A Guide to Building a Garden Suite in Toronto
BVM Contracting is a residential construction company that specializes in substantial renovation and new home building in Toronto. We have seen first-hand the positive impact that the laneway suites program has given The City of Toronto and are excited that they are exploring the idea of allowing garden suites on properties as well!
In this article we dive into the anatomy of a garden suite and determine if your property has the chance to qualify.
What is A GARDEN SUITE
Does my property or lot qualify for a garden suite
Scarborough is in a unique position to capitalize on the construction of garden suites
4. Contact BVM Contracting to get your garden suite planning started
5. What is the Process of Planning and Building a Garden Suite
6. For Home Owners: Take advantage of your PROPERTY’S BACKYARD
What is a Garden Suite?
You can think of a garden suite in many ways. In reference to a laneway suite, it is a detached building on your property that does not have to be adjacent to a public laneway. This means that there is the potential for even more properties in Toronto to be eligible for creating garden suites on their property.
Does my LOT/PROPERTY QUALIFY FOR A GARDEN SUITE
The City of Toronto has come out with the criteria for Garden Suites so that home owners can evaluate if their property of interest is eligible for the program. Click through to learn more about the requirements of Garden Suites in Toronto.
Scarborough is in a unique position to capitalize on the construction of garden suites
Due to the nature of properties in Scarborough being larger than the average property in many of the other areas of Toronto, this presents a great opportunity for home owners in Scarborough to take advantage of building an ancillary suite on their property.
Neighbourhoods like Cliffcrest, Birch Cliff, Cliffside, Guildwood, Scarborough Junction, Oakridge are some areas of Scarborough that are well-suited for this program, but if you want to inquire about garden suite potential in another neighbourhood in Scarborough please reach out below!
There are also areas of East York that would be well-suited for garden suites, but due to the smaller nature of properties the potential will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Reach out below to get the process started!
Other helpful information about garden suites and ADU’s
Contact BVM Contracting to determine if your property is eligible
BVM Contracting will have to wait on the City of Toronto to come out with the details of the requirements for these garden suites, but it is never too early to start planning! If you would like us to review your property please reach out below and have a survey of your property ready! We will be in touch with you to get the process started.
What is the process of building and planning a garden suite?
BVM Contracting is an expert in all types of residential infill construction projects (including new homes and laneway suites) and can guide you through your journey of completing a garden suite (because it is very similar to the aforementioned types of projects). Below is a high level overview of how to complete a garden suite so that you can understand the requirements and potential costs. Once further details are disclosed by the City this process will be updated:
Partner with a Home Builder or Property Developer that can help you evaluate a property of interest, whether that be your primary residence or an investment property.
Determine if a property of interest is able to support a garden suite. BVM Contracting is able to guide you properly for this step, which will involve working with one of our designers. It is important to note that if you infringe on certain zoning by-laws it may still be possible to build a suite by going to Committee of Adjustment.
Get a fee proposal for the design and disbursements (permits, development costs, etc.). It remains to be seen if they will waive the development charges for Garden Suites (like they did for Laneway suites) but we will work through this when the time comes
Once you have a fee proposal and have the property of interest that you want to build on, you can start the process of getting the design started, and also getting some solid numbers together for the construction budget. BVM Contracting is able to create very accurate budgets based on square footage, exterior/interior finishes, and other high level information to create a budget for the project. Once the preliminary design is created for your garden suite we would be able to solidify pricing from beginning to end.
Once you have the soft (design/development fees) and hard (construction) costs for the build, this is the time to reach out to a financing firm, investors, and mortgage specialist to fund the project. Fortunately, we have an in-house team who can help you with this!
Once you have the financing in place and the permits/development proposal is approved by the City of Toronto you can now build the new homes!
For Home Owners: Take advatage of your property's size and build a garden suite
With our design-build approach and network of financing options we can help any home owner build a garden suite if their property qualifies. If you have equity built up in your home that will make the process even more smooth. We are looking forward to helping home owners with their existing properties make more income by adding a secondary (or even third) suite by building a garden suite.
If you are interested in building a garden suite and need a place to start, look no further than contacting BVM Contracting!
About BVM COntracting
BVM Contracting is a full-service General Contractor or Home Builder located in Toronto. We provide home renovation and building services for major home renovations (kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, basement renovations, full interior renovations, home additions, lot severances, and new home construction). Our goal is to help guide our clients through the process of renovating their home, from concept to completion.
Further than providing General Contracting and Project Management for major home renovations, we also offer value-added services such as renovation financing, renovation rebate consultations and services, building permit and design services, smart home installation services, and real estate investor services.
To learn more about our offering by visiting our services page.