Tips for Building a Laneway House

Laneway homes are quickly becoming popular in the Vancouver BC. How can tips for building a laneway house help? 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.

Pros and Cons of A Custom Home

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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.

Common Mistakes When Hiring A Home Builder

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If you are one of the people wanting to build their dream home, you don’t want to act hastily and simply settle on what’s listed when you search for a ‘home builder near me’.

As a matter of fact, even when someone comes up as the ‘best home builder near me’ when you search for a home builder on the web, you shouldn’t just immediately trust it and hire them. This is one of the worst mistakes a homeowner does when hiring a home builder – not doing thorough research and easily being easily manipulated by the internet.

Yes, the internet can give you some important information you are looking for, but you still have to do additional checking to find out if the information you have gathered is correct.

Mistakes to Avoid

Not doing enough research is just one of the common mistakes someone looking to build a house should avoid. Aside from this blunder, there are several other mistakes that could be avoided when hiring a home builder.

Not asking for references from previous clients of the home builder is another mistake. Even when you see their website online and read that they have good online reviews, you have to actually talk to their previous clients yourself to get a better understanding of how the home builder works.

Agreeing to pay half (or more than half) of the total cost of the job before the actual work commences is one of the most serious mistakes someone can make. Do not provide a down payment – particularly if they are asking for a huge sum of money, and most especially if it is just for a small project.

Neglecting to ask the proper questions to the home builder is an error, too. Ask important questions such as the type of materials they are planning to use for the construction, how long the construction is going to take, how long is their job warranty valid for, if they are covered by insurance while on the job, and so on.

Even when you have communicated clearly with the home builder, don’t just be content with the verbal agreement. Put everything in writing. Being content with agreement via casual talks is a no-no. Make sure that every detail agreed upon is properly documented in your contract.

Falling victim to the trap of incredibly low rates is a common mistake as well. Sometimes, low prices mean low quality. Loosen the purse strings a bit if you want work with superb quality.

Not asking around and failing to compare home builders is among the typical mistakes made as well. Select around three potential home builders and compare what they can offer their skills and their rates.

Tips in Making Smaller Spaces Look Bigger

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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.

About Silvercrest Luxury Homes

Summary: Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations are a team of Vancouver Custom home builders with over 15 years of experience. The company launches a new website and invites everyone who wants to have a beautiful custom home to book a consultation.

Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations is an experienced company that has built amazing custom homes in and around Vancouver, BC. Fully dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service as well as creative design, these Vancouver Custom home builders truly stands out on the market. One is sure to notice buildings created or renovated by Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations (SCH) as they always stand out in the neighbourhood. To help the residents of this marvelous city to get a better idea of what exactly they can expect when hiring SLH

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Its pages contain not only a complete list of services offered by this custom home builder but also a detailed explanation of their process. Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations stands out from the multitude of contractors due to their total focus on customer service and interaction. This custom home builder in Vancouver understands completely how important this deal is for the people. That’s why the customers are involved in every decision. The result of such a close collaboration is a perfect home that makes its owners truly happy.

How Does Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations Build Perfect Custom Homes?

As one of the more experienced and definitely most dedicated Vancouver Custom home builders, SLH knows that to build a truly beautiful home, one has to go above and beyond. That’s exactly what this company does. They are 100% committed to working closely with the customer to ensure each of their requirements and desires is understood and realized in their new home.

Clients also should be aware that Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations isn’t a single custom home builder Vancouver business. This company collaborates with a variety of contractors. Each of those go through a rigorous process of selection until they are approved. These sub-contractors perform to the excellence standards set by SLH and are both registered and insured.

This networking is one of the main reasons that make hiring Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations a worthwhile investment. This company will handle every part of the building process, so the client can relax and focus on nothing but the design of their perfect home. The SLH team will take care of everything else and provide regular reports. This means that the customers see how their dream home becomes real step by step. Yet, they experience none of the stress involved in the building process.

Contact Today

For more information, get in touch with the winning team at:

Silvercrest Custom Homes and Renovations
200A – 6325 Fraser Street
Vancouver, BC V5W 3A3
(604) 318-0572