What are Laneway Homes

Laneway homes are gaining popularity very quickly due to its affordability and feasibility. It is the ultimate solution for the space-related issues that most people face with a growing family, laneway homes provide affordable additional space, and it is an excellent source of extra income. Silvercrest custom homes & renovations will assist you in making valuable and profitable use of your space.

Laneway homes are secondary suites, typically located to the rear of an existing home, facing a laneway that goes behind the house. Laneway homes are quite popular in Vancouver and surrounding areas.

They are small and unconnected property that provides extra space for extended families or can possibly be utilized to rent out in the community. Apart from rendering financial stability to the homeowner, it is an ideal choice to maximize the value of your property.

Detached ADU’s

These types of homes are also called detached ADU’s. It is the abbreviated form for detached accessory dwelling units. ADU is a formally used terminology for laneway homes and it ideally explains the category of this type of housing construction. In the city of Burnaby, ‘laneway home’ is commonly used but other interchangeably used terms include coach homes, secondary suites, garden cottages, backyard suits, and carriage homes.

Why do you need a Laneway House?

• With the increasing need for housing in the city of Burnaby, laneway homes are an affordable option. Due to the recent surge in the price of rentals, it has become increasingly difficult for the families to afford houses with good neighborhoods and laneway homes are the perfect solution to tackle the growing housing problems.
• It provides additional space for the extended families who might be looking for a solution that keeps the family together but allows them separate space and privacy as well.
• Laneway homes are an excellent way to increase the value of your property. If you build a laneway house on your property, depending upon its design, you would possibly see a significant increase in the value of your home.
• One of the best features of having a laneway house is that it serves as a great option for extra income. You can rent it out for long- or short-time frames and generate smooth extra income.
• Owning a laneway house increases the chance of getting a higher bid if you decide to sell the house. The addition of a laneway house will be an attractive offer for the possible buyers as it adds value to your home.
• It improves the sustainability of the area and develops an opportunity for the rental housing stock to grow rapidly.

Am I allowed to build a Laneway House in Burnaby?

It is not currently permitted to build a laneway house in the city of Burnaby. However, the City staff are currently occupied with the task of advancing policies to develop a strategy to introduce innovative housing models and family-oriented housing in the major neighborhoods of Burnaby. The policies are being forwarded to the Council in housing and homelessness strategy. It is an ongoing process but it is highly predicted that the housing and homelessness strategy will be developed, forwarded to the Council by the start of 2021. Later, there will be working on the details of the draft program. The technical working of the draft includes the maximum size of the property, height, provision of the parking area, and some other factors that will be taken into consideration while developing the policies and then, it would be sent to the Council for the final approval.

What are the requirements to build a Laneway House Burnaby

• According to the property types of Burnaby, the model and design regulation would be selected for the laneway house program. It would be helpful in developing architectural design samples and guidelines for a review from the Council.
• Parking will be a major aspect of the laneway house program because, with the additional parking demand, it will be important to evaluate the City’s residential districts for off-street parking. It will be a determining factor whether the neighborhoods would be able to accommodate the possible parking requirements or not.
• The laneway infrastructure, its design, development, and usage will be significant to determine the guidelines for the laneway homes. For instance, the required lane width, lighting, utilities, pavement standard, and proximity with the public services would be taken into consideration while devising the policies.
• Cities’ residential infrastructure will also be a key factor in the process as they will be reviewing the water and sanitary service in the neighborhoods. It also includes the garbage/ recycling services and devising proposals for the upgradation, expense structure, permits, and the future plans of these services.
• The electricity and natural gas provision will also be one of the deciding factors. Moreover, emergency and postal services within the neighborhood are also essential to frame the guidelines for the program. These third-party infrastructure requirements, sanctions, and administration will be reviewed.

What’s Next?

 

 

Once the technical framework will be developed, the laneway homes program will be set out for public consultation. It is very important to get the residents on the page before implementing anything, therefore, the public will be informed about the changes and feedback will be taken regarding the proposal. The public will be e responsible to give feedback regarding the specifications of the proposal including the height, setbacks, parking, privacy, and permitted zones.

The next step would be the presentation of the proposal before the Council of city of Burnaby for its adoption. If the Council adopts the proposal the then the laneway Homes program would be permitted in Burnaby.