Looking to move to Squamish? Or, maybe you’re interested in building a new home on your current property. Before you start, here are five things to know about building in Squamish.
Flood Zone
Much of Squamish is built in a flood zone. This means that in many neighbourhoods, livable space needs to be a certain elevation higher than the grade. This height can vary from one metres to over four metres. So if your plans are to build a rancher (or perhaps have a disability where stairs are an issue), be sure to find out if your property is within any flood zone.
There are a few places to turn for this information. You can contact us at Alair, your realtor or the building department at the District of Squamish to determine if you are in a flood zone.
Lack of Land
Even though it doesn’t seem like it’s heavily populated, there is very little land for sale in Squamish. So if your goal is to build a custom home, you may need to teardown an existing structure.
Also, keep in mind that the District of Squamish’s Official Community Plan is focused on densifying neighbourhoods before developing new land for homes. The good news is that this creates opportunities to add additional dwellings to properties. Things like carriage houses and coach houses. In these cases, the owners often live in the primary building. The carriage house is used for additional family and multi-generation living. And in some cases, depending on the zoning, the carriage house can also be used as rental property.
Check the Zoning
Provincial legislation is changing the rules with regards to land zoning. Densification is the name of the game as cities want to provide more housing for residents. Consequently, many municipalities across the province are now going to allow multi-family structures on land that used to be zoned for single family dwellings.
Much depends on the location. But duplexes, four-plixes and even six-plexes will be allowed in various areas. Squamish (and most other BC cities) will be required to adopt this legislation into their bylaws by June 2024.
Garage Space
Did you know that garage space is considered free space in Squamish? This is due to restrictions on building heights in flood zones. That means that Squamish properties are granted up to 750 square feet of garage space. This is space that is NOT counted towards your square footage. Hurray! As you likely live in Squamish (or are moving to Squamish) to enjoy the outdoors, this is a great place to put all of your toys.
Location, Location, Location!
Do you enjoy walking to a coffee shop or walking your kids to school? Do you want to be close to your favourite hiking and biking trail?
There are lots of different types of neighbourhoods in Squamish. And each one has its pros and cons. So how to choose?
Firstly, you need to consider the location and how it fits with your lifestyle. (How close do you want to be to that biking trail, for example.)
Secondly, consideration the commute. If you commute out of town for work, keep in mind that it takes over 10 minutes to drive from one end of Squamish to the other. That may not sound like much to a Vancouverite. But in Squamish, we relish every second we can play outdoors!
Lastly, don’t forget that we are in the mountains at the end of a fiord. Be sure to take note of how much sunlight your property gets.
Still unsure of which neighbourhood to choose? We can definitely help. Alair Squamish partner Jason Zavitz and his team have all lived in the area for years.