There are many things to consider when determining the cost of building a new home in Vancouver such as, the size of the home, lay of the land and any additions or specialized features that make a custom home truly reflect you and your family’s individual desires.

One of the best ways to demonstrate the complex nature of determining the cost to build a custom home in Vancouver is to assess 3 factors that impact the common building price metric, “cost per square foot”.

1) The size of the new custom home. The larger the home the more the cost is per square foot is. Right? Not always. In fact, it is common to see the price per square foot decrease when the size of the home increases. This is largely due to the fact that as you increase the size of the rooms the ratio of the cost of the supplies needed to build those rooms does not increase at the same rate that the square footage increases.

To illustrate, let’s look at the difference in cost per square foot between two master bedrooms, one square at 10 × 10 ft room (100 sq ft) and the other a rectangular room measuring 13 x 15 ft (195 sq ft). Even though the rectangular room is nearly double the square footage of the square room, it only has 16 ft more wall making the cost per square foot decrease. Building the rectangular room will cost more in total to finish, but the actual cost per square foot is much lower.

2) The design of your new home. The shape your home takes as it is being designed largely determines the bulk of its cost. The lay of the rooms, the amount of bathrooms (bathrooms have the highest cost per square foot because of the cost of the toilet, sink, tub and other plumbing fixtures), and the type of floor that you choose compared to what another person chooses all impact the cost of building a new custom home in Burnaby, or a laneway in Vancouver.

3) Custom work, additions and special features. Custom work, such as doggie baths, wok kitchens and special features such as wainscoting on the walls or detailed coffered ceilings all help to make a home uniquely yours. Not everyone chooses to build a home the same way, so in this fashion it is hard to determine an average cost of building a home for anyone who calls. But, as we get to know you, what you are looking for in a custom home and your family’s distinct needs we will be much better equipped to provide a rough estimate.

Don’t forget! Aside from the materials, finishings and fixtures that are typically used to calculate the cost per square foot of your home, there are several other things that will impact the total cost of your custom build like surveys, inspections and demolition or excavations costs.  Whether your building a new home in Coquitlam or Burnaby, one thing you need to remember is every city in the Greater Vancouver area has their own unique set of guidelines and rules that must be followed in order build your new custom home.

After 25 years in the Greater Vancouver home building business, we believe that listening is the best way to begin building, and even better yet it is an excellent way to offer you Wallmark’s Fixed Price Guarantee before we begin to even excavate. By giving you a fixed price, it allows us to say “the price we agreed upon is the price you pay no ifs, ands, or buts”. If you would like to know more information about our constant consultation process, our fixed price guarantee or even just for some information, contact us today.

If you’re anything like me, then you have already written down a list of fun things to do in or around Vancouver and started the  plans for a big vacation during the hotter months. But what do you do for your home? Whether your home is a custom Wallmark build or not, it has endured a rainy winter and deserves a little R&R too. Now is the best time to spruce up your home before the hot days roll in and you roll off to the beach!   With these 5 activities you can have both your home and yourself calm, cool and geared up for the fleeting backyard & barefoot months ahead.

1) Say Bye-Bye to winter!
Just as we shed our sweaters, long underwear and thick raincoats in spring, our home should shed the extra blankets, thick rugs, heaters, and candles. If you feel that your home is a little sparse with your winter decor missing you can replace them with light white mats, with fans or AC units and flowers.

2) Make room for Popsicles in your stomach (and your freezer)!
The little child in all of us loves to have ice cream and popsicles on a hot summer day. But after winter, finding room to store these delights may be a bit of an exasperating puzzle, especially if you find you haven’t cleaned up your freezer in a while. Cleaning out, defrosting and organizing your freezer will enable you to store the ice cold goodies for the summer while also opening up more space for steaks and other Bar-B-Q commodities.

3) Freshen the airflow!
It’s those few hot, sweltering days & nights in Vancouver where the air barely moves that usually has me running away from home and to any pond, creek or beach for relief. But there are ways to take your house back during those summer days and ban the humid, stagnant air from ever settling back in. Getting into the habit of leaving your drapes closed, strategically placing fans/AC units and refraining from using appliances such the dryer, oven & even your computer reduces the amount of heat entering your home.

4) Spruce up your home!
May and June are the perfect time to take on an around-the-house project. You won’t sweat as much and the drying time for paint or stain and calking jobs will be much quicker than in the winter, but not so quick that you are rushed for time when painting. Painting exteriors, decks and double checking your seals around windows and doors are just as important before summer as it is before winter. Reducing the amount of AC-cooled air flowing out keeps your home cooler while using less energy.

