標題: Building a house in Vancouver. [打印本頁] 作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-3 16:16 標題: Building a house in Vancouver.
a random thought came up in family discussion, this thought has come up several times in the past and i have finally taken my parents (the idea) seriously today.
currently....i live in an old run-down house in east vancouver.
the plan is to kill it and rebuild a new house on the same property..
i know there will be a lot of time, effort, stress, and paperwork involved... but the end result will be a much more comfortable atmosphere for my family. any LYK here been there, done that?作者: 布小熊 時間: 2009-8-3 17:13
my parents did that about 10+ years ago. It took them VERY long to build the house but they were having fun with it as their retirement project. It's custom made to their liking (Chinese Kitchen, air con, large tub in master bedroom...etc)
Do you family have a place to stay while the old house is taken down? It will be a few months or half a year....作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-3 17:44
布小熊, how long is VERY long? i'm hoping it will be done in approx. 6 months.. but i also heard the hardest part is obtaining a permit. there's a small apartment that my mom rents out, if we do go ahead with the plan, we will live there.
question, can a new house be built for around $300,000? i will need a general contractor, an architect, lawyer, building materials, moving costs, new furniture and appliances... what else do i need to know?作者: daimo 時間: 2009-8-3 17:52
would it be more cost effective to sell your house and buy an empty lot, then build?作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-3 17:58
we like the location we are in, it's convenient for public transportation and we've been living here for over 15-16 years.作者: tiffiant 時間: 2009-8-3 18:18
what area?
anything dumpable to us?hwahhwhhwa
:haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha::haha:作者: baubau 時間: 2009-8-3 19:10
The cost is subjected to the size (square footage) that you are building - for example, if you are maximizing the buildable size at a standard 33'x120' lot, you may assume 2,376 sq ft.x $125 per sq ft. = $297,000. This number does not include the fee to engage a contractor, designer, permit fees, etc. which could in the range from $50,000 and up.
PM me if you need more info~作者: Lik 時間: 2009-8-3 20:10
Tearing down your current place and rebuilding everything in 6 months sounds impossible, unless you are willing to pay big bucks.
-Lik作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-3 21:38
thanks baubau... my lot is a 33' x 122'. i am hoping to build it so a portion of the house can be for rent...like 2 suites with separate entries. this will help us pay back what's borrowed for the house, and eventually income for my parents when they retire.
Lik...i think if we go ahead with the plan, it will take us 6 months to pack. u've seen my place la, rebuilding is totally necessary. realistically, how long do u think it will take? 作者: tofu 時間: 2009-8-3 22:07
$300,000 sounds a little bit less. the cost is around $150-$250/ sq ft. especially city of van allows people to build a bigger basement now. depends on how large is your house & what types of material do you want? Italian bulider? Indian bulider?
yes, you can have separate entrances for main floor & basement
oh, remember to get central a/c la作者: Yui 時間: 2009-8-3 22:16
We did that in 2007 and it took 7 months to rebulid, given that the construction was done during winter months, if it is done in summer, the process can be expedited due to longer day lights.
AS per cost of building, to my understanding, it can vary due to the materials costs, we planned to rebulid in 2006, but it was delayed to 2007, the cost of materials such as wood，pipe，stucco，and the heatingsystem have already gone up by 20% in just a year. So act fast if your family has made the decision!作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-3 22:27
thanks for all your comments....i have a dumb question.. what is the first step? find a general contractor? obtain a permit? like i said...it's a thought and we are clueless.作者: baubau 時間: 2009-8-3 22:39
Do you mean a secondary suite or are you thinking of 2 suites in the basement alone?
I have heard people claiming that they could finish constructing a house till occupancy in a 4 month timeframe, which I think unrealistic. Personally I would say 7-8 months.
Permit may take up to 3 weeks at the City of Vancouver, and permit drawings could be done within a months' time - subject to what is it that you want.作者: fibbi 時間: 2009-8-3 22:47
A reliable contractor is a must! Otherwise lots of headache afterwards...
