A Vancouver Construction, Contracting & Interior Design Blog

Welcome to the Klondike Blog. Our goal is to capture our experiences and knowledge about the current state of design and construction as it stands today. As new ideas are developed and industry standards evolve, we are seeing the introduction of new materials, products and attitudes towards how we should be design, build, renovate and decorate our spaces. We hope you enjoy our blog!

Laneway Housing

Laneway Home: helps Main St. Vancouver residence s...

Posted on April 14th, 2011

One of the selling features of a Laneway Home is that it adds to the resale value of the main residence but we were all extremely curious as to HOW MUCH???

Being that Laneway Housing is relatively new to Vancouver, introduced in July 2009, there are few examples of homes sold with a Laneway on the property. The Vancouver Sun reported this weekend that on February 24th 2010, a Main St. residence sold for $81,000.00 over its asking price. The Laneway home was a large contributor to this up sell, as the loft style coach house brings in a healthy rental revenue each month.

How much additional income can you expect to get from your Laneway?

Laneway Consulting Incorporated suggests that a carriage home on a 33 ‘ wide lot can be rented for approximately $1,300.00 monthly. If you had a larger lot and were able to build the maximum allowable size of 750 sqft you may see greater returns…within reason.

What are the expense for maintaining and mortgaging a Laneway?

According to Laneway Consulting Incorporated you can expect to pay just over a $1000.00 a month for maintenance, property tax and mortgage. This doesn’t leave you as the Laneway and Home owner with a huge haul at the end of the month but the total annual potential positive cash flow can bring in a few extra thousand dollars.

For more information about Klondike Contracting’s Laneway Homes visit our Laneway webpage. To request a quote on your upcoming Laneway Project fill-out our Request A Quote form. For information on Home Renovations, Residential Renovations or Commercial Renovations, visit our Renovations Homepage.

Photo Gallery of Klondike’s Latest Laneway Home

Posted on January 27th, 2011

Laneway Homes are the most talked-about alternative housing options in Vancouver to date. Klondike Contracting recently completed a beautiful 500 sqft. Laneway Home that was showcased in the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s ‘Light Up the Lanes: Laneway House Tour’. This bachelor style Laneway has heated polished concrete floors, insuite laundry, 2 closets and a large bathroom. Click here to see other Klondike Laneway floor plans.

‘Light Up the Lanes’ Laneway House Tour Success

Posted on December 13th, 2010

Klondike Contracting participated in the ‘Light Up the Lanes’ Laneway House Tour this past Saturday. With around 500 tickets purchased and proceeds going to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, I would consider the event a great success. Ticket holders were invited to 6 Laneway Homes in the Vancouver area and were given from 1-5pm to visit the dwellings in whatever order they chose. The homes were all very unique showcasing different design styles, space-saving features and finishes. I would like to pass a thank-you along to everyone that stopped by the Klondike Laneway Home and hope there is continued interest in the City’s Laneway program.

“Like” us on Facebook & Win Big with Laneway!

Posted on December 8th, 2010

We are proud to be participating in the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s “Light Up the Lanes” Laneway House Tour this Saturday December 11th 2010 from 1-5 PM and we’d love to see you there! Don’t miss out the viewing the latest in Laneway Housing decorated with seasonal charm and there will be hot-chocolate and cookies for all who join us for this exciting tour. Learn more about “Light Up the Lanes” Laneway House Tour.

Thank you everyone for participating!

“Light Up the Lanes” Laneway House Tour was a great success and it was great seeing everyone there! For more information on Laneway Housing, be sure to check-out our NEW Laneway Housing page here!

Laneway Housing Tour: Vancouver Heritage Foundatio...

Posted on November 15th, 2010

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation is hosting “Light Up the Lanes” a fundraising tour of 6 recently completed Laneway Homes in the Vancouver area and Klondike Contracting’s most recent Laneway project has been chosen to partake in the event on Dec. 11 from 1-5 pm.

You may ask why is the Vancouver Heritage Foundation is promoting new construction in existing neighborhoods. The answer to that question is that the Heritage Foundation sees Laneway Homes as a way for owners of older to homes to densify their properties while maintaining the historical nature and aesthetic of their homes and neighborhoods.

Not only will this event provide you with a sneak peak of 6 brand new Laneway homes, the lanes will be light with glowing Christmas lights, the homes will be decorated with seasonal charm and there will be hot-chocolate and cookies for all who join us for this exciting tour.

Check-out the Vancouver Heritage Foundation website for ticket information and tour details.

For any of your Laneway Housing inquiries visit the Klondike Contracting’s Laneway page and for further information on construction, design and renovation services take a look at Klondike’s extensive Services page.

Laneway Housing: Any Publicity is Good Publicity

Posted on November 12th, 2010

Vanessa Yee of Vancouver Metro News interviewed Bryn Davidson, a sustainability consultant and LEED accredited designer of low-energy green homes, about the current state of Laneway Housing given the negative review homes received at the latest Laneway public meeting in Vancouver. The homes were criticized for their height and their overbearing presence for neighbouring homes. However, Bryn Davidson went on to say that this has not hurt Laneway Housing, in-fact, this negative attention has increased the overall exposure of the program and is actually attracting new Laneway builders. Maybe the old adage carries some truth-“Any Publicity is Good Publicity”.

For any of your Laneway Housing inquiries check out Klondike Contracting’s Laneway page and for further information on construction, design and renovation services take a look at Klondike’s extensive Services page.