{"id":57473,"date":"2021-08-31T16:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:17:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:17:42","slug":"home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-single-article-header\">\n\t<section class=\"section-grey cover pad-t-hlf\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin cover section-grey pad-tb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inline-block pill-container pill-taxonomies\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mar-b-hlf mob-mar-b snipe pill is-style-blue-pill\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/real-estate\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Real Estate<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"mar-b-hlf mar-t-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf h2 has-black-color\">HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]<\/h1><p class=\"mar-b-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf author-text\">By RBC<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-image-wrapper pos-rel\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\" class=\" cover-image  wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg 930w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\t<div class=\"article mar-t-dbl\">\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner socials-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"top-socials-bar mob-mar-b-hlf\">    <div class=\"social-links mob-mar-b-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf\">\n            <a class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-custom sharing-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST] &#038;body=Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article from RBC My Money Matters: https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-email.svg\"\n          alt=\"envelope icon\">\n        <span>\n          Email        <\/span>\n      <\/a>\n      <div class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-copy-wrapper\">\n        <button class=\"sharing-custom sharing-copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-related.svg\"\n            alt=\"copy icon\">\n          <span id=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n            Copy URL          <\/span>\n        <\/button>\n        <input type=\"text\" class=\"sharing-copy-text\" aria-labelledby=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin pad-tb-0 mob-mar-t-hlf mob-mar-b\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cover-pub-line text-xs mar-b-hlf\">Published August 31, 2021 \u2022 5 Min Read<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner w-half w-mob-full\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<p>As you search for your next home, there&#8217;s a lot to consider. How many bedrooms do you need? Do you want a yard? Do you like the charm of an old home or do you prefer the comforts of a new build?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll want to put together a wish list \u2014 that is, an inventory of all the things that are important to you in a home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I work with buyers, I always ask for their top three priorities,&#8221; says Melissa Nimijohn, Real Estate Representative with Com\/Choice Realty. \u201cThis helps buyers stay focused on what&#8217;s truly important to them and allows us to narrow the home search accordingly.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While few homes check all the boxes, as you&#8217;re looking around you can see what homes fit the profile. This is where it becomes important to know what can be changed in a near-perfect home \u2014 and what just can&#8217;t be tweaked. It&#8217;s also where your prioritization skills will get tested, as you may not be able to get everything you&#8217;re looking for.So, as you embark on your quest for the perfect place to call home, here are five steps to take along your journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Create your wish list<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This might be one of the most fun and exciting parts of home buying. At this stage, list everything you want in a home \u2014 don&#8217;t hold back, but try to be realistic (sure, you might want an eight-bedroom mansion or a penthouse with a view of the water, but let&#8217;s try to keep your wishes within the realm of possibility). Because there are so many elements that come with a home, this Wish List Template can help you. Take a look at the end of this article for a printable checklist to help you get started<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Know what the easy changes are<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Found a home that&#8217;s almost perfect, but not quite there? Some changes might make it fit your needs and wants more. For example, painting the walls, installing new carpet and refinishing wood floors are easy things to do before moving into a new home. These can make a world of difference if the home has great bones but needs refreshing. If the kitchen is a little dated, swapping out old appliances with newer ones is a fairly straightforward job too. Re-facing or painting cabinetry is also an easy way to style your kitchen the way you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Know what&#8217;s harder to change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, understanding what is tricky to change can help you identify how easily a home can be made to check the boxes on your wish list \u2014 or if it&#8217;s better to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, if you&#8217;re overhauling major systems in a home, it can get complicated and expensive. Changing up a kitchen layout, for example, isn&#8217;t easy, if it comes with moving plumbing if you shift the placement of a sink or a dishwasher. Electrical work to update old or unsafe systems is also a big task. If it&#8217;s something you&#8217;re considering, it&#8217;s best to meet with an electrician at the inspection stage to get a complete sense of how much work is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Building an addition or knocking down walls \u2014 while often shown as straightforward on home improvement shows \u2014 are typically not easy fixes. If you&#8217;re not happy with the size of the rooms or the footprint of the home in its current state, be sure to know what&#8217;s involved (in terms of cost and effort) to change them before you make a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Know what&#8217;s impossible to change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you&#8217;ve fallen in love with a home. It has everything you want inside \u2014 the right number of bedrooms, a stunning kitchen, modern bathrooms, a cozy window seat in the corner \u2026 but the neighbourhood isn&#8217;t great. That&#8217;s is not something you can change. No matter what else a home might have going for it, you can&#8217;t change the size of the lot, your location, or your new neighbours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Prioritize your wish list<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You have your wish list. You know what can be changed, what&#8217;s possible to change but tricky, and what can&#8217;t be changed. Now is the time to rank the items on your wish list. A home might have most of what you want, but not everything. For example, a big backyard and proximity to downtown may both be on your list, but those two things may be incompatible. What wins? You may need to play a little game of \u201cwould you rather&#8221; with yourself to figure out what&#8217;s a must-have, and what you&#8217;re willing to be flexible on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-border-color has-rbc-bright-blue-tint-1-border-color has-white-color has-rbc-bright-blue-tint-1-background-color has-text-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color\">Ready to start your new home wish list? Here&#8217;s a template to get you started: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-top-tips-tools-for-every-step-of-the-journey\/\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Home Buying 101: My House Hunting Checklist.