Posts tagged as:

detached

As promised, here are the final selling prices for homes in the W24 district of Brampton (anywhere East of Highway 410) for 2009.

dyerware


{ 1 comment }

This post has 1 comment

  • Rhonda
    Hi Lang, I just read your home prices for 2009, very interesting. I will be on the hunt for a detached 4 bedroom approx. 2400 sq ft home in the Springdale area in another year or so, what are the current market value for these homes, possibly with a finished basement, do you think the prices will go up within the next year, is this a good area to invest in the future ?.

I’ve just finished compiling the final selling prices for all homes in the W23 district of Brampton (that’s anywhere West of Highway 410) for 2009. I’ll be working on the numbers for W24 and have them posted shortly.

Hope this chart will provide useful for some of you!

dyerware


{ 0 comments }

This post has no comments yet

Brampton Basement Apartment

This is probably the most popular topic of conversation on my blog, as well as the most asked about topic in my emails.  Hopefully the information I provide below will be clear, concise, and answer all your questions as thoroughly as possible.  If you haven’t already done so, please read my previous article on basement apartments in Brampton.

I’m confused.  What is the definition of a basement apartment according to the city?

A basement apartment is a self-contained apartment consisting of a room or rooms in a single or semi-detached house. A basement apartment may be in any part of the house, not necessarily in the basement. Some people call these apartments granny flats, nanny suites, accessory apartments and second suites. The City’s bylaw refers to them as “residential units.”

A self-contained apartment must have a separate means of entry (which may be through another unit), a kitchen (or cooking area) and bathroom facilities. A self-contained apartment may be as small as a single room that contains all of these features.

–> However, if you rent a room in a house or a flat with a shared entrance, kitchen and bathroom facilities, this bylaw does not apply to you. <–

Who enforces these by-laws?  Is this Ontario-wide or does this only apply to Brampton?

In 1994, the Government of Ontario proclaimed Bill 120, which permitted second units in houses. The bill permitted the units, despite Brampton’s municipal zoning bylaws, if the units met health and fire safety standards.

On November 16, 1995, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 20, restoring to municipalities the right to outlaw basement apartments. Bill 20 became effective on May 22, 1996.

Bill 20 prohibits new apartments in houses after May 22, 1996. The bill allowed homeowners to keep apartments in houses that tenants or other residents occupied on or before November 16, 1995 – if they conform to the requirements of the original Bill 20. It also allowed apartments that homeowners built between November 16, 1995 and May 22, 1996 if the City issued a building permit.

So if my house has a basement apartment, how do I know if it’s legal or not?

If you purchase a home in Brampton and the basement apartment was built after November 16, 1995, it is illegal. The only legal basement apartments in Brampton had to have been built prior to that date, and have had to been registered with the city before January 31, 2006 and/or have legal non-conforming status.

A single or semi-detached registered home can only have one basement apartment. Homes that have been subdivided into more than two units are strictly prohibited unless the property has been specifically zoned to permit multiple units. It is extremely rare to find a house that has been zoned as a triplex!

Can I legally convert vacant space in my home into a basement apartment?

NO! The City Of Brampton states:

More than one dwelling unit is not permitted and is not safe.  The property must be returned to a One Dwelling Unit house regardless of who is occupying the additional dwelling unit.

Definition of dwelling unit as per 1994 Ontario Building Code “Dwelling Unit means a suite operated as a housekeeping unit, used or intended to be used as a domicile by one or more persons and usually containing cooking, eating, living, sleeping, and sanitary facilities”.

The property shall be converted back to a one dwelling unit house by completing ALL of the following:

  1. All tenants/occupants must be removed from one of the dwelling units, and
  2. The locks separating the units shall be removed and replaced with passage sets, and
  3. Owners must sign the “One Unit Dwelling Declaration” located at the back of this package and provide to the Fire Prevention Officer, and
  4. Ontario Fire Code Division B, 2.13.2.1. requires operating smoke alarms on every storey located outside of the sleeping area, and
  5. City of Brampton By-Law 275-98 as amended requires that a Carbon Monoxide alarm (CO alarm) is installed outside of the sleeping area in a house that contains a fuel-fired appliance (eg. gas / oil furnace, fireplace).

A Fire Prevention Officer will attend your residence after 90 days to inspect the entire property and the expectation is that the building is fully compliant with all codes and by-laws. The expectation is that the building will be converted back to a One Dwelling Unit house and if not, charges will be filed.

Failure to comply with all applicable codes and by-laws will result in prosecution.

Can I still register an older home that had a basement apartment before November 16, 1995?

A home with a basement apartment that a previous owner had not registered with the City of Brampton may still have legal non-conforming status. Contact Enforcement and By-Law Services to determine whether the home has this status.

If City staff investigate the situation and discover enough evidence to prove that the home had a basement apartment before November 16, 1995, the staff can add your unit to the City’s Registration List — if you have complied with the requirements under the Building Code and Fire Code and you have clearance from the Electrical Safety Authority. Converting and upgrading the apartment to meet standards may cost you more than $15,000. However, you may also qualify for a grants for converting your property through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

If staff do not find enough evidence that the home had a basement apartment before November 16, 1995, the City will require the homeowner to dismantle the unit or face prosecution.

