FAQs

1. What is a Laneway House?

A Laneway house is a small residence that faces the back lane of a residential lot. The primary uses for this property are either as a rental property or family use. These cannot be strata titled and have been approved in Vancouver in RS-1 and RS-5 zoning areas. If you are unsure about what zoning your property is in, please give us a call.

2. Why should I consider this as an extra income opportunity?

People throughout Vancouver have always looked for ways to maximize the investments in their homes. One very common way has been to remodel their basements into a rental unit. This has opened the doors for many people to add additional income to their financial situations. Laneway housing is an excellent opportunity to further create additional rental income for you. If you decide to finance the construction with a loan on your primary residence and rent out the Laneway house, you also qualify for tax deductions on the mortgage interest.

3. What are the advantages of working with Laneway Consulting Inc. VS. just doing this on my own?

At LCI, first and foremost you are working with a team that has years of experience in construction and project management. We will take care of the entire process to include: site evaluation, helping you with financing, procuring the permits, construction, project management, help you with resources to rent your new Laneway house, and a maintenance program there after. We do not build anything else, this is all we do and we strive to be the best with superior customer satisfaction. While building a small house to some people might think it is easy, it is a difficult and costly road that at many opportunities can result in expensive delays and mistakes for those who are inexperienced.

4. What type of rental income ranges are people charging for similar units?

This really depends on the area but monthly rents ranging from $950.00 to $1,800.00 are common. For others who might be interested in a more hands on approach and rent their Laneway house furnished on a weekly basis could achieve weekly rents in the $600.00 to $800.00 range. We have professionals in our network who can help you with this if you like.

5. I like the ideas of extra income but if I get a loan to do this what will be my bottom line of extra income after all my expenses?

We are happy to sit down with you and discuss this in detail. In general we have found that our client have been able to enjoy a healthy net income after their expenses.

6. I don’t think I can qualify at a bank for a loan to do this, what are some other financing options that you have available?

Besides a strong background in Construction, our team has years of experience in helping people procure financing that is right for them. We have many resources that will work with you to find a financing solution that is right for you.

7. Is there a warranty?

Yes. Every home constructed has a comprehensive warranty for your peace of mind. In addition we include 12 months of building maintenance after the home is done that will ensure everything works like it should.

8. Will I be able to customize your plans more specifically to what I like?

Our objective in this business is to help homeowners maximize their investment return with Laneway house rentals. In doing this we have created plans that we believe achieve this on many levels. Those levels include: aesthetics, functionality, appeal, construction method, material selection, engineering, etc. In light of this we can provide the best product over and over again because there is no variance. We know our costs, our timelines, and our process inside and out. This way we can consistently deliver a home you will be proud to have on your property as well as tenants that cannot wait to rent it, again and again.

9. What if I just want Laneway Consulting Inc. to help me on a few parts of the process to build a Laneway Home but not the whole thing?

While we feel it is a privilege to help anyone who seeks our services, it is our choice only to work with individuals who will let us work through our entire process. This way we know everything that was done was to our standard.

10. What is the average time of construction?

This may vary due to the seasonal weather that we all enjoy here in Vancouver, our average construction horizon is approximately 8 weeks.

11. My neighbors said that they are interested as well, are there incentives for a group of homes to do this at once?

Absolutely! If we can build Laneway houses in the same area it cuts down on our mobilization and we are pleased to pass along the savings to each of you.

12. Will this increase the value of my home?

As Laneway houses are brand new to Vancouver time will tell as to how much a Laneway house will add to your overall properties value. Looking at Carriage Houses that have been built in select areas of Vancouver I think it would be safe to say that besides the rental income being enjoyed, upon re-sale of the property, the interest of other buyers in your property will be much greater than without a Laneway house.

13. How will having the income from a rental Laneway House benefit me in the long term?

Especially when financed from your personal residence and you are able to deduct the mortgage interest, the advantages of having extra income are numerous. Many people want to use the extra income to pay down their mortgage faster, college tuituion for the kids, a vehicle to help fund retirement, the list goes on!

14. Will this increase my property taxes?

Yes, as you are making improvements to your property, it will be reflected in your property tax bill. Please contact the City to discuss with them estimates.

15. I really just want the extra income without all the work; tell me again how you can make this as easy as possible for me?

We would love to! Please contact us for a no obligation meeting to find out exactly how we can help you.

16.Who are your strategic partners?

17. Can you just send or e‐mail me more information?

We try to keep things simple and have found that the best next step if you are interested is just to give us a call. We are looking forward to talking with you and working through a process to educate you so you can make the best informed decision.

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