A new house comes with a bare yard, unfinished basement, builder-grade fixtures and no trades on speed-dial. In the first year, its owners hire a landscaper, a fence builder, a cleaner, someone for the blinds and someone for the air conditioning. The business that reaches them first, and treats them well, often keeps them for a decade. This service helps you be that business. We do the marketing; we are not a contractor and never do the work.
What this service is
It is a campaign timed to the first 18 months of home ownership in Kitchener's newer communities, built to win the first job and then keep the household.
New owners behave differently from long-time residents. They search more, they ask neighbours in online community groups, and they make several hiring decisions in a short burst. They are also forming habits. If your business handles their first job well and stays in touch, you become "our landscaper" or "our furnace people" without another dollar of advertising.
Where it applies in Kitchener
Most of the new building has been on the city's south and southwest sides, in planning communities such as Huron South, Rosenberg, Doon South, Brigadoon, Trussler and Dundee, with smaller pockets of newer building elsewhere in the city. These areas have a high share of townhouses and new detached homes on modest lots, many owned by first-time buyers and young families.
The housing type shapes the offer. Townhouse owners may only need a small-yard landscaping plan and a basement finish; detached-home owners want a full yard, a fence, a deck and air conditioning in the first summer.
Who it suits
It suits trades that new owners need early and then need again:
- yard and exterior work such as landscaping, sod, fencing, decks and interlock
- interior finishing such as basement development, blinds, paint and closet systems
- recurring services such as cleaning, lawn care, snow clearing and pest control
- equipment add-ons such as air conditioning, humidifiers and water softeners
It is less useful for trades whose work new homes rarely need in the first few years, such as full re-roofing.
What's included
The campaign usually includes:
- Area pages on your site for the new communities you serve, written around the questions new owners ask, such as how soon after possession to grade or sod, or what to finish first.
- First-year offers that make sense: a bundled yard package, a maintenance visit after the first winter or a basement planning visit. No fake discounts.
- Targeted search and social ads aimed at the new areas, timed to when possessions are most common.
- A retention routine: a seasonal check-in to past customers by text or email with genuinely useful reminders, sent only to people who have contacted you or bought from you.
- Referral prompts: a simple, honest ask after a good job, because new neighbours compare notes constantly.
A note on builder warranties and regulators
Many recently built homes are still under a builder warranty, and new-home builders and vendors are licensed by the HCRA. Owners sometimes call a trade about a problem that may still be the builder's responsibility.
Your marketing should be clear about what you do and don't take on, and should send owners back to their builder where appropriate. We don't give warranty or legal advice; we help you write clear, honest messages.
Timeline
Area pages and offers are usually ready within four to six weeks. Paid campaigns can start right away. Retention results show over a longer horizon: the real value of a new-subdivision customer appears in their second and third year, when they call you without being asked.
How results are measured
We look past the first job to the value of a customer over time. If a landscaping customer's first job is worth $3,500 and they spend another $800 a year on maintenance, keeping them for five years makes them a $7,500 customer. The report tracks first jobs, repeat jobs and referrals from these areas, so you can see the whole picture.
Mistakes to avoid
These are the traps we see in new-subdivision marketing:
- Arriving too late. By the second summer, most owners have already chosen their regular trades.
- Offering what new homes don't need yet, such as full replacements of equipment that's still under warranty.
- One-off flyers with no follow-up, which win the occasional job and no relationships.
- Ignoring townhouse owners, who have smaller jobs but often the most loyalty.
- Texting or emailing people who never contacted you. Canada's anti-spam law requires consent, and it's poor manners anyway.
Next step
Call, text or email with the new Kitchener communities you already serve. Our service-area guide explains how to pick them, and the areas page describes the city district by district.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kitchener areas does this cover?
Mainly the newer communities on the south and southwest sides, such as Huron South, Rosenberg, Doon South, Brigadoon, Trussler and Dundee, plus newer pockets elsewhere. We choose the target areas from where your crews already work.
Can we market warranty repairs on new homes?
Be careful there. Many new homes are still under a builder warranty, and new-home builders in Ontario are licensed by the HCRA. We help you market the work owners pay for themselves, and we don't advise on warranty claims.
Is door-knocking or flyering part of this?
We focus on digital channels and your own customer list, and we can advise on printed pieces your team hands out on real jobs. We don't run door-to-door campaigns.
What trades benefit most?
Landscaping, fencing and decks, window coverings, basement finishing, cleaning, snow clearing, and heating, cooling and water-treatment add-ons. Any trade a new owner needs in the first year or two.
Sources
- Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) (2026-10-22)
- City of Kitchener Open Data: Planning Communities (2026-10-22)