Home insurance has climbed sharply in recent years due to more frequent severe-weather claims across Saskatchewan, and a mortgage lender requires it as a condition of the loan, so it is not an optional line item the way some other costs are.
Utility costs, mainly natural gas heating through a Saskatoon winter, add a second large and largely fixed cost, and unlike property tax or insurance they vary a great deal by a home's age, insulation and furnace efficiency rather than by neighbourhood alone.
Joel Dyck walks buyers through the full carrying-cost picture for a specific house, not just the purchase price, before they write an offer. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.