There are many things to consider when looking for the perfect lot to build on. With the current market conditions in Calgary now could be a good time to take advantage of purchasing a lot. You might have a specific community in mind for your new build but there are many other factors to consider when purchasing a home with the intent to Demolish (or when possible move) and rebuild.

Some areas for consideration are;

Lot size – the width and depth of the lot will have a significant impact on the size of home that can be built. The City has a maximum lot coverage allowed and certain setbacks from the street and side yard.

View – are there any views to take advantage of? This can also dictate how a custom home is designed in order to take advantage of the views in key rooms, such as master bedroom, living room, kitchen etc.

Light - how the sun affects the property throughout the year, are you looking for a sunny back yard? This can also play an important role in design. Where should the windows be, what rooms will have morning or afternoon sun?

Terrain – is the lot fairly flat, does it have a slope, is there the possibility of a walkout? Other concerns could be stability, is it on a bank – could the location increase the cost of the foundations depending on soil stability and condition. Site drainage, is there any areas of concern? These items can all be dealt with in design but it is nice to know ahead of time how it could affect the build costs.

The neighbouring homes - are they older or newer, what heights are the homes on the street? This is used to determine what height the new home can be built to.

Another consideration is the existing home and the possibility of asbestos in the building. Depending on where asbestos is located (stucco, drywall, insulation, floor tiles) it can become costlier to remove than the demolition itself.

Is the existing home a heritage home? This can have implications from the City prior to demolition. There may be additional work required prior to removing the existing home, such as photographing the home for the city archive and a commemorative plaque on the new home.

City trees - the City is very particular about their trees and depending on their conditions and type often they cannot be removed without a valid reason. This could impact the design in driveway locations, front walkways etc. There can be significant costs to damaging a city tree.

The existing home, and the neighbour’s homes can also have an effect on the cost of demolition, are the houses close together? What is the current home constructed of? We have had the challenge of removing a 2 story concrete block home. The cost of this would have been outrageous, however we were able to source a company that did a lot of the demolition by hand and recycle the old drywall, internal framing and all the concrete block. Significantly reducing the cost of hauling it all to the dump.

It can be beneficial to have some input on a lot from builders and architects, to either bring up areas of limitations to the location or positives that can help with achieving your future dream home and even reduce costs on the build. Do you have a lot you’re considering purchasing for a new build? Give us a call and we will gladly meet with you on site to review and give our feedback!