What should I be watching out for when I am looking to buy a home with a basement apartment?

Lawyers or real estate agents such as myself can confirm the status of a basement apartment with the city in order to provide you with the right information.

Real Estate Agents are bound by code of conduct guidelines and must fully and fairly disclose all information about a property for sale. Homes with doubtful legal status are typically listed with the caution “Vendor does not warrant retrofit status”, and you may have to seek further legal advice before proceeding with the purchase of a home.

{ 2 comments }

This post has 2 comments

  • lang
    Neil Thank you so much for the kind words - glad my article was useful! :) Lang

  • Neil Uttamsingh
    Lang, What an incredible article! Very well written indeed. I know a few friends who would benefit from reading this. One of them who in fact is a real estate investor, investing in Brampton. Often times there is so much confusion with respect to this topic. The flow of your article was so descriptive and informative. Kudos for creating such quality content to educate your readers! Best Regards, Neil Uttamsingh.

img_1597

Hey everyone!  I have a new listing in Brampton, close to Bovaird & Airport Road.  This home is 3313 square feet, including a 544 square foot an already finished walkout basement area.  The home has 4 bedrooms and sits on a HUGE, very private and fully fenced pie-shaped lot with wrought iron fencing in the front.

As you can tell by the pictures, the kitchen includes tall maple cabinets, granite counter tops with a triple sink, and a tumbled marble backsplash.  Other features include 9′ ceilings, decorative columns and arches, oak wood staircases, California shutters and pot lights thoughout the house.  The master ensuite has a glass shower and double sinks.  Many more upgrades are included as well.  The current listing price is $495,000.

If you’re interested in seeing this house, or would like more information, please contact me here!

img_1573

img_1572

img_1571

img_1576

img_1577

img_1595

img_1598

img_1602

img_1591

img_1592

img_1587

img_1588

img_1589

img_1581

img_1601

{ 12 comments }

This post has 12 comments

  • lang
    Hi Neha This house was sold quite a while ago. Are you interested in similar properties? Cheers, Lang

  • Neha
    Can you please forward me the detailing of this house and the related homes too. And I also prefer the lower amount from this one

These are photos I took today of a new listing here in the north end of Brampton. This detached home is 2150 square feet with a ton of upgrades, as you can see from the photos. This home features 4 bedrooms with an upstairs family room, a kitchen with a huge eat-in area, a large combination dining/living room, and the house fronts onto a park that sits snugly in the middle of a family-friendly neighbourhood.

If this house interests you or you want more information on this house, feel free to contact me! Also, I just wanted to let everyone know that my contact form is now working again! :)

img_8071.jpg

img_8045.jpg

img_8050.jpg

img_8042.jpg

img_8041.jpg

img_8054.jpg

img_8052.jpg

img_8062.jpg

img_8031.jpg

img_8029.jpg

img_8034.jpg

img_8036.jpg

{ 2 comments }

This post has 2 comments

  • lang
    Hi Dawn This house has already been sold. It's located by Wanless and Queen Mary. Lang

  • dawn bailey
    Where is this house locate and what is it being sold for

market.jpg

I will be adding a new market watch feature to the Brampton Real Estate Blog that will provide you specific real estate statistics for Brampton in a given month. This will give both real estate agents as well as buyers and sellers a resource to gauge the direction and strength of real estate in our city. I’ll be providing sales volumes as well as price ranges for both homes and condos, so check back often for the latest updates on the Brampton real estate market!

December 2007

In December of 2007, Brampton had 1357 active listings on the market, 483 of which were new. There were 377 recorded sales in this month. Here is the break down according to areas in Brampton.

W23 (Any area in Brampton west of Highway 410)

Overall
Average sale price: $298,680
Median sale price: $291,000
Average number of days it took to sell a property: 39 days
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Detached Homes
Number of properties sold: 132
Average sale price: $333,112
Median sale price: $325,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Semi-Detached Homes
Number of properties sold: 44
Average sale price: $274,673
Median sale price: $281,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Condo Apartment
Number of properties sold: 5
Average sale price: $234,300
Median sale price: $175,500
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Condo Townhouse
Number of properties sold: 25
Average sale price: $215,856
Median sale price: $222,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 98% of asking price

Attached/Row/Townhouse
Number of properties sold: 27
Average sale price: $258,085
Median sale price: $266,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

W24 (Any area in Brampton east of Highway 410)

Overall
Average sale price: $321,400
Median sale price: $302,000
Average number of days it took to sell a property: 41 days
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Detached Homes
Number of properties sold: 80
Average sale price: $382,488
Median sale price: $373,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 97% of asking price

Semi-Detached Homes
Number of properties sold: 32
Average sale price: $286,884
Median sale price: $288,500
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 98% of asking price

Condo Apartment
Number of properties sold: 15
Average sale price: $160,000
Median sale price: $155,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 96% of asking price

Condo Townhouse
Number of properties sold: 9
Average sale price: $203,226
Median sale price: $198,500
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 98% of asking price

Attached/Row/Townhouse
Number of properties sold: 7
Average sale price: $286,529
Median sale price: $293,000
Average % of listing price a property sold for: 99% of asking price

{ 0 comments }

This post has no comments yet