(NC) When considering one of the biggest financial decisions of your life, choosing the right home builder may seem like a daunting task. Especially in today's active new home building industry.

Builders will compete for your business with advertising and marketing materials that paint a picture of the perfect home. As a buyer, you will want to think about style of home, location and price.

The more research you do, the better your chance of finding a builder who suits your needs. Remember that you'll be in a long-term relationship, so your comfort level with the builder's style and personality is critical to a successful buying experience. Here are five ways to search for a reputable home builder:

1. Look up a builder in the Ontario Builder Directory. Available at www.tarion.com, this directory gives a 10-year history for all registered builders and those who are no longer registered to build homes. If your builder is not listed, that means they are building illegally. The directory will also show if your builder has been a finalist or recipient in the last three years of a Homeowners' Choice Award for outstanding customer service.

2. Visit builders' websites. Visiting the websites of builders will give you a good idea of what they are like. You can see where they are building, the style of home they develop, floor plans and any special features available. You can also see how they approach customer service and ask for references to hear from past buyers.

3. Visit sales offices or model suites. Visiting a sales office or model suite gives you a chance to meet face-to-face with the builder or the builder's representative. Wandering around a model home or suite can help you get a feel for their work, bearing in mind that these models represent the builder's best work and most expensive fixtures that won't be standard. You can also get brochures and materials that you can look through later.

4. Explore communities and talk to residents. Walk around the community you are interested in. If possible, talk to other homeowners and ask how their experience was with the builder and whether they would recommend them.

5. Ask family, friends or neighbours about their experience with a builder. They may have recently purchased a new home or condo, or know of someone who has. Some questions to ask are: What was your experience like? Would you recommend your builder? How was the after-sales customer service?

Attention editors: This article is for distribution in Ontario only.

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