Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire
^ I live in Riverview and my current backyard is nonexistent, e.g. a deck and a parking space. I've seen a fair number of homes go up in my area on wider lots that have at least a bit of a backyard, so something like that is what we're after. If we take that route we're definitely not expecting a backyard big enough for a huge pool, garden and patio and all that, just a bit more than what we have now.
Ideally we'd stay in the same area or another neighbourhood similar to it, basically a streetcar suburb within a mile of downtown.
We were planning to buy a house but we figured we owed it to ourselves to at least explore the possibility of building since we've enjoyed our current home so much... of course, the tricky thing about getting the property first is that we would have no idea how much the house would cost to build which turns budgeting into an exercise in guesswork. Having a number attached to building a house we like would give us a pretty firm idea as to how much we could afford to spend on the land. Somehow this process seems more complicated for infill vs. new subdivisions...
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It's definitely more complicated, and more expensive.
The problem with getting your hopes up on a particular style of house before you get the property is that the size of the lot, especially in older areas, really affects what you can do.
For example, lots in River Heights are generally 40'x120' or 50'x120. Lots in Wolseley range from 30', 33', 40', and rarely 50' but only 100' deep. River View probably has lots of a similar narrow width, not sure of the depth.
Distance on the side of your house to the property line dictates window openings, outside finishes, and sometimes even exterior wall construction.
I agree with bomberjet that it's a good idea to talk to a builder for some basic budget realities, but until you get your lot, you cannot design your house.