The Umatilla Hill cottages, Port Townsend,
Washington.  Design by Ross Chapin Architects.
Developed by Kimball & Landis.

First-time home buyers determined to buy a small bungalow at an affordable price know all too well the challenges they face.

Why aren't we seeing cottage homes here? (story 2 of 2)

Even in the typically slower autumn and winter months, when anyone selling a home may be tempted to lower the price for a quick sale, the overall price of the smallest detached home can still be a long way from affordable.

Finding a decent detached bungalow anywhere in the Vancouver for less than $600,000 is almost impossible. If a first-time buyer travels to Burnaby they may still be able to find a small detached bungalow for less than $550,000. In North Vancouver a similar bungalow may cost the buyer $600,000, and in Richmond or Ladner, it may cost $550,000. Travel to New Westminster and the price is still, for many first-time buyers, an unaffordable $460,000.

In Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, even a modest, older detached home costs at least $400,000 – a price which requires an annual family income of close to $80,000.

We’re hearing that some first-time buyers fruitlessly search for months and eventually either buy a townhome or an apartment, or they give up their search altogether and stay where they are.

Is there a solution?

“Cottage homes,” says Bob Ransford, an urban designer who specializes in complex urban development and land use challenges. Cottage homes in pocket neighbourhoods are a form of new home development that has been gaining popularity south of the border, where there are now many of these neighbourhoods.

The brainchild of Ross Chapin architects, a pocket neighbourhood is typically about four city-sized lots and contains eight one and a half story detached cottage homes, each less than 1,000 square feet with two to three bedrooms and front porches, explains Ransford.

The homes often have BuiltGreen™ 4-Star rating (U.S. term) and EnergyStar certification so they’re less expensive to operate and maintain. They also have small private gardens, share common garden areas where fruits and vegetables can be grown and shared and a common parking area.

Pocket neighbourhoods are sustainable, walkable and healthier and they don’t contribute to sprawl on farmland, forest or wetlands. Because neighbours are close by, they also promote better safety and security.

Best of all, because they’re smaller in size, the homes are more moderately priced.

Who buys a cottage home?

There are three types of buyers:
1. First-time buyers seeking a new detached home;
2. Baby boomers downsizing from a larger home and yard (and all the stairs), who may not want to buy a condominium; or
3. Anyone concerned about minimizing their carbon footprint.

What do cottage homes cost to buy?

It depends on the location and the size. Sean Hodgins estimates that if the Century Group were selling cottages today in the Southland Development in Delta, the list price would be $500,000 for a state-of-the-art green home. This compares to a bungalow in Boundary Bay which starts at about $650,000.

For information about cottage developments, visit: www.rosschapin.com and go to Projects and then Pocket Neighbourhoods.