Vancouver's Real Estate Market

[bcrdukes]

That house looks like a place for a rapist

[JDMDreams]

Why would rapists want that much light and windows

[bcrdukes]

Are you speaking from experience?

[6793026]

Originally Posted by carsncars

https://www.zealty.ca/property/BC/Va...E-mls_R3034606

The recessed lights on this house give me the heebie jeebies

I can say it is a bit much - then I look at my house and sometimes it's just not bright enough. What would you do? Less but then you'll have 'dim zones' or maybe get higher power LEDS pot lights?

[blkgsr]

those dumb valences over the windows for roller shades looks like shit too

stair looks like shit too along with the TV/fireplace? thing

[unit]

man u guys are picky... i think it mostly looks ok other than the lighting that triggers my trypophobia

[bcrdukes]

2/10

[EvoFire]

I agree it's actually not terrible overall, the quality seems better than a lot of shitty builds? There's just some crappy design choices with the TV area.

[unit]

Originally Posted by 6793026

I can say it is a bit much - then I look at my house and sometimes it's just not bright enough. What would you do? Less but then you'll have 'dim zones' or maybe get higher power LEDS pot lights?

if those are 4" lights they could have used 6" or 8" lights. at some point it starts looking like a warehouse though... like i said i really like supplementary lighting to warm up a space such as lamps.

[Hakkaboy]

Originally Posted by carsncars

https://www.zealty.ca/property/BC/Va...E-mls_R3034606

The recessed lights on this house give me the heebie jeebies

I think the current owners should re-hire the old realtor that sold the house to them for $3.13M in April 2023.

https://www.zealty.ca/property/bc/va...e-mls_r2758777

Much better pictures:

[Eff-1]

I won't judge the lighting when the photos are taken by an amateur agent holding her iphone.

lots of other things can be judged from photos, but not lighting.

I bet it's not as bad in person, especially when you factor in the natural light and ceiling height, the numerous potlights won't be as triggering.

side note: a $3m listing that doesn't hire a pro photographer with backlighting etc is absurd.

[spoon.ek9]

I don't understand why they insisted on placing the TV in the corner instead of dead centre. That bothers me more than the lighting lol. That entertainment centre looks custom...? Otherwise they made a poor choice when they purchased this thing.

[EvoFire]

I am not a fan of these kind of entertainment centers. Never mind the TV positioning is wack where it's too high and off to the corner, but it also precludes you from upgrading in the future. TVs are getting bigger and bigger, where 10 years ago when I bought my Samsung 60" was the sweet spot, when I bought my new TV two years ago, 75" was the new sweet spot. I wouldn't be surprised in another decade or so 85/90" TVs would be the way to go and you'll start having troubles finding high end models being made in the 60" space, and if you need a smaller TV it means you cannot get the latest and greatest.

[GS8]

Originally Posted by Hakkaboy

I remember drawing a house that looked like this...

...when I was 3 years old

I didn't realize people get paid for it.

[Great68]

IMO Victorian style houses from the early 1900's are timeless and still look good today (if maintained of course).

I don't think these sort of modern box houses will withstand that same test of time.

[unit]

i've been in a few older houses and the layouts are always super weird though..
like you enter and right away you're in a labyrinth of rooms and hallways.
those houses are only cool from the outside unless they're fully gutted and rebuilt in the inside.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by unit

i've been in a few older houses and the layouts are always super weird though..
like you enter and right away you're in a labyrinth of rooms and hallways.
those houses are only cool from the outside unless they're fully gutted and rebuilt in the inside.

You don't need a victorian esque house for it to be weird, my house is built in 1990 and the layout is terrible. Such a poor use of space, so much wasted space. That stupid curved banister staircase and the curve hall in the 3rd floor is so dumb, but it would have costed me so much remodel that whole thing.

[headhunt3r]

If I'm stupid enough to consider tearing down my house and building a new one, how do I find the next level of information like what kind of house / layout I can build, and how much it'd cost so I can assess how big of a house I can afford to build?

I understand there are setback rules and stuff, but no idea where to go next. What is the $/sq ft these days? Have prices come down at all since new builds have slowed? If it matters, this would be in Coquitlam.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by headhunt3r

If I'm stupid enough to consider tearing down my house and building a new one, how do I find the next level of information like what kind of house / layout I can build, and how much it'd cost so I can assess how big of a house I can afford to build?

I understand there are setback rules and stuff, but no idea where to go next. What is the $/sq ft these days? Have prices come down at all since new builds have slowed? If it matters, this would be in Coquitlam.

Do you know your specific zoning? (https://www.coquitlam.ca/562/Zoning-Bylaw). Once you figure that out read the zoning bylaw and you can basically figure out your max allowable footage (usually lot size times the FSR).

I was told that in Vancouver rates are $400-500/sf for a good white guy built house and I was told Burnaby is cheaper ($300-400 for a good build) but I haven't verified that. If you want an EI build I bet you could get as low as $250/sf.

