Plan ahead

"Planning is one of the most critical things when budgeting for a house," says Zoocasa.

The company recommends creating a plan at the beginning of the year (perfect timing!) outlining what steps you'll need to take to purchase a house as well as when you'll need to do them.

• assessing your borrowing capacity
• determining your down payment
• requesting mortgage pre-approval
• planning for additional costs, like legal fees
• finding your home
• making your offer
• taking out a mortgage loan

Set a budget

Before you even start looking for a home, you should have an idea of how much you can afford to spend each month.

Zoocasa recommends taking stock of your living expenses, such as food, car payments, insurance and student loans.

Once you know how much you can afford, you can plan a budget.

"Budgeting will help ensure that once you find your dream home, it won’t become a financial burden," Zoocasa says.

Work on your credit

"Your credit score is one of the most important factors when getting approved for a mortgage loan—the higher your score, the better the chance lenders will approve the amount of money you need to buy the house," says Zoocasa.

According to Angela Iermieri, a financial planner and spokesperson for Desjardins, your credit score is calculated according to the credit that you're given and that lenders give you.

If you have no credit, you won't have a credit score. However, getting a credit card is an easy way to start.

If you do have credit and want to see where you stand, you can easily check your credit score for free in Canada through Equifax or TransUnion.

Simple ways to improve your credit score include paying your bills on time and keeping the balance you owe low.

Reduce your debt

How much debt you have plays a big part in purchasing a home.

"The amount of debt you have can affect whether or not you qualify for certain mortgages or if lenders will even approve your loan application," Zoocasa says.

So, reducing what you owe should be part of your plan when buying a home.

You can do this by consolidating what you owe into one lower monthly payment, reviewing your bills and cutting out useless subscriptions and services.

Get that down payment ready

Saving a down payment may well be the hardest part of planning to buy a house, but it's a great way to show potential lenders that you're serious about purchasing a home.

In Canada, the minimum down payment required for a home is based on the purchase price of the house.

If the home is $500,000 or less, the minimum down payment needed is 5% of the price.

However, if the purchase price of the home is $500,000-$999,999, the minimum down payment is 5% of the first $500,000 and 10% for the portion of the purchase price above $500,000.

If the home is $1 million or higher, the down payment needed is 20% of the price.

Before you start saving, it's recommended that you put aside enough money to cover at least three months' worth of living expenses in an emergency fund.

"As soon as possible, try to save up at least 5% – 20% of the total cost for your down payment," says Zoocasa.