We’ve had quite a few requests lately from medical marijuana and cannabis clinics in Vancouver, asking about how to get the permit sets they need to operate in the city. We wrote a blog about it not long ago, and we’re still getting more questions and orders. In April, the City of Vancouver announced it would start enforcing the requirements it set out for medical...
The set of drawings that appear after your cross sections in your permit set are called Construction Details. For new construction, including custom home designs and new builds in Vancouver, Construction Details are an essential part of the package of drawings that is submitted to Building Officials during the Building Permit application phase. What are Construction Details? Construction details are like zoomed-in images that show the...
As we get older, living in a senior’s home becomes necessary because they’re designed in a way to help people with reduced mobility get around. When given a choice, most people prefer to stay at home as they age whenever possible. Luckily, in most cases, it is possible. Floor plan design for aging in place When creating a floor plan, choosing a layout that is...
When housing gets pricey, people get renovating. It is a fact that is becoming increasingly true especially here in the Lower Mainland. Renovating offers homeowners a way to upgrade their living space without having to play in the crazy Vancouver housing market, so there is no wonder renovations are so popular here. We’ve written a lot about renovating lately, so today we’re compiling the best...
One of the first things to consider when you’re planning to build a secondary suite in your home is the cost. Since a primary reason why homeowners want to put a secondary suite into their homes is for monthly rental income, the cost of constructing a secondary suite has to be worthwhile financially. This article helps you understand the costs of building a secondary suite...
Building a custom home takes planning, patience and some great connections. Building a house in the BC Lower Mainland can never really be done “on the cheap”, but there are some great solutions for cutting costs in order to get the most out of your design and construction budget. If you have a tight budget for your custom home design… Custom home design doesn’t have to...
The City of Vancouver’s new regulations for medical marijuana stores and cannabis clinics also included some development permit updates for these businesses. We discovered these changes when we were approached recently by a downtown Vancouver cannabis club. They were in a hurry to have their permit application approved. Our client needed a permit set in order to have their licence and variance application approved by City...
Thinking of renovating your kitchen? It’s sometimes hard to know where to start once you’ve got the idea that a remodel is in order. We created a step-by-step guide to help you with the process, from getting the idea that you want to renovate your kitchen, all the way to starting the job. Step 1. Consider how you use your kitchen Is your kitchen used solely...
Most of the time, we read renovation guides that tell us what a renovation usually costs. Instead, we wanted to create this guide that takes your renovation budget into consideration FIRST, then works backwards to decide which types of upgrades can fit into the budget. Like an opposite take on a renovation guide. Here are some example budgets and where that money is best spent in a...
Last week we posted an article that looks at the fastest and cheapest updates to do for a flip, particularly for people who bought property in the Vancouver area for more than it’s now worth, and want to recover their investment ASAP. If you are not necessarily looking at a flip, but bought a house that direly needs an update, this blog is for you....
Before the Foreign Buyers Tax on BC properties came in, many people bought properties in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that are now worth less than the purchase price. (Ever since the tax came into effect, there’s some evidence the Vancouver real estate market is relaxing.) In order to bring these homes up in value, a renovation is usually necessary, and many buyers will be...
When it comes to permit drawings, we’re talking about a technical document that is vital to successfully getting the permits you need from your project. Each municipality in the Lower Mainland has its own requirements of permit drawings, and those requirements vary slightly between the Vancouver-area cities. Today we’re looking at the Burnaby Permit Drawings Checklist. Sometimes, clients or acquaintances come to us because they’ve had problems...
Did you just move into a home, but the great first impression you got from the kitchen has faded away to reveal a cheap reno that’s practically unlivable? The kitchen improvement you initially saw isn't as nice as you thought? You know the saying about putting lipstick on a pig. The fact is that the current housing market in Vancouver makes doing such a thing...
There’s a relatively unknown aspect in the Vancouver renovations industry that, for some contractors, designers and homeowners, comes as a surprise and a significant cost. Certain renovations, especially large ones, could trigger the requirement to install a sprinkler system. The City triggers that would require the installation of fire sprinklers, upgrade vapour barrier and upgrade the insulation in a home are complicated, and are not well...
There’s one element of a renovation that you essentially can’t go wrong with: Storage. In a recent blog article we came up with some ideas about how to add storage to your home in creative ways. This post brings together some inspiration for adding storage to your mudroom or entrance using lockers. Lockers don’t necessarily mean those ugly metal structures with clanging doors from your kid’s...
Designing and renovating your home will always affect its value when it comes time to resell. While our top priority with any renovation is to make your home more comfortable, liveable and functional for your family, it’s important to also keep in mind how future buyers will regard the changes. If you’re planning to renovate your home anywhere in the Lower Mainland, here are some...
The growing team at Draft On Site is one of the Lower Mainland’s most respected floor plan measuring and drafting firms. From 2D floor plans to 3D walkthroughs and interactive space planners, Draft On Site offers a wide range of floor plan measuring and drafting services. Permit drawings For DIY renovations, and for city permit applications, we create reliable, accurate permit drawings. These are often used to...
Home renovations are exciting! But there’s still a lot of mystery behind a few aspects of a reno. Two of the most common questions about a renovation are how long it takes, and how much it costs. We’ve been doing renovations on homes around the Lower Mainland for years, and work on a large variety of project sizes, scopes and durations. We want to share...
Home renovation designs for the Lower Mainland are some of our favourite projects at Draft On Site. Recently, we helped a homeowner in Delta renovate her home’s interior and exterior, with beautiful results! Renovations are exciting, and can be stressful, so being prepared from the outset are important for your mental, financial and emotional wellbeing. These 10 don’ts of home renovations will help you plan...
Our interior designers at Draft On Site are someone who knows, and loves, space planning. One of our favourite topics with our renovation design clients is how to make their homes feel larger, without adding square footage. Doing so takes skill, an outside-of-the-box approach and a very good eye for detail. Truly, an innovative use of space can make your home feel larger without additions. Our...