Once you know your zoning you can just reach out to builders who work in Coquitlam to talk details. It's generally a high level convo unless you got money lined up and are ready to get moving soon - like I had a 5 min convo with one guy and never heard from him again while folks like Tyko and Lanefab let me visit one of their homes and Lanefab was willing to give me insight based on the lots I was looking at.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by headhunt3r

If I'm stupid enough to consider tearing down my house and building a new one, how do I find the next level of information like what kind of house / layout I can build, and how much it'd cost so I can assess how big of a house I can afford to build?

I understand there are setback rules and stuff, but no idea where to go next. What is the $/sq ft these days? Have prices come down at all since new builds have slowed? If it matters, this would be in Coquitlam.

A lot of builders have existing designs that they can use and reuse to make things easier. There's a certain level of customization in the design, but with experience they can already tell you what works and what doesn't work if the builder is worth a damn.

My house is the typical 90s 3 story build with rental basement, main floor with one bedroom, and the rest of the bedrooms upstairs. Every era has their own "signature" builds, I'd argue the Vancouver Special continued well into the 2010s until recently when everyone started doing these square boxes.

[headhunt3r]

R-1 zoning. No to EI build, and would want to learn more about price differences between "white guy built" vs "asian built".

Evo, you must be already checked out, given how quickly you responded haha.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by headhunt3r

R-1 zoning. No to EI build, and would want to learn more about price differences between "white guy built" vs "asian built".

I'm generalising here but...

White guy build usually comes with better design - the builder themselves have taste and pay attention to the details both inside and out. They'll still work with an architect (and the architect will be more experienced) but they'll also have opinions about how you might want to do something so that it works better for your family. You'll likely work with their interior designer or be advised to have one - these people can make a huge diff in the usability of the home (also looks better). Stuff like doing a net zero home or passivehaus also fall under white guys - I don't know any Asians that do that kind of work. Also expect better after completion support (warranty stuff and a binder full of all the info about the house).

The Asians will be more cookie cutter with the design work - they'll often just use off the shelf designs and modify a bit. The better Asians definitely overlap with the cheaper Whites in quality though since they generally use the same range of contractors and suppliers - it's the West side and West Van folks who use the really fancy ones.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by headhunt3r

R-1 zoning. No to EI build, and would want to learn more about price differences between "white guy built" vs "asian built".

Evo, you must be already checked out, given how quickly you responded haha.

A friend just completed an EI build. It looks decent, everything is average or better imo, so we'll see how things hold up over the next few years. He talked to a bunch of builders and he said this one was pretty good, and they signed a contract on completion price. They've only had to make two adjustments after they signed, 1) the rules regarding how the ERV is installed changed, and 2) they had to modify their original plans because they didn't make the deadline for when CoV reduced the FSR last year.

I got nothing left in the pipeline, I just need to wrap up my existing work, with the existing tasks all the heavy lifting is complete, I just need to test and get approval.

[headhunt3r]

Anyone got builder recommendations that'll service Coquitlam that I should reach out to? Sounds like that's the next step. A lot of builders I find on the internet seem to just service the whole lower mainland, but I assume a builder that's used to building in West Van isn't going to speak the same language as a customer in pleb town here. The idea of getting a designer does sound appealing. Hopefully if pictures ever end up here, the RS crew won't be able to tear it a new one in seconds.

Off topic: when I was given notice earlier this year, I was left with 1.5 week of access before they removed it. My manager tells me I can do whatever I want. I thought that was the strangest thing. Like, shouldn't you tell me of any loose threads you want me to tie off, or any hand off you could use before I lose access? Perhaps their intentions were good that they wanted to give me the freedom, but in the moment, I would've benefited more from him building a plan and getting my feedback, rather than letting me figure out what's appropriate.

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by headhunt3r

If I'm stupid enough to consider tearing down my house and building a new one, how do I find the next level of information like what kind of house / layout I can build, and how much it'd cost so I can assess how big of a house I can afford to build?

I understand there are setback rules and stuff, but no idea where to go next. What is the $/sq ft these days? Have prices come down at all since new builds have slowed? If it matters, this would be in Coquitlam.

Ideally, you would hire a Coordinating Registered Professional (CRP) typically an architect, or an architectural designer if you are building a single-family home or duplex. They can provide high-level estimates on construction costs. Other fees such as permits (demo, dp and bp) and Development Cost Charges (DCCs) are publicly available (e.g. https://www.coquitlam.ca/285/Develop...t-Charges-DCCs).

The R-1 zone is a relatively new zone in Coquitlam introduced through the SSMUH (Bill 44). In short, it allows you to build up to a fourplex on a lot with a minimum width of 18.5 metres. Depending on the location of your property, you may want to confirm whether there are any site-specific considerations such as topographic constraints, streamside protection requirements, road dedication or the need to undertake significant servicing upgrade. These factors usually lead to delay permit approvals and costs.

Maybe I missed it, but are you considering a SFH or a triplex/fourplex? For the latter, Coquitlam has a standard plan option that helps streamline the DP application process. FYI, you only need a BP if you are building a SFH or duplex (unless there's specific DPA requirements in a particular neighbourhood).

https://www.coquitlam.ca/1038/Inform...mall-Scale-Mul