Costs After Buying a House in Quebec: Full Checklist

Budget · Buyers

On signing day, you think you are done paying. It is the opposite: the most surprising bill of your purchase arrives by mail weeks later, and the first year of ownership holds a few more. Here is the complete budget, item by item.

After signing at the notary, a Quebec buyer must plan for several costs that are not in the purchase price: the welcome tax, billed by the municipality a few weeks to a few months after closing and payable in one installment; the adjustments reimbursed to the seller at the notary for property and school taxes paid in advance; home insurance, required by the lender from the day of signing; the move and connections; the first repairs and lock changes; then ongoing maintenance, for which a common rule of thumb suggests setting aside about 1% of the property's value per year. On a typical South Shore purchase, these items commonly exceed $10,000 in the first year, on top of the down payment and notary fees. Refunds and credits exist for first-time buyers, including Quebec's new welcome tax refund of up to $5,875. The Loaa & Manseur team, number one at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, builds this budget into every purchase from the first meeting. Answer within 24 hours: 438 807 3653.

The welcome tax: the surprise bill

It is the best-known cost and still the worst-anticipated one, because of its calendar. The land transfer duty, the « welcome tax », is not paid at the notary: the municipality mails the bill weeks to months after closing, generally payable in a single installment within 30 days.

The amount is calculated in progressive brackets on the sale price, or the municipal assessment if higher. At current South Shore prices, between $600,000 and $800,000, the bill runs in the thousands of dollars, and it grows faster than the price because of the brackets. Our welcome tax calculator gives the exact figure for your city and price.

The excellent news for first-time buyers: since 2026, Quebec refunds up to $5,875 of that tax, retroactive to January 1, 2026. The complete rules are in our guide to the welcome tax refund.

Budget for costs after buying a house in Quebec — The welcome tax arrives by mail after closing, payable in one installment.

At the notary: the adjustments people forget

On signing day, the notary settles accounts between seller and buyer. If the seller has already paid the year's property and school taxes, the buyer reimburses the remaining share pro rata. On a property with several thousand dollars of annual taxes, a purchase early in the cycle can add a substantial adjustment to the closing cheque. Condo adjustments and notary fees complete the picture. None of this should be a surprise: the adjustment statement can be projected before signing, not discovered that morning.

Before you even move in

Home insurance. The lender requires proof of insurance to release the funds: it is shopped before signing, not after.
The move. Truck and movers, connection deposits, address changes everywhere. In peak season around July 1st, prices climb and availability melts.
Locks and codes. Changing the locks on day one is a modest, non-negotiable expense: you do not know how many key copies are in circulation.
First purchases. Lawnmower, snow removal, curtains, appliances not included in the sale: the first hardware store run always surprises the first-time buyer.

Year one: the 1% rule

Once settled in, ongoing maintenance takes over. A common rule of thumb among building professionals suggests reserving about 1% of the property's value per year for maintenance and repairs: on a $650,000 house, roughly $6,500 a year, smoothed over time. Some years cost almost nothing; the roof year costs a lot.

The logic is the same one the law now imposes on condos with the reserve fund, as we explain in our article on Bill 16: building components have known lifespans, and the money is set aside before the failure, not after. A buyer who knows the age of the roof, water heater and windows from the inspection can build that calendar from year one.

The practical conclusion for a first-time buyer: do not drain every dollar into the down payment. Keeping a starter reserve prevents the first repair from becoming credit card debt. Our pages on the minimum down payment and mortgage rates frame the borrowing side; this checklist frames the rest.

First year of ownership and the maintenance reserve — About 1% of the value per year: the maintenance reserve that avoids credit card debt.

The twelve-month calendar

Before signing: insurance bound, proof sent to the lender, closing funds ready, adjustments projected.
Signing day: notary fees, tax adjustments reimbursed to the seller, keys.
Month 1: move, connections and deposits, locks, address changes, first equipment purchases.
Months 2 to 4: the welcome tax bill arrives, payable within 30 days. This is where the provision planned at purchase proves its worth, and where first-time buyers file for the refund.
All year: municipal and school taxes on the city's calendar, seasonal maintenance, and steady building of the repair reserve.
Next spring: first tax return as an owner, with the first-buyer credits claimed by those eligible.

A buyer who sees this sequence before buying sizes the down payment accordingly: the right amount is not « everything I have », it is « everything I have, minus year one ».

Planning the complete budget of a home purchase — The real buying budget includes year one, not just signing day.

Frequently asked questions

What costs should I expect after buying a house in Quebec?

The main ones: the welcome tax, billed by the municipality weeks to months after closing; the adjustments reimbursed to the seller at the notary for taxes paid in advance; home insurance required by the lender; the move, connections and locks; then ongoing maintenance, with a common rule of thumb of about 1% of the property's value per year. On a typical South Shore purchase, year one commonly exceeds $10,000 beyond the down payment and notary.

When does the welcome tax bill arrive?

After closing, never at the notary: the municipality generally sends it a few weeks to a few months after the deed is registered, payable in one installment within 30 days. That delay is the trap: buyers have often drained their liquidity into the down payment by the time the bill lands. The provision is made at purchase, and first-time buyers can then claim Quebec's refund of up to $5,875.

How much does home maintenance cost per year?

A common rule of thumb suggests about 1% of the property's value per year, smoothed over time: major components, roof, windows, water heater, heating, have known lifespans and are replaced in cycles. The pre-purchase inspection, by dating those components, lets you build a realistic calendar from year one and avoid the first major repair arriving as a surprise.

Is there help for first-time buyers in Quebec?

Yes, on several levels: the welcome tax refund of up to $5,875 introduced in 2026, first-time home buyers' tax credits, and the FHSA and HBP savings vehicles, which are stackable. Programs vary by city and evolve: verifying them is part of building the budget, before the promise to purchase.

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Related reading: Quebec's parental union: your house no longer sells like before, Welcome tax refund: up to $5,875 back for first-time buyers and Best realtor in Brossard: 41 days, the number that sorts them.

Related reading: Quebec Real Estate Forecast 2027: Sell Now or Wait? and Selling a House or Condo with a Tenant in Quebec.

Before you buy: the account that funds the down payment is the FHSA, called the CELIAPP in French. Our guide to the CELIAPP in English covers the 2026 limits and how to combine it with the HBP.

Published by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number one team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the worldwide top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Version française : les frais après l'achat. Tell us about your project.

Buying a house in Quebec: the costs that come after the notary