5) Prep for out-of-doors festivities!
Whether your version of a party during  the summer is a couple friends and family over for a BBQ and some board games or a much larger get-together with the whole shebang, prepping now will save the hassle for your future self. Clean off your patio furniture, put up a hammock, check out your camping stock, put up the trampoline, get the blender blades sharpened and double check your stock of popsicles & ice cubes.

To help you keep your home operating at its peak performance throughout the balmy summer months, check back here for more tips and tricks. If your home is bogging down under the weight of its years or you’re looking for a change give us a call. Wallmark Homes has been a top custom home builder in Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver area for over 25 years and we believe that listening is the best way to begin building.

While laneway homes in Vancouver are small, typically between 644- 750 sq ft, their  decreased size could increase the need for customization. With limited floor space,  every square foot should focus and accommodate for a lifestyle. A lifestyle for your  grandparents or for your adult kids or even if you are offering an independent rental  suite. Considering lifestyle aspects such as private access, a secluded deck, storage  and parking are important factors to think about when designing and building a  laneway home in Vancouver.

Building with a lifestyle in mind can be difficult when you consider the dimensions of a  Vancouver laneway home and the many functions that each room must serve. That’s why at  Wallmark we believe in talking before building. Open communication enables us to  design and budget a customized home before we build. No matter the size of the  home, we use the same process providing you with the home for your lifestyle.

Here are 3 ways to illustrate the custom approach at work:

1) Meeting your needs; Being able to adjust plans to protect your favorite backyard apple tree, being able to design and integrate features such as dog baths for Buddy, Oscar and Milo, and being able to put priority on design elements such as a level entry or having the master and main living area on the main floor with a focus for storage upstairs, are just some of the ways you can customize your Vancouver laneway home.

2) Built-In for you. If you have ever spent time in a home smaller than 1000 square feet, you know that storage is worth its weight in gold and open space creates a sense of comfort.. With dazzling floor to ceiling custom kitchen cupboards, useful storage solutions for your living room and cozy window seats, you’ll find that not only do built-ins serve practical purposes but they also use the limited space of your laneway home wisely which helps you control clutter.

3) Your finishing touch. Designing the interior on a moderate to large house is difficult, just ask our newest homeowners, but designing for a smaller scale can be somewhat daunting. Our interior designer Leslie can guide you through these decisions one step at a time, helping you to create a laneway home that is just as personalized as a home on a larger scale

Building a new custom home is an exciting and frightening job to undertake, regardless of experience.  Everything from pouring foundation to picking out fixtures can quickly become overwhelming and expensive if you aren’t an expert in that particular field.  That’s why with every home Wallmark Custom Homes has a team of experts that work side by side with the home owner helping guide them through the building process ensuring everything is on time, on budget and in line with their unique custom vision.  Each team consists of; an interior designer to help you make the tough decisions of which fixtures should go where, or does this back splash work with the flooring we have chosen; a project manager who will always be there (they insist that they don’t need as much sleep as the rest of us) overseeing the full custom home build of the home keeping everything running smoothly, on time and on budget; a site manager who will practically live at your home ensuring the standards that both Wallmark and the home owners have come to expect; and a bevy of other industry experts intimately familiar with each individual custom home.

I’m sure you would much rather hear from actual home owners rather than have to listen to me go on and on.  So here is an unedited recent account of the experience that one of the home owners sent in to us.

“As you know, we moved into our WONDERFUL new home.  We can’t even begin to tell you how much we all love our home, and how many compliments we’ve received from everyone that has been through it so far!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE on the Wallmark team that was part of our home-building process.

We were initially very nervous about taking on such a huge life project, but with Wallmark helping us along, every step of the way, this turned a potential scary situation into a positive, happy experience!

Everyone on our team – from the very first Information Seminar, to the actual move in day, and even afterwards, have been professional, courteous, dedicated, more than patient, friendly and very helpful.  Each of the different trades involved in the project were the same, and we were amazed and very encouraged to see firsthand the pride they all took in their work, and the great relationship they each had with Wallmark.

While there are too many to name, we must single out a few individuals that were really outstanding in their dedication, knowledge and professionalism:

First – Gord Russell, our site manager.  We joked that we would start setting a place for him at our dinner table, since he spent so much time at the house!  He took so much care in making sure every little thing was perfect, it was almost as if he was building the house for his own family – we knew we were in good hands!

