounters stages of expansion and contraction. For cracks that are wider than 2cm, Tartan will fill them at your year-end inspection, though we cannot guarantee that the final finishes will be of a uniform colour or texture.

You can put up your fence after you have been living in your home for 1 year. The reason for the delay is that the City must do a final inspection of the overall grading, to make sure it will function properly during major storm events. It is not uncommon that the rear grades have to be changed as a result of the final inspection. Once the City is satisfied that the grades are fine, then fences can be installed.

A new home is built with new materials and is subject to drying and settlement in its first year. The result can be, among other things, that baseboard and door trim can separate from the walls or ceilings, which looks like a thin crack. This is normal, and indeed is to be expected in all new homes. At the 30-day inspection and again at the year-end inspection, Tartan will do a caulk and patch of trim that has separated, as well as drywall cracks and nail pops in all places.

During the first year of occupancy the house will dry and settle. Occasionally a door will become hard to open as the frame settles. This is covered by the Tarion one-year warranty and will be repaired by us at the 30-day or year-end inspection.

If you moved from a home that is more than four years old, then you may not be familiar with the new plugs that are now required in all new homes. The new plugs have a safety feature, whereby a piece of metal slides behind the holes when there in nothing plugged in. This stops children from being able to insert thin objects into the plug. It does make it a little harder to plug things in. You have to insert the plug with a little bit more determination, and you may have to wiggle it. The new plugs take a little getting used to but will become normal very soon.

If you are moving from an older home, you may not be used to the lower volume toilets that are now being installed in all new homes. Some toilet upgrades that are available through our Design Centre even have dual-lever action: flush and hold for a few seconds for heavy use, flush and release for lighter use.

Yes, you will see drywall seams when particularly intense light shines upon the walls and ceilings. You are also likely to see them where the screw patches are. This is the nature of modern drywall materials and installation. The Tarion guideline standard is that the walls have a normal uniform finish in normal lighting, standing six feet away. More information can be found in section 9 of the Tarion Construction Performance Guidelines.