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-border-color has-rbc-bright-blue-tint-1-border-color has-light-grey-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:4px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-get-one-step-closer-to-home-ownership\">GET ONE STEP CLOSER TO HOME OWNERSHIP:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re working on your wish list, you must be getting close to buying a home. Do you know what your price range is? If you haven\u2019t done so already, now is a great time to get your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/public.rbcroyalbank.com\/sgw5\/home\/pre-approval-mortgage-calculator#\/home?lang=en\" data-dig-id=\"LP-57473-309c98a5\" data-dig-category=\"LP\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"mortgage pre-approval\u00a0\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">mortgage pre-approval\u00a0<\/a>so you can start your home search with confidence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-default-collapsible\"><p><button class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#collapse834a1009\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse834a1009\" data-dig-id=\"LP-57738-834a1009\" data-dig-category=\"LP\" data-dig-action=\"accordion closed\" action-closed=\"accordion closed\" action-opened=\"accordion open\" data-dig-label=\"Things our lawyers want you to know\"><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><\/button><\/p><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"collapse834a1009\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-collapsible-inner-block collapse-inner\">\n<p>This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-tk-spacer id-60bc4c98-b4bf-407b-9222-847afee40d27\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center h5 mar-b\"><strong>Share This Article<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"socials-block\">\n\t\t\t    <div class=\"social-links mob-mar-b-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf\">\n            <a class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-custom sharing-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST] &#038;body=Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article from RBC My Money Matters: https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-email.svg\"\n          alt=\"envelope icon\">\n        <span>\n          Email        <\/span>\n      <\/a>\n      <div class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-copy-wrapper\">\n        <button class=\"sharing-custom sharing-copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-related.svg\"\n            alt=\"copy icon\">\n          <span id=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n            Copy URL          <\/span>\n        <\/button>\n        <input type=\"text\" class=\"sharing-copy-text\" aria-labelledby=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-tk-spacer id-eeec4a7e-a854-4f29-9702-24f5468b675f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-single-post-topics related-topics-links\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"h5 mar-r-hlf\">Topics:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/home-ownership\/\" class=\"btn topic mar-t-0 mar-r-qtr mar-b-hlf\">Home Ownership<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/real-estate\/\" class=\"btn topic mar-t-0 mar-r-qtr mar-b-hlf\">Real Estate<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel mob-pad-t-dbl\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mar-b mob-mar-b-dbl mar-t-0\" id=\"h-read-this-next\">Read This Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"related-posts-type-2\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"related-post-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"grid-wpr eh-wpr\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A hand holds a disc with a percentage symbol on it, and upward and downward arrows over and below the disc to reflect the rate announcement on September 17, 2025.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg 5233w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/money-academy\/economics-101\/understanding-interest-rates\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tUnderstanding Interest Rates\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/money-academy\/economics-101\/understanding-interest-rates\/bank-of-canada-interest-rate-announcement\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">Bank of Canada Interest Rate Explained and How It Shapes Your Mortgage<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A wooden toy house next to a notepad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg 4928w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?resize=300,199 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?resize=768,509 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?resize=1024,678 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?resize=1536,1017 1536w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2024\/07\/HOME-BUYING-_1.jpg?resize=2048,1356 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBuying Your First Home\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/how-much-money-do-you-really-need-to-buy-your-first-home-in-canada\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">How much money do you really need to buy your first home in Canada?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Happy young couple using a laptop and credit card in their first home\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg 6000w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/11\/image-to-switch-out.jpg_draft_1.jpeg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/money-academy\/economics-101\/understanding-interest-rates\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tUnderstanding Interest Rates\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/money-academy\/economics-101\/understanding-interest-rates\/how-the-fhsa-and-lower-interest-rates-can-help-you-buy-your-first-home\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">How the FHSA and Lower Interest Rates Can Help You Buy Your First Home<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-60bc4c98-b4bf-407b-9222-847afee40d27 {\n\t\theight: 96px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-60bc4c98-b4bf-407b-9222-847afee40d27 {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-eeec4a7e-a854-4f29-9702-24f5468b675f {\n\t\theight: 60px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-eeec4a7e-a854-4f29-9702-24f5468b675f {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":62242,"parent":57283,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[57,60],"rbc_content_type":[31],"rbc_audience":[],"rbc_lob_group":[58],"rbc_difficulty_level":[33],"rbc_mmm_category":[310,336,303],"class_list":["post-57473","rbc_my_money_matter","type-rbc_my_money_matter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-home-ownership","tag-real-estate","rbc_content_type-article","rbc_lob_group-mortgage","rbc_difficulty_level-beginner","rbc_mmm_category-buying-a-home","rbc_mmm_category-buying-your-first-home","rbc_mmm_category-goals-aspirations"],"acf":{"contently_publication_id":"298726","custom_author":"RBC","rbc_video_header":"","rbc_media_duration":"","rbc_toc_for_mmm_tag":"h2","rbc_toc_for_mmm_limit":6,"rbc_toc_for_mmm":null,"rbc_toc_for_mmm_action":"Generate Table Of Contents"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RBC Royal Bank\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"930\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"RBC\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#\/schema\/person\/565fe74483a298c05d1be363c890c7b0\"},\"headline\":\"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T16:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\"},\"wordCount\":881,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\",\"keywords\":[\"Home Ownership\",\"Real Estate\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\",\"name\":\"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST] - My Money Matters\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T16:45:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\",\"width\":930,\"height\":620},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"My Money Matters\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Goals and Aspirations\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Buying a Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Buying Your First Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":5,\"name\":\"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/\",\"name\":\"RBC