# Looking for a house in Oakville



## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

I am looking into new build single family detached house with around 50feet width. Can anyone suggest me any good builder and area in Oakville for doing this. thanks


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## Jimmy (May 19, 2017)

There are a bunch of developments just north of Dundas St from 8th line to Neyagawa blvd if you happen to be in the area. 
Great Gulf Homes, Seven Oaks, Remington Homes, Rosehaven homes, Greenpark Homes, Fernbrook and Mattamy homes. Some of the developers- Just not sure about lot size. Pretty good area.


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Jimmy said:


> There are a bunch of developments just north of Dundas St from 8th line to Neyagawa blvd if you happen to be in the area.
> Great Gulf Homes, Seven Oaks, Remington Homes, Rosehaven homes, Greenpark Homes, Fernbrook and Mattamy homes. Some of the developers- Just not sure about lot size. Pretty good area.


Thank you for your suggestion. I will do my search on these builders. Actually I don't live in GTA this is why I am not too sure greatly about the builders or new developments there. is it better to buy new build from these builders or should i buy a old house and then renovate it because this purchase I will be doing to keep the house for atleast 15 years.


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## Jimmy (May 19, 2017)

ak.89 said:


> Thank you for your suggestion. I will do my search on these builders. Actually I don't live in GTA this is why I am not too sure greatly about the builders or new developments there. is it better to buy new build from these builders or should i buy a old house and then renovate it because this purchase I will be doing to keep the house for at least 15 years.


Sorry I am not really that knowledgeable about the old house/new house issue. I just live here, know the neighborhoods and see all the new developments going up on what was once open land but they are nice subdivisions. Actually another nice area, if you don't want new build, are the subdivisions in the blocks bounded by Bronte, Dundas, Upper Middle and Neyagawa too that are ~ 5-15 yrs old . Just north of the golf course Glen Abbey where they have the Canadian Open. ( pricier the closer you get to Glen Abbey or along the cliffs of 16 mile creek)

Other than that, the rest is much older neighborhoods that are ok ( 20+ yr old homes). Along the lakeshore of course is the very best but you are looking at $1M+ homes to start. Hope that helps.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Subdivisions, such a negative word and it produces such negative thoughts for me. It's like a definition of hell. 

Some years ago, I tried to figure out what the difference was between a subdivision (negative thoughts) and a neighbourhood (positive thoughts). What I concluded was that the difference was about 30 years.

My reasoning was that it takes about 30 years for trees to mature and at the same time, it takes about that long for a subdivision where every say 4-6 house is identical to each other, to begin to become less 'cookie cutter' as people renovate, add on to and change things about their house. So you go from a street with no trees to soften it and houses that all look the same, to a street with mature trees and houses that all differ. The first is a subdivision and the second is a neighbourhood.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

I can't get photos to post here from a link. Anyone know how?

Here is what a subdivision looks like:
http://johazzard.com/

Here is