Vancouver, BC. is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Surrounded by lush temperate rainforests, majestic mountain ranges, and the pristine coastline of the Pacific Ocean, it’s no wonder Vancouver was listed as the 5th most liveable city in the world. It’s also Canada’s most expensive city to live in.

In 2022, Newly elected city of Vancouver officials proposed a large number of new RS zoning regulations. There are approximately 40,000 to 50,000 single family homes that fall within this zone. The newly proposed zoning changes are aimed to address affordability and the housing crisis affecting Vancouver families and residents.

What does this mean for single family homes in RS zones?

If you own a single family home within an RS zone, you can currently go from having a single family home to a duplex. With the intended changes, the city of Vancouver is proposing property owners build triplexes and fourplexes. If your lot size is 50 feet wide or greater, you’ll have the potential to build up to 6 units. Property owners may be entitled to build even more units if there’s added rental housing or below market value rental homes. 

There are numerous incentives available for homeowners that could potentially affect RS zoned homes. Properties that measure 50 x 130 square feet or consist of 6000 square foot lots have the potential to construct up to 6 units, allowing for a maximum floor space ratio of 1, which translates to a dwelling size of 6000 square feet.

The City of Vancouver’s implementation plan

These changes are coming, and it’s just a matter of time until the City of Vancouver starts implementing the pilot project. The pilot project will begin by accepting up to 100 applicants to rezone their property.

If you own a home in Vancouver located within the RS zoning and you want more information, please call us at 604-657-7936 or visit us at www.andrewhasman.com. Plan ahead, and stay informed on how you could potentially transform your Vancouver home.

Please feel free to download the following PDFs

Multiplex Proposal

RS Simplification Proposal

As we all know, summertime in the Metro Vancouver Area can become a scorcher. The beaches and public swimming pools become overcrowded, and you’re left thinking “ I wish I had a house with my own pool “.

The weather is beginning to heat up, and so is the Vancouver real estate market. There are a few things you’ll want to consider when shopping for a new home with a swimming pool.

Your backyard oasis will act like a magnet and attract all your friends and family every weekend. You’ll want to set some boundaries so you and your family can enjoy some peace and quiet for yourselves.

What you should know before buying a house with a backyard pools in Vancouver

Now, down to business. When researching Vancouver real estate options with swimming pools, as part of your offer, you absolutely need to have your offer conditional to a separate pool inspection.

Don’t rely on a home inspector to do the inspection of the pool. You need to contact a pool company to give you a proper professional inspection of the swimming pool. They’ll make sure there’s no unwanted surprises when you take possession.

Additionally, you can reach out to the current property owner for a maintenance records. Home owners will often contract the pool maintenance out to a company, and most often they’ll keep a record of any issues, repairs and replacements. 

It's a great way to know how old the working parts are and if they’ll soon need to be replaced once you take possession of the new home.

This information can be critical to influencing your buying decision with the property, or moving onto your next desired home in the Metro Vancouver Area. 

What are the unplanned costs of buying a Vancouver home with a pool

Something else you’ll want to consider when buying a home with a pool is the additional maintenance costs to operate. On average, maintenance costs in Metro Vancouver can range around $300 per month. Unless you plan to maintain the pool yourself, chances are you’ll want to hire a pool maintenance company to keep your pool as clean and efficient as possible.

If your pool has a heater and you plan to run it between May and October like most Vancouver residents, you’re looking at an additional $500 to $600 per month in gas and electricity bills. The winter months can be expected to pay a much higher price.

Remember, owning your own home with a swimming pool is an incredible thing to have in the hot summers, but it will come with much added maintenance and costs.

If you have any questions about your home, or what's happening in your neighbourhood, or about this update, please call us at 604-657-7936. In the meantime, visit our site to view our current listings.

The April Metro Vancouver Real Estate numbers are in and it's showing a tremendous recovery in buyer confidence and pricing over the last eight weeks, likely due to the Bank of Canada hitting the pause button on interest rate increases in March.

Buyers are back and we are seeing multiple offers, especially in the lower end of the market.

We seem to have seen the bottom of the market in December / January. As difficult as it was buying during that time, it was probably a really good time to make that move. If you are one of those buyers, good for you!

With multiple offers, prices are creeping back up, again mostly at the lower end of the market, although we did see select homes in the upper also sell for above asking with multiple offers, one of our colleagues' most notably with 12 offers and selling for $500,000 over asking at west 65th and Granville.

The big story is that inventory is still fairly low. In east Vancouver, available homes for sale are down 30% from last year. Similarly, on the west side of Vancouver, there are 32% fewer homes on the market today compared to this time last year. Home sellers seem reluctant to sell with the economic uncertainty.

For Vancouver Homesellers, when the home is priced correctly, there is really good demand and therefore opportunity to be had. We have had many homeseller clients where the outcome was in their favour.

If you have any questions about your home, or what's happening in your neighbourhood, or about this update, please call us at 604-657-7936. In the meantime, visit our site to view our current listings: www.andrewhasman.com