Royal Bank\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#\/schema\/person\/565fe74483a298c05d1be363c890c7b0\",\"name\":\"RBC\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"RBC\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"description":"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_description":"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","og_site_name":"RBC Royal Bank","article_modified_time":"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":930,"height":620,"url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/"},"author":{"name":"RBC","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#\/schema\/person\/565fe74483a298c05d1be363c890c7b0"},"headline":"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]","datePublished":"2021-08-31T16:45:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/"},"wordCount":881,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80","keywords":["Home Ownership","Real Estate"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","name":"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST] - My Money Matters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80","datePublished":"2021-08-31T16:45:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-06T17:17:42+00:00","description":"How to balance your new home needs, wants and changes \u2014 a checklist to make a near-perfect home just right.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80","width":930,"height":620},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"My Money Matters","item":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Goals and Aspirations","item":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Buying a Home","item":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Buying Your First Home","item":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"name":"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/","name":"RBC Royal Bank","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/#\/schema\/person\/565fe74483a298c05d1be363c890c7b0","name":"RBC","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ebd3d2d89d929986d9e254569349587e0ae3dda4934d4b7c91e93fd550e72532?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"RBC"}}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]","url":"http:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/buying-a-home\/buying-your-first-home\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80"},"articleSection":"Uncategorized","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"RBC"}],"creator":["RBC"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"RBC Royal Bank","logo":""},"keywords":["home ownership","real estate"],"dateCreated":"2021-08-31T16:45:00Z","datePublished":"2021-08-31T16:45:00Z","dateModified":"2026-04-06T17:17:42Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"HOME BUYING 101: 5 Steps to Selecting What You Need in a Home [CHECKLIST]\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\\\/en-ca\\\/my-money-matters\\\/goals-aspirations\\\/buying-a-home\\\/buying-your-first-home\\\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\\\/en-ca\\\/my-money-matters\\\/goals-aspirations\\\/buying-a-home\\\/buying-your-first-home\\\/home-buying-101-5-steps-to-selecting-what-you-need-in-a-home-checklist\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\\\/en-ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/12\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\\\/en-ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/12\\\/2023\\\/09\\\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80\"},\"articleSection\":\"Uncategorized\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"RBC\"}],\"creator\":[\"RBC\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"RBC Royal Bank\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"home ownership\",\"real estate\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2021-08-31T16:45:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-31T16:45:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T17:17:42Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rbcroyalbank.com\/p.js"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-678.jpg?quality=80&w=930","coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/author\/fclaussen\/","display_name":"RBC"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 5 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 week ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on August 31, 2021","modified":"Updated on April 6, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on August 31, 2021 4:45 pm","modified":"Updated on April 6, 2026 1:17 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","tax_additional":{"post_tag":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/home-ownership\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Home Ownership<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/real-estate\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Real Estate<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Home Ownership<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Real Estate<\/span>"],"slug":"post_tag","name":"Tags"},"rbc_content_type":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/content-type\/article\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Article<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Article<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_content_type","name":"Content Types"},"rbc_audience":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"rbc_audience","name":"Audiences"},"rbc_lob_group":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/lob-group\/mortgage\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mortgage<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Mortgage<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_lob_group","name":"LOB Groups"},"rbc_difficulty_level":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/difficulty-level\/beginner\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Beginner<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Beginner<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_difficulty_level","name":"Difficulty Levels"},"rbc_mmm_category":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/mmm-category\/buying-a-home\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Buying a Home<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/mmm-category\/buying-your-first-home\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Buying Your First Home<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/mmm-category\/goals-aspirations\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Goals &amp; Aspirations<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Buying a Home<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Buying Your First Home<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Goals &amp; Aspirations<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_mmm_category","name":"Categories"},"ep_custom_result":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"ep_custom_result","name":"Custom Results"}},"series_order":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"primary_tag":"60","primary_rbc_mmm_category":"336","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_my_money_matter\/57473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_my_money_matter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rbc_my_money_matter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_my_money_matter\/57473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97357,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_my_money_matter\/57473\/revisions\/97357"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_my_money_matter\/57283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57473"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_content_type?post=57473"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_audience?post=57473"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_lob_group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_lob_group?post=57473"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_difficulty_level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_difficulty_level?post=57473"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_mmm_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_mmm_category?post=57473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}