Home Expansions are in Full Bloom
By Tara MacIntosh
Exquisite Garden and Laneway Suites, designed and built in your backyard, are transforming homes and lives all over Toronto. This increasingly popular building trend, now accessible to many Toronto homeowners, provides a stylish space to live, work, or play – and who doesn’t want that!
Not too long ago, the City of Toronto approved a bylaw for residents to build Laneway Suites and, only a few months ago, Garden Suites, on their property to be used for a variety of purposes. This has proven instrumental in adding much-needed living space for Toronto residents, where privacy can become an issue as families grow and change their lifestyle needs.
For the residents of the Beach, this new bylaw is an exciting development and opportunity to add value to your property. Garden Suites are more applicable to the Beach due to the limited number of laneways in the area.
Lanescape, a Toronto-based group of planning, design, and development professionals is passionate about helping homeowners thoughtfully improve housing options in existing residential neighbourhoods. In operation since 2014, the team tirelessly advocated with communities, planning professionals, city staff, and municipal leaders resulting in the City of Toronto approving and implementing a laneway housing bylaw in 2018. Craig Race, Lanescape Co-Founder and Architect, remarks, “We advocated for Laneway and Garden Suites because we could see that homeowners were victims of the City of Toronto’s growth. Lanescape has helped Torontonians own and grow their property. We are currently designing approximately 100 suites a year, and we see this as an exciting social shift. Homeowners can host their family, create investment opportunities, or build quiet workspaces in their backyard.”
When working with the professionals at Lanescape, clients have a hand in the design based on the intended use of the Garden or Laneway Suites. Craig comments, “In the Beach, the average size Garden Suite is 700-900 square feet, but the Suites can range from 400-1900 square feet depending on the size of the lot. The process is standardized; however, the design is customized to incorporate the intended use and vision for the space.” Each Suite is carefully crafted to ensure it perfectly fits the area where it will be built. When working with Lanescape, they take care of zoning approval and customized building permits. Once the design is complete, the construction documents are prepared for any builder or contractor to complete the project.
With the rising cost of living, many homeowners turn to Laneway and Garden Suites as a second income stream. In the Beach, Garden Suites have become popular based on lot size and function. If the space permits, the units can be built with a basement and fully functioning plumbing. They can also be outfitted with solar panels and smart home functions. Garden Suites work well for long-term rentals and family members, such as aging parents or university students, who seek privacy yet want to remain close to home. They are also a creative way to work from home!
As we emerge from the pandemic, homeowners are getting creative with their spaces. The downtime we experienced allowed us all to take a breath and focus on what is important to our lifestyle going forward. Adding functional areas to properties continues to grow in popularity as it increases the utility and value of the property. Lanescape currently has over 50 Laneway Suites approved and 50 more in the works. They are the biggest architecture firm in Toronto doing this important work. Craig says with a smile, “We built our team around the psychology of helping homeowners get the maximum value out of their space. We are proud of what we have accomplished. There is legislation under review that will effectively allow homeowners to be building charge free, meaning the build cannot be opposed as long as it stays within the limits. This is exciting! There are also financial incentives to make suites accessible to an increased number of residential areas. We are thrilled to see the progress.”
Innovation is always initially met with resistance; however, now that homeowners see the ease of building Laneway and Garden Suites and the value the Suites add to their property and quality of life, demand is at an all-time high. Toronto is pacing at 200 Laneway Suites in 2022, primarily located in established Toronto locations with easy access to transit. Garden Suites will likely be even higher as they can be accommodated on a greater number of properties extending outside city limits to cottages and rental properties. The versatility of a Garden Suite allows the homeowner to be flexible with the use of the space based on current needs and stage of life.
Because of his love of older cars, Grace & Co.’s Geoffrey Grace has been following the development of Laneway Suite by-laws since Lanescape’s initial public consultation on the topic. When the by-law was passed, he was quick to have full architectural plans drawn for a Laneway Suite at one of his rental properties on the Danforth. It will allow for a 2-car garage at grade with a spacious 720ft 1+1 bed suite on the second floor. The cost to build that laneway suite can be pulled from equity in the existing rental property and the cost of servicing the debt will be paid by the rent from the second-floor suite! And at another rental property, there is an existing 3-car garage that sprawls the entire 32ft width of the lot and is fed by a private drive – the perfect candidate for a Garden Suite!
With this growing Toronto trend, the ability for a property to accommodate a Suite can be part of the conversation when purchasing or selling a home. If you are selling and your property can accommodate either, it should definitely be included in the marketing of your home and if you are looking to purchase a property with the ideal of building either, having a Realtor knowledgeable on the process is vital. There is no one better to speak with about your options than the Grace & Co. Real Estate Team!