Stupid guy

Hi Folks,

I have seen many people here talk about buying houses etc after they land and settle down etc....


Just wondering how come no one talks about purchasing a land and then building a house of their own chosen design by hiring a building contractor.

Is this not a prefered method to owning a house in Canada.

I think this approach is more cost effective and one gets to choose the design & quality of construction is it not?

Experts, Am I missing something ?

oceanMDX

People in Canada do custom building a lot. Yes, it's often more cost efficient to buy land, and then build.

Covenant

Depends on where you want to build.

I run a building design company in the UK, and when I move, I intend to buy land, and have my own house built to my specs. should work out cheaper, and more individual then the mass produced estates that seem to be going up all over Toronto at the moment. The strange thing is that with land being so plentiful, the new houses have tiny gardens. Go figure.

MikeUK

Its simple you either have a big Garden and spend your time in it, or go small

In 30deg 100% humidity grass grows Fùcking fast, and it's hard work cutting it twice a week in the heat...
Plus you want to be in the airconditioning or in the pool or down by the lake in that heat..
(one year I cut the lawn by torch light as it just got cool enough at 11.00pm)

So in Toronto and other parts of SW ON a garden is nice in late spring and early fall... Full of snow in the winter and too hot in the summer... I had a big garden once, now I'v got a small one big enough to put my barbecue in

Covenant

Ahh!!
Thanks Mike, makes sense, I have a large dog, and I was looking at the new houses initially, but he lack of garden space put me off.

It also explains why someone in Toronto told me that torontans (? correct term?) religiously cutting the grass.

Cheers mate

CalgaryAMC

Zoning laws regulate the lot size. People build the biggest house they can on the lot, resulting in small gardens.

Same in Calgary - prairie as far as the eye can see and houses so close you could lean out of your window and shake your neighbour's hand.

Covenant

Hiya Calgary,

I know what you mean. The bane of my life in the Uk is Planning Officers, but having visited Cda, I have began to appreciate the important role they play in controlling development.

In the Uk there are UDPs (Unitary Development plans) controlling the use of buildings to specific areas, eg residential,. commercial, retail, industrial etc., are there similar restrictions in Cda?

crazydaisy

Question - I've often wondered how you go about getting mortgages for land & build your own houses? Do you have to have seperate mortgages - one for the land and one for the house and how do you know if the amount you applied for covers the final cost, as with some house building the final cost ends up being more than budgeted? (Just wondered as it has been something we've pondered on in the past.) We'd love to build an underground house but I understand that sloping areas are better suited for this - maybe difficult in the prairies to get a slope unless we build that too!!

Anyway, I've noticed here in Winnipeg that new houses are very close too although they mainly seem detached housing rather than terraced. As hubby pointed out - many people like to live close to the snow routes, as they know these will be cleared more quickly in the winter but there's so many parks and walks along the river that it's pretty easy to get away from it all. If you're a dog owner don't forget to stoop and scoop!!