Second – Leslie Waters, our designer.  She made the whole design process smooth and easy – we were overwhelmed with the idea of having to pick out so many things for the house before the foundation had even been poured, but she held our hands patiently and professionally throughout, and we couldn’t be happier with the results!

Last, but certainly not least – Tom Heath, our project manager.  We kept him on his toes, and he certainly came through for us co-ordinating trades, inspections, materials, site visits etc, (while handling a young family and a new born at the same time)!

Again, thank you all so very much for taking a dream of ours and turning it into a reality!”

We love to build and talk building so if you have any questions about building a custom home in Greater Vancouver please don’t hesitate to contact us. Here is another recent Wallmark Homes review.

Over the past 25 years we have had the pleasure of working with some great home owners. Each came to us with a different vision of what makes the perfect custom home, from a gourmet kitchen to a dog washing station. That’s why before we undertake any part of the building process we meet with the home owners and get to know them and their individual needs.  Every home owner then gets their own team of custom home building experts that works with them through the full building process ensuring the home they dreamed of is the home they move in to in the end.

Now, we could go on and on about what exactly it takes to build a custom home in Vancouver (believe me we will) and how happy the home owners are not only at the end but throughout the full process, but it sounds so much better when they say it.

Here is what one of our recent custom home owners said.

“This is coming from someone who has never owned anything more than a hammer and a screwdriver.

I have to say first off, building a custom house was something we are so glad we did not try to co-ordinate or do a portion of by ourselves. From determining budgets to obtaining permits, to demolition, to foundation, to framing, to exterior finishes, to drywall to tiling and painting, to finishing touches, Wallmark was in charge of creating the home we wanted. The best part was, we knew our end cost right down to the baseboards before even starting. That added great piece of mind.

There were a few other things that made a big difference in choosing to work with Wallmark. I would say these things were even more important than originally realized now that we look back. One was being able to see several Wallmark finished homes in Birchwood Estates and Carte Blanche – it set the standard for what to expect. Secondly, was being able to work with an Interior Designer who had an opinion or a vision on how things will look when finished. It is harder than you think to actually visualize how the taps will work with the countertops or how the paint colours match the tiles and how the rooms will flow.

The demo and build took 9 months and it was completed on time and on budget. We did spend a little more money than originally planned on extras, but it is only because there were a few things we wanted to add as we went along. These couldn’t have been known as we started. We wanted to add a few things to the kitchen cabinets and spent more money on lighting fixtures to add some character to the house. We also added custom wood cubbies in a mud room and custom shelving in some bedrooms.

The trades were all great, especially the tilers who hand cut tiles to match patterns we drew on paper. If something wasn’t exactly right or up to Wallmark standards, we reviewed and it was fixed. You work with the on-site supervisor the most and he was also great in explaining everything. He was handy and little things he could do were no extra cost (at least we haven’t received a bill yet ; ) ). As an example, he was able to add motion sensors to some exterior Barn Lights we had purchased. Should also mention there was someone who cleaned up the job site every day and that made a big difference when we checked things out after work or on weekends. The neighbours were also very impressed. Again, these are all things that am not sure would have happened if we had gone another route.

It was a busy nine months and we are very happy with the house Wallmark helped us created. A colleague at work started a renovation the same time we started our house. They decided to co-ordinate it themselves with a general contractor. Their renovation is way over budget and still not finished.”

You’ve waited and now here it is the exciting cliff hanger conclusion to questions from the BC Home and Garden Show.

I’ve heard horror stories from people where the final cost of their home is much more than they expected to pay; do you offer any measures to protect the home owner?

This is a story that is all too common in the home building industry and one that we have a solution for. We at Wallmark Homes offer a fixed price guarantee, ensuring that the price that we agree upon is the price that you pay no if ands or buts. We do this by listening and working with you, your specific needs and wants regarding your home. We then use our over 25 years of experience and price your home down to the dollar.

Does this mean I have to decide on everything before the home is started?

Not at all. Throughout the building process you will work with our in-house interior designer in our custom design center. She will not only help you pick the finishing’s that are in within the budget but also use her considerable designing experience to help you create a custom home around your taste.  The added benefit of the design center brings many of the design choices under one roof making it easier and more comfortable making the tough decisions. And you guessed it; this is another part of our Constant Consultation program.

After you have finished building our home is that it?

Not even close. Wallmark gives every homeowner 2-5-10 warranty coverage. This protection covers the home for up to 10 years depending on the issue. We have a dedicated customer care team that will be there to answer any of your questions and get any problems fixed as soon as possible.

Where do you build?