The contractor probably has connection with some drafting personnel, you may buy ready-made "drawing" or draw from scratch. Of course it costs more to draw from scratch la.
I think it takes about 7-10 months for building a house. Better to start the process in early spring (apply permit, get the drawing done) then start building in summer that would be the best.
Besides getting permit may delay the prccess, some building material (like tile, granite, wallpaper etc..) if you want special one it takes long time to order...作者: 布小熊 時間: 2009-8-4 00:42
I think other lyks have better idea than me. I was busy with school back then and paid little attention to the process. My parents hired a contractor and he did all the coordination. I think it took more than 6 months. But my parents were not in a rush to finish it. My dad did the drawing from scratch and got someone to modified it to the standard before submitting it for the building permit (if I remember correctly).作者: rockypath 時間: 2009-8-4 08:01
One of my relative build his own house 6-7 years ago. He also lives in Vancouver east. He was able to build the house less than $300K. However, the house was not a custom-made. The contractor gave him a few ready-made drawings and he just picked the one he like and the contractor just made a few modification to fit his lot.
First, I don't like the lay-out of the house. Second, the house began to have problems after 5 years. Therefore, you must arrange some kind of warrenty with the house builder/contractor. It always looks nice once it is finished, but you don't want to have the troubles later on. And most importnatly, a trustworthy and responsible contractor is a must.作者: Yui 時間: 2009-8-4 08:13
I have pm you with some additional information, please check it out.作者: sike 時間: 2009-8-4 09:08
Hey, I'm in exactly the same situation, same size too if i didn't remember wrong.
PM me with info too
I'm a bit more ahead, we found the contractor already and discussed briefly.
the price is around $290000 for 122 long lot, since that guy just build a $320000 house for a $140 lot. He said 2 months for permit/paper work, 6 months for building. It's a quiet season right at this moment, so it's generally quicker. But as HST is introduced, everyone is going to start rebuilding soon.作者: tsumorichisato 時間: 2009-8-4 09:23
It's hard to tell you how much is costs, cuz it's really based on what materials you are using, what layout (how custom made you want), and also the location of your house. Yes, where you live also affects the cost. Somebody mentioned from $150-250 per sq ft, ya , that would be the price range I said so.
We have our house built a year ago , it's a long long process, but as you said end result is superb.作者: fibbi 時間: 2009-8-4 09:53
My house was also custom built about 10 years ago. To be honest with you I wouldn't choose to do the same thing again (even if I have the $). You may think it's fun to customize the house but when it comes to the final decision, everything has to "match" (at least the colour scheme) and it's so much "headache". Just think of interior design from scratch. From the type of window, the molding, to small things like door knot! Yes the contractor will give you his recommendation but you are the one to make final decision. It's not an easy process.作者: siuyudim 時間: 2009-8-4 15:41
本帖最後由 siuyudim 於 2009-8-4 16:56 編輯
@baubau: I am thinking of 2 suites in the basement alone with 2 separate entrances. 7-8 months is okay, the hardest part for us will be all the packing and moving. Does the city decide how many floors we're allowed to have? I'm hoping for 3 floors as there are 5 of us.
@rockypath: thanks for the tip, if all goes as planned..we will have a lawyer to deal with the contractor, payments and whatever else.
@Yui and Sike: thanks for the PM, i have replied.
@tsumorichisato: since we are not building the house for the purpose of selling, we don't mind spending more for nicer material.
@fibbi: i never thought of this project being fun, it is more of a necessity. the necessity of improving the living condition for my family. i can foresee all the headaches and arguments now.作者: baubau 時間: 2009-8-4 22:57
I don't think the City allows for more than 2 suites at a single family dwelling. In terms of level - depending on the type of zoning you are in (typically RS-1), you are allowed to construct 2 1/2 storey - the first storey being the main level, not more than 2m above grade. There is a height restriction at each zoning as well, so it depends on a lot of parameters: site grading, site zoning, etc. in order to determine what suits best for you and your family.
PM me if you are interested to find out more details~
