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

BC Home & Interior Design Show

Posted on October 9th, 2009

Six days until the BC Home & Interior Design Show. Klondike is all geared up for THE AMAZING SPACE! Are you? Why should you attend you ask? This year, our interactive booth will educate you on how to be green. Stop by for an AMAZING presentation and a sweet & sustainable treat!

Here’s the where, when, & who of it all:

Where:

BC Place Stadium

777 Pacific Blvd

Vancouver, BC

When:

Thursday, October 15 4:00pm-9:00pm

Friday, October 16 Noon-9:00pm

Saturday, October 17 10:00am-9:00pm

Sunday, October 18 10:00am-6:00pm

Who:

Ty Pennington, everyone’s favourite handyman, will be making an exclusive appearance on Thursday, October 15 at 6:00pm on The Urban Barn Design Stage. This is his first and only Canadian appearance so do not miss it!

The Scottish Design Duo, Colin & Justin, will transform audiences and their homes. These decorating divas are sure to entertain the crowds with helpful home tips and a wave of comedy to ease the pain of moving from shag to hardwood.

For more of the goods & to get your tickets, visit www.bchomeandgardenshow.com

Laneway Housing Presentation to GVHBA

Posted on October 5th, 2009

On September 22, 2009 the City of Vancouver presented its guidelines & regulations to members of the GVHBA. This presentation provided further clarification to materials already distributed by the city. Moreover, it further reiterates that due to the fact that LWH is new to Vancouver, city staff requires that all submissions adhere to regulations and guidelines to make the application process as smooth as possible. One thing we recommend you pay close attention to are those “project killers”. For example, is your home in RS-1 or RS-5 zones? Currently, only homes in these two zones are allowed to build a LWH. Further, do you have enough sideyard clearance for fire-fighting? These are only a couple to look out for before you proceed too far and discover that your site does not meet all requirements.

Klondike Contracting would like to thank the City of Vancouver and GVHBA and their staff for organizing this session to keep us all informed.

BC Hydro: That will be $20,000 for your new Lanewa...

Posted on September 14th, 2009

Vancouver Sun article reports that BC Hydro wants to charge as much as $20,000 to hook up new Laneway Homes. We were quite astounded by this development as we had been planning our Laneway Homes with the understanding that a service extension from the home to the garage (where the new Laneway Home will be located) would be roughly $600.

BC Hydro spokesman, Dag Sharman, confirmed that if no extension to the Laneway House is needed, it would cost about $463 to $768 to hook up the service through overhead wires. But if an extension is required, the cost to hook up a Laneway Home could run as high as $20,000 depending on lane configurations and requirements.

Klondike will be following this story for new developments. Stay tuned for further updates. Until then, we want to know your thoughts on this news. Have your plans to build a Laneway House changed as a result of this development?

BC Hydro: That’s $20,000 for your new Laneway Ho...

Posted on September 14th, 2009

Laneway Housing Guidelines

Posted on August 21st, 2009

As the Laneway Housing project is a new initiative in Vancouver, it is helpful to follow a set of guidelines to ensure the planning and building of your laneway home goes smoothly. This guide provided by the City of Vancouver ensures quality and durability. To view a detailed guide, click here.

Laneway Housing – Permitting Checklist

Posted on August 4th, 2009

We are all very excited about the COV’s decision to approve Laneway Housing. Now that you have had the chance to digest the news, it’s time to get serious. Many homeowners already have plans in the works for permitting so better get to it if you plan on doing anything. To help you get started, here’s a checklist of required items by Development Services department at COV for permit applications to construct a laneway house. To view the list click here: COV-Construction of a Laneway House.