We build custom homes in Vancouver, Burnaby, the North Shore, West Vancouver and all over Greater Vancouver. All you need to do is let us know where you’re looking to build and we will take it from there.

I have a lot in Vancouver; can I build a laneway home on it?

Right now that depends on the zoning that your lot is currently on. At the moment laneway homes are only allowed to be built on RS-1 or RS-5 lots, however, the city of Vancouver is looking to amend that and open up laneway homes to almost all residential lots in Vancouver. Read more about building a laneway home in Vancouver here.

Can you direct me to the food court?

Sure can, just head down this isle until you get to the other side, turn right and then left and there you have it.

These were just a handful of the questions that we got while at the BC Home and Garden Show. If this didn’t answer yours, or if you ‘re looking for more information, contact us today we love to chat.

First we would like to thank everyone who came by our brand new booth to visit at this year’s BC home and Garden show. If you were too busy to make it, don’t worry we have some answers here to the more common questions we were asked.

I’ve seen your communities around; do you also do Custom Homes?

Yes, Wallmark builds custom homes! In fact Wallmark has been building custom homes in Greater Vancouver for over 25 years now. We have a team of dedicated experts from design to construction that work one on one with a client from the initial meeting until long after the home is complete. We understand that every home owner and by extension every home is completely unique that’s why each home has its own team of experts.

We have a property but we don’t have a home design; should we come back after we have a home design?

Absolutely not, we work with home owners no matter what stage in the building process they are in. We actually prefer to have our experts be part of the design process. Far too often home owners come with a plan and a budget, but when we look at the plan, the design of the home exceeds the proposed budget. That’s why we like to offer someone to look over the preliminary plans and work with the home owner and designer to ensure that the final home can be built on budget. If you don’t have a designer in mind or would like us to help you find one don’t worry we have a select group of designers that we work with. All of this is part of our Constant Consultation Program (try saying that ten times fast).

I am currently looking for a property but I don’t know where or what to look for?

Without knowing specifically what your needs are this one is a little tougher to answer on a general basis. Each family is looking for something different with a custom home and the lot you choose is a major factor that determines what you can build. Are you looking for the option to build a suite? How about a detached garage or carriage or laneway home? Do you need a large yard with room to grow? How much can you afford with building a home? These are all factors that need to be considered when picking a lot.  Whether you’re looking to build a custom home in Vancouver or anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area, give us a call or write us an email and let us know where and what you’re looking for and we can help steer you in the right direction. Once you found a lot you like let us know we would love to offer one of our industry experts to come by and take a look and let you know what if any issues you may face when it comes to building. Again all of this is part of our Constant Consultation Program.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of Custom Home Building Questions from the BC Home and Garden Show. Can’t wait until then, give us a call or contact us now and let us know what’s on your mind.

The BC home and Garden show begins on Feb 20^th and will inspire all that attend up until the 24^th.  With over 60,000 attendees expected this year, it is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest Home Shows in BC and with all the fantastic exhibitors and events planned throughout the show it is  easy to see why it’s one that cannot be missed.

“But my home already looks great, there’s no reason for me to go.”  Not true, not true at all.  Many exhibitors will be using this home show to demonstrate new technology, new techniques and even brand new products.  You wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to be the first on your block robotic chef would you (product may not actually exist, but you’ll never know if you’re not there).

Still not your thing, well how about some great food and great drinks.  On the concourse level there’s a beers and bites lounge where you’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy specially selected beers paired with some great street-food (bacon wrapped hot dogs anyone).  So even if you already have your home decorating ideas all planned out, this will give you the opportunity to plan those much needed breaks.

Maybe your idea of a break doesn’t include specially crafted beers and bacon wrapped hot dogs, well there’s a lounge for you too.  BC Home and Garden magazine has designed an area for you to take a break from buying the latest and great sham-wow, put your feet up and flip through a magazine all while enjoying a great glass of wine.  Located next to the main stage you will need to be careful that you don’t find yourself stuck there all day watching some of the great shows, or maybe plan to get stuck and spend the day lounging with some drinks and food.

With over 425 exhibitors there will be something there to peak your interest.  One exhibitor you can’t miss is the Custom Vancouver Home Builder Wallmark Homes.  We will be bringing some of our top experts in to answer all of your tough questions.  Everyone from people from our construction team to the interior designers will be there.  With over 25 years of experience building new homes in Vancouver, Wallmark Homes has built a team of industry experts.  So when you’re there make sure to come by say hello and ask us about building a new home in Vancouver.

