Toronto now permits homeowners to build laneway homes. But you might ask what is a laneway home? Studio North has created a great explainer video on Laneway Homes.
Get Toronto Laneway Homes Built for Free
Dynaspaces Inc. is a builder who has developed a special (win-win plan) that involves you having a laneway home built for free. The way that property is going in Toronto, this could substantially increase the value of your property. For example, a one bedroom, one bathroom laneway home recently sold by itself in Toronto for $886,000.
Why would Dynaspaces Inc. give Toronto Laneway Homes for Free?
The Win-win plan by Dynaspaces Inc. is a plan where they will build a home on your property for free in return for you giving them permission to rent the home out to tenants for between 10 and 15 years. They keep the rental income and they have a property management company that will manage all issues related to the tenants.
The program will expanding across Canada, but we are starting with the Toronto laneway homes. We will consider homes in other jurisdictions that permit laneway homes on a case by case basis.
Does the homeowner have to pay for anything?
Dynaspaces pays for the cost of the construction of the home. You as the homeowner will have to pay for the following associated costs of placing the home on your property (which is estimated at between $12,000 and $20,000):
- Any increase in property taxes
- connection to sewer services
- connection to water services
- connection to electrical services
- cost of concrete pad
- cost of landscaping required by city (ie path from front of house to laneway home
- cost of installing water and electrical meters if required
- city development and inspection fees
What will the Toronto Laneway Home Look like?
There will by several Models of laneway homes built by shipping containers. The first one is the Model A – The Perks. This is a 1024
The second floor has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a wet bathroom. The space in this unit is well designed for living and since it has the bedroom on the first floor, it has flexible space that can adapt to the changing needs of a family. For example, it can be used as an office, teenager bedroom, or a caregiver bedroom.
Second Floor 3D Floor P
You will need to have the right lot size and even if you do, there may be some complications getting power, water and sewer to your laneway home. Add to that the issue of having to crane in containers. Even though the city now permits these homes as noted in the map below, these home are very complicated to build. However, there is a compliance tool online where you can see whether or not your location qualifies for being considered as a laneway home.
Although the plan was to make an impact on rental unit availability in Toronto, the restrictions are why the laneway housing policy is unlikely to have a huge impact on the city’s housing market. Planners estimate that only a few hundred houses a year are likely to be built, overcoming all the hurdles.
Laneway and Other Secondary Homes Outside of Toronto
Although this win-win program by Dynaspaces Inc. is starting in Toronto, it will be offered in other jurisdictions where
What is a Secondary Home?
Secondary homes come in several types and styles. Ottawa has defined a Coach House as “a small accessory apartment located in a small freestanding building detached from the principal dwelling and located on the same lot as the principal dwelling.” The difference between a Coach House and a Laneway home is that a laneway home is at the back of a property and must face the laneway as described in the picture below.
A Coach house could also be a garden home. The garden home does not have to face on to a laneway. similar to the picture below. Hamilton has zoning for garden homes and Ottawa’s Coach house could also be a garden home.
A Coach House as a Garden Home (taken from How to plan your Coach House)
Financing your Laneway or Garden Home
There are many options
Authored by Irina Marchenkova, CEO and Founder of Dynaspaces Inc. Creating homes with love and “Investing in Living”
irina@dynaspaces.com
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