Greg Birch

Laneway homes are quickly becoming popular in the Vancouver BC. Having your own laneway home, if you have an extra space on your lot, could also be an excellent way to earn additional income or give you an opportunity to downsize and continue to live in a desirable neighbourhood.

Laneway houses have tons of other benefits to offer; not only to people aspiring to live in the city but to the city itself. As a matter of fact, having a laneway house is something being advocated by the Vancouver City Council.

If you are planning to build a laneway home on your land, it is extremely important to be aware of the specifications as well as permits your local council requires the applicant to complete. Finding out what these requirements are is as critical as hiring a reputable laneway builder in Vancouver.

But even before you employ a home builder from the Vancouver area, first you must determine if your lot is eligible for a laneway home construction. It might not be a good idea to go sending an application in for construction without checking the lot specifications – otherwise, you might be wasting your time and effort.

Requirements of Lot

First of all, you should know the exact measurements of your lot. Laneway houses may be built in any lot within RS one family zone with at least 33 feet in width. If you are uncertain if you can build a laneway house on your lot, you can actually call the city’s contact center for assistance.

Don’t forget that apart from the cost of building construction, you have to reserve funds for utilities such as plumbing, electrical, and gas installation. Additionally, aside from the cost of actual installation, you have to pay for installation permits too. Since you have utility installation fees to take care of, it’s better to scout for different professionals within your neighborhood and compare prices early on.

Some homeowners already have a vision of what they want the design of the laneway house to be. However, you must know that there are also specific requirements when it comes to spacing or areas around the laneway home. For instance, there are minimum measurements required for setbacks, parking space, lane access, building height, and so on. Space should also be reserved for tree protection. So, prepare yourself for some adjustments that might be made to the home design you have created or imagined.

Once you are certain that your lot is eligible for construction of a laneway house and you are aware of the specific requirements and permits, you could proceed to the pre-application review process.

After the pre-application review process, the next step would be the submission of an application for a building permit.

The minute the application gets approved, you can go ahead and start with the construction of your laneway house.

For a lot of people, being able to build a home of their own is already a dream come true. When that day finally comes for you, you have to be prepared and know what type of home you would want to be constructed.

One of the most sought-after types of homes you can have built is a custom home. Custom homes possess a certain air of extravagance and distinctiveness that’s why many people are attracted to the thought of building their very own custom home.

There are numerous respectable custom home builders in Vancouver who can help you out from completing your house design up to the actual construction – which makes the idea of building your own custom home even more appealing.

If you haven’t made up your mind yet whether you are going for a custom home or if you would go for a production home, knowing the pros and cons of having a custom home built can help you arrive at a decision.

PROS

Aside from the rarity and the uniqueness you would get in choosing to build a custom home, another advantage is getting the option to have your home built on your preferred lot.

Additionally, you would be able to show your own style in a home that’s custom built.

When you build a custom home, you get the opportunity to decide on every little material and detail that goes to your home.

CONS

On the other hand, having a custom home constructed has its downsides, too.

One of the major cons of a custom home is that it may cost a lot. For example, besides having to hire one of the custom home builders from Vancouver, you need to hire an architect as well to create the floor plan or blueprint for your dream home.

It takes a lot more effort to build a custom home, too, because you have to deal with all the necessary permits.

Since one of the main features of having a custom home is its individuality, there is a chance that what you want to be built is a new design that the builders have not tried before, and because of this, it is also possible for you to encounter unforeseen problems.

Building your dream home will always demand time, effort, as well as money. So, even when it costs more to build a custom home, your heart will be content knowing that your hard-earned cash was used in making one of your lifelong dreams come to life.

If you are building a house in a small lot, space within your home could be a bit of a problem. Unfortunately, your limited lot area isn’t something that home builders could fix.

The good thing is, a lot of home builders work together with architects as well as interior designers who could help your building to appear bigger than it actually is through maximizing the space you have.

Professional Interior Designing

However, although home builders can recommend professionals to help you with home designs, styles, and issues with small spaces, it’s not mandatory that you get in touch with professional interior designers and architects right away to help you out. There are countless ways you can make small spaces in your home look bigger – without having to spend cash on hiring experts.

With a little mixing and matching, trying new home accessories, and redecorating on your own, you can make any area appear more spacious.

If you have limited space in your home, try to use lighter tones to make various rooms seem larger. Curtains, sheets, pillowcases, carpets, area rugs, and other home items with lighter shades are great choices. Repainting your walls with lighter colors will work too.

Putting mirrors on your walls is an effective technique to create an illusion of additional space.

Using large wall decorations will make any area look roomier as well.

As space is a major factor when you have tight room to move in, it is paramount that you keep your things organized. Keep your home neat to show all the available space in your home.

Instead of constructing a wall to turn one big room into two separate rooms, you could put a divider. And, you could opt for multi-functional dividers such as shelves or closets. Not only would shelves and closets serve as a divider, but it will also help you organize your things more effectively.

Last, but certainly not the least, keep the rooms well-lighted. Dim lighting would just highlight the room’s small size. If you are using drapes, use light colored ones or you can keep the drapes open instead to let the light in.