For more information or to buy advanced tickets go to the BC Home and Garden site.  If you have any questions about building a home in Greater Vancouver don’t wait until the Home Show and give us a call today, 604-420-5220.

It’s that time of the year again where the planning begins on any major; renovations, restorations, or rebuilds, to make sure it is ready to go come the spring thaw, and right now it seems as though it couldn’t come any quicker here in Vancouver. If you’re looking for a way to stay warm and still get ideas, make sure to circle (if you still have a traditional calendar) the 20th- 24th of February for the BC Home and Garden Show. The experienced, educated and all round great people of new home builder Wallmark Homes along with hundreds of other industry experts will be there to help get the creative juices flowing.

Now time for a little shameless self-promotion, as a premier Vancouver new home builder Wallmark will be sending our experts to answer all of your new home building and construction questions. We will have everyone from real estate experts to construction experts there to make sure that no questions go unanswered.Much like previous years, celebrity guests are scheduled to come in and share their knowledge and experience on a variety of topics. Paul Lafrance host of HGTV’s Deck Wars, Decked Out & judge on Canada’s Handyman Challenge will grace the HGTV main stage, sharing his knowledge on an assortment of topics. Sarah Daniels turned in her microphone as long time host of Global’s Morning News, for a licence in Real Estate and hasn’t looked back. From time to time she revisits Global BC to share her real estate expertise and now you can see her live on the HGTV main stage. These are just a couple of the expert celebrity guest that you can be sure to see at the BC Home and Garden Show.

Looking for a way to go to the Vancouver Home and Garden show and not have to pay (because who are we kidding free is the best price) check back often or “Like” us on Facebook as we may be looking to give away some tickets in the near future.

Now if you can’t wait until then and need answers right away for building your new home in Vancouver don’t worry here is a FAQ from the previous Vancouver Home Show and if that doesn’t help please contact us, because much like you we can’t wait until the home show to talk either.

A Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV) system is an essential part of any new home. As new Vancouver homes become more and more insulated from the outside, getting a fresh consistent air flow becomes increasingly more difficult especially during the fall and winter months when cracking open a window is no longer an option. This is where the Heat Recovery Ventilation system comes in play. The HRV unit is responsible for filtering new air in, maintaining air pressure and aiding in the preservation of heat during the cold months.

The HRV unit is able to accomplish all of this by taking old, warm, stale air that is already circulating throughout the house and using that air to heat an internal main cell before flushing the air outside. Once the cell has been heated; new, fresh, however, cold air is drawn into the system and heated via the main cell, maintaining a 70% – 90% heat recovery range. Then the air is sent down to furnace to be brought to the specified temperature and distributed throughout the home. In addition to heating via the main cell the air passes through several filters and grates designed to remove excess moisture, dust and debris giving you the cleanest air possible.

There are many benefits to having a Heat Recovery Ventilation system working in your new Vancouver home. Air quality is greatly increased as it is constantly being filtered and refreshed. People suffering from allergies and asthma will notice that they will feel fewer symptoms due to decreased particles floating throughout the air. Condensation will be minimized and almost eliminated altogether as the HRV unit works to remove excess moisture. Bathrooms will be less musty smelling and moisture will be greatly reduced. The cost of heating your home will also decrease since you will no longer need to open your window to get fresh air losing heat.

As you can imagine with such a complex machine, maintenance is a must to keep it running at optimal performance and to preserve the warranty here is a list of some of the items that needs to be done:

-Each and every one of the filters and grates should be either changed or cleaned monthly to allow them to operate at peak performance and to keep the unit from over working and burning out.
-Ensure that the air intake vents are clear of debris and that there are no machines or gas containers nearby, because even though the fumes will get filtered they cause unneeded strain on the unit.
-Understanding your control pad and the settings needed for your home will help you from over working the system. —Drains in the HRV unit will also need to be maintained on a monthly basis by removing any debris that has built up, failing to do so could cause the unit to back up with water and eventually flood into your home.
-Over time the unit will also need to be balanced, so that the intake and exhaust pressures and rates are the same to prevent the machine from malfunctioning.

Performing the tasks listed above will help preserve the functionality of the unit but more importantly the system will need to be serviced by a professional every 6 months to a year (check the manufacturer’s manual). This will keep your warranty from becoming void and costing you money if it breaks.

All and all whether your are building a luxury custom Vancouver Home or on to your Vancouver  home and Laneway home a Heat Recovery Ventilation system can greatly benefit you and your family by improving the air quality of your new Vancouver home and saving your money.