JulesandRay

hi, we are in the process of emmigrating and have been looking at houses to buy but we really fancy buying some land and building our own house on it.

Just looking for advice and experience of anyone who may be in the process of doing so or have done and could offer some hints and tips. Advice on how tough it is to get planning permission, how expensive it is to build your own house etc....?

Lees147

I have searched the internet on house building in Winnipeg and it all seemed a bit expensive ($300,000).

I decided to wait until i am over there so i could visit a consultant on what my options were.

There is always the possibilty of buying a house and 'moving' it to a plot of land but once again this is best to wait until i can consult with someone.

JulesandRay

$300.000...my god.. we are moving to Edmonton... any ideas for prices there?!!

Lees147

I have no idea on edmonton.

There must be cheaper houses but they only looked to display the most luxurious house on the internet.

The houses i looked at generally were big enough for 10 people lol.

rae

plots of land vary hugely, a really nice one, overlooking ravine in best part of St. Albert, $350,000 +GST for the lot. average one, still in St.A, but in estate, though not overlooked to rear $140,000+GST. had a quote from what appeared to be a reputable builder: trade associations, awards ect, @$100 per sq ft for a 2 storey, $120 for bi level. though this was just the building and basic fittings, no kitchen appliances or anything fancy.

andy_sheila

Check out www.prestigehomes.ca See if they are in the area you are moving to

Cookie

Do you have one of these homes? When we were driving around New Glasgow NS area we also went to see some of the modular type homes. They can be built pretty fast - around 4 months from start to finish, and can also be tailor-made to our own specification. They also have a very high energy efficiency spec, ideal for NS winters.

We are either going to buy a traditional build type home or find a plot of land and have our own built. I am finding it difficult to find a traditional type builder on t'internet for that area though.

What do people think about these modular type homes, and does anyone live in one?

We are also finding it really difficult to find a rental home for when we first land......... but thats another story........

neill

I couldn't help but notice that half of the range of "high quality" features listed on the website are, in fact, building requirements by law. the other half.... "Vinyl flooring in Bathrooms" ???? How this could be described as "high quality" is beyond me.

Lankylimey

Can't help you on the House Building advice, but I do have a suggestion. Why not rent a house/apartment initially until you get a feel for the area. You can find out what neighbourhoods you like and investigate property and prices. You can also get recommendadtions from locals-in-the-know on good contractors if you do go with the build your own option.

Edmonton is booming right now (maybe why you are going there) with the Oil Sands expansions and support services. Properties are going up in value all the time and in many areas demand exceeds supply. In general prices are still much lower than the UK but it really depends on your expectations and needs.

Good Luck and welcome to the colonies!

andy_sheila

Just one example.............prestige homes insulation is R25 and the law only requires R20, also vinyl in the bathroom is not a legal requirement but the "quality" of different vinyls vary enormously.
any REAL examples?

macadian

Builder buddy tells me that in order too have a 'good quality build' with quality materials and such insulation etc better than minimum code you are looking at $200 per Sq ft. Cost of materials such as lumber/drywall etc has increased over the past couple of years and likely to continue to do so. He advises that on your estimate to build, add 20%...and you just might (he did emphasise 'might') stay within your budget. Best of luck to you.

flashman

We're considering a factory built for our next home.

http://www.cmhi.ca/

JulesandRay

thanks for the info everyone, we are hoping to buy some land not right in Edmonton but in the surrounding areas as we want to live in a rural area and not in the city... we are leaving the UK for more space!
Renting before is a good plan and what we are hoping to do.. it also feels like a sensible idea in case for some wild reason we change our minds and want to return to UK.. cant see why. Is renting, fully furninshed much of an option in CA? The plan is to buy a large plot of land and build three houses as my family are all applying... we are all sick of this country! i have no idea how strict planning permission laws are over there..? any ideas?
Are "green options" such as solar panels, wind turbines etc much used in CA or are they crazy expensive? we would like to build a "green" house as well...

Thanks again for the info.. much appreciated..

dbd33

[QUOTE=JulesandRayAre "green options" such as solar panels, wind turbines etc much used in CA or are they crazy expensive? we would like to build a "green" house as well...[/QUOTE]

I don't know about the cost but such houses do exist:

http://www.beaverton-realestate.com/...sp%3FID%3D3296

click on "Farms and Acreages".

Posidrive

Seems quite reasonable based upon Calgary. Last December for a two storey our builder was charging $130 per ft2 including his profit. Now it is costing him $180 per ft2 before you add in his profit.