January 2021

All posts from January 2021

What You Can Buy for $500K in Canada in 2021

by Bevony on 27 January 2021 Comments Off on What You Can Buy for $500K in Canada in 2021

When we look at the housing market in Canada right now, it’s all mixed feelings. What can $500,000 get you? It all depends on where you are looking and it all looks different. You can get a one bedroom condo or a five bedroom detached home. This is what the January 2021 circa for the Canadian housing market is looking like. To help you get a better idea of what your money can do here is what you can expect in different areas. 

St. John’s

A detached 2 story home on Winslow St. in St. John’s recently sold for $499,900. This home features three bedrooms with full bathrooms, a master bedroom with a walk-in closet, and a bathroom ensuite. It also features a heated loft and floors. On the main floor, the house features a large open dining and kitchen combo, a bright living room, an office/den, and a powder room. But wait, we’re not done yet there is a basement complete with a wet bar and rec room, an oversized bedroom/ games room, a full bath, and the laundry room. On top of all that real estate, the backyard offers a separate fenced green space as well as a lot of usable hard surface area. 

Killarney Road, New Brunswick

On Jenkins drive just four minutes outside of Fredericton, this New England farmhouse style home sold for $499,900. This two-story home features five bedrooms, 3 ½ bedrooms, a tiled kitchen with porcelain floors, and new appliances. The formal dining room features red pine plank floors. The living room is spacious with a den on the main level which could be a potential living room. 

On the upper level we find a newly refinished bathroom complete with tub/shower combination and white subway tile along with the three bedrooms. The large master features an ensuite bathroom with soaker tub, large vanity, porcelain floors and a tile shower. 

The lower level was recently finished and features a large family room, two of the bedrooms and the 3rd full bathroom which also has a tub/shower combo. On the outside there is a back deck as well as two covered front porches offering a view of the landscaped yard. 

Montreal 

In Montreal, you can get a two bedroom, one bath condo for $499,700. The condo has a total of 1,232 square feet and is located in the central business district. The bedrooms are large and the home features a terrace that is 20’ by 8’. 

Toronto 

In Toronto’s West End, a one bedroom, one bathroom condo home with parking included was sold for $499,900. Here you can find panoramic views of the city from both the balcony and the bedroom. The unit was freshly painted and bedroom storage and roller door recently updated. You will find this unit located close to transit, subway and shops and grocery stores. 

Winnipeg

Here a five bedroom and three bathroom home sold for $499,900. On the main floor we find a mudroom.laundry room, the formal dining room and a large island kitchen. The kitchen is bright with granite countertops along with a built in cooktops and is complete with an oven. There is also a secondary dining room in the rear with patio doors that lead to an additional deck off of a sunroom. The great room offers an open concept design and is complete with a fireplace and entertainment center finished with laminate flooring. The primary bedroom is located on the upper level with an ensuite bathroom complete with jetted tub and walk-in closet. All windows are triple pane and there is a garage, an above ground pool, a finished basement and storage shed. 

Calgary

In Parkhill, a contemporary styled three bedroom, two bath home sold for $499,000 fully furnished. This bilevel home features hardwood floors and a mantled wood fireplace in the family room. There is a sizable kitchen, access to a private backyard compete with mature trees, deck and hot tub as well as a detached double garage. 

The three bedrooms can be found on the lower level with a vessel sink and rain shower. This is also where you will find the storage room and laundry room This home is located within walking distance to a number of restaurants and shops on 4th street. 

Vancouver

On Stephens St. a 495 square foot condo with one bedroom and den for $498,000. The condo is located in the Kitsilano neighborhood with restaurants and shops readily reachable as well as the beach. You can enjoy a view of the North Shore mountains from your open concept kitchen with stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. The kitchen also features a breakfast bar. The living room is airy and features skylights, vaulted ceilings, and a fireplace. Amenities included are parking and a storage locker. 

How much hose can $500,000 get you when you choose SilverBeam Homes? Get in touch with us and let us how to build your dream home on your budget. 

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BevonyWhat You Can Buy for $500K in Canada in 2021

Lighting Your Home for Health and Wellbeing

by Bevony on 20 January 2021 Comments Off on Lighting Your Home for Health and Wellbeing

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things for us all. But one thing that is true is that we are all trying to now more than ever stay on top of our health and wellbeing. New data suggests that the lighting in our homes can help us with that. And isn’t that a really simple and easy place to start?

The most thought we give to home lighting is how it looks. How often do we consider how something will make us feel before we purchase it? When it comes to lighting or anything else we bring into our homes for that matter, we ought to think about how it will make us feel.

There are multiple studies that indicate that our lighting has an impact on our health. One such study reviewed lighting in buildings on a whole and not just our homes. But this information is pertinent to the type of lighting that we choose for our homes.

What Should Lighting Do for Us

Our brains and our internal body clocks are affected by light. The lighting around us signals to our body the time of day it is and even affects us on a cellular level. So you really want your lighting to sync up with the time of day, both in color and intensity.

When the sun goes down our bodies start releasing melatonin that helps us to fall asleep. If we are exposed to too much light after sunset, then our bodies won’t kick in that hormone, then our brains get confused with day and nighttime.

Choosing Lighting

Your ceiling height is a major determining factor in the type of lighting you choose. If your ceilings are 9 feet above or more you can use pendant lights. For anything lower than that you want to use flush mounting. Flush mount lights are good because they are very versatile. They will work well in casual settings as well as in formal interiors.

You will also want to install ambient light in some rooms such as your home office. Just ensure you install dimmers to work alongside. Don’t forget to use LED lighting options to save energy and keep more money inside your pockets!

Building a home? Let us do the work for you, we can do everything and all you need to do is pick the lighting fixtures!

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BevonyLighting Your Home for Health and Wellbeing

Low Supply for Detached Homes Increases Prices

by Bevony on 15 January 2021 Comments Off on Low Supply for Detached Homes Increases Prices

Sales for detached homes in greater Vancouver were up 70% in December 2020. Houses are being sold above asking price as more people are looking to purchase homes. With the low interest rates being offered, buyers are now able to increase their spending power. And the fact is there are just not enough homes, so when a home goes on the market, there is a flurry of potential buyers and most often the highest qualified bidder wins. 

The inventory as at January 2021 is at 2.7 months and whenever inventory goes below 4 months, the prices always rise. So all the sales increases we saw in 2020 were all due to a scarcity of inventory. 

What To Do If You Can’t Find a Home to Buy

Give us a call. Yes, no, really – do give us a call. Here at SilverBeam Homes we offer home building services. We can build you the home of your dreams, according to your specifications and on your budget. 

The truth is that the economy is not recovering as well as the housing market. And with so many changes in our lives we all now have different needs for our homes. Now more than ever families are having unique situations and needs and need their homes to fulfill those needs. 

When you choose to build your home you can create a design that will completely match your needs for your home. So is it that you need more office-like space? Do you now need your kids to have a dedicated space to have online classes? Do you now need more space in your kitchen because you are having to do more home cooking? All these and more are some of the questions you can ask yourself to determine what your home needs to have to serve you best. 

Maybe the idea you had for a dream home is no longer feasible due to our current situation with the pandemic. Maybe you have lost income and your dream of owning a home has been blighted. But before you decide you can no longer afford it, especially with the increases in house prices, give us a call. We may be able to help you make your dreams of homeownership a reality still. 

Are the Price Increases Really That Bad? 

You don’t have to take out words for it, take a look at the market yourself. Look at some listings, look at what the houses have to offer and look at those prices. The truth is that with this high demand and low inventory these high prices won’t be going away soon. Check in with the real estate agents on some of these houses and you will see that a lot of them have over asks and multiple offers. 

This is great news for sellers who can now really cash out of their homes and move on into a new era, but for buyers this can be disheartening news. 

If you need a home, give us a call. Don’t let these prices and this type of news deter you. Let us help you make your dream of owning a home a reality. 

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BevonyLow Supply for Detached Homes Increases Prices

The Home Renovation Market for Greater Vancouver

by Bevony on 8 January 2021 Comments Off on The Home Renovation Market for Greater Vancouver

Not everybody is living in doom and gloom during the pandemic. Many are seeing the opportunities where they are and are moving to go and grab them. That is why people are looking to Surrey, Squamish and Coquitlam for home ownership. This is because the permitting times are shorter here. So one can purchase and renovate a home which is cheaper than buying a new one and can get the necessary work done in less time. 

How Do They Work So Fast on Renovating Shows?

How often do you watch home renovating shows? They can be really satisfying as you watch a property be transformed into a beautiful dwelling. But watching these shows and actually doing the process yourself are two different things. When it comes to the permitting process there are headaches and hiccups to be had. Even the pros on the shows have to submit like the rest of us but you just don’t see that part of the process. 

Waiting for Permits in Vancouver

Waiting for a building permit can take months. Often other things are filmed while they are waiting on the permits to be sorted. Also with multiple projects being worked on at the same time it is easier for them to provide the content without you seeing all the red tape they have to go through to get to the actual building and the actual transformation. 

Vancouver has a significant permit waiting time with some straightforward renovations waiting for up to a year. While there are people that are willing to wait for years for their homes, not everyone is like this. A Lot of this wait time is believed to be due to a backlog of applications. Over the past twenty years, the city of Vancouver has seen a number of new renovations and new builds. 

As professionals, we always warn our clients about the potential wait time when it comes to the permit process. We do all we can, so our clients are not stuck with a mortgage and house they can’t live in at the same time. But the reality is that this happens when you are not building your home from the ground up . So it would be a great idea for you to choose us to build your dream home. 

What to Do if You Want to Renovate

If you are looking to renovate we recommend you choose a home in one of these areas. They are Surrey, Squamish or Coquitlam as these areas have a shorter wait time when it comes to processing permits. These areas also offer more affordable prices as well for potential homeowners. 

We can help you make your dream of owning a home in Vancouver a reality. We are house builders for the Greater Vancouver and British Columbia areas. That home you have wanted with those specific design features does not have to elude you. Give us a call today, so we can set up consultations and show you how we can help make your dream a reality. 

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BevonyThe Home Renovation Market for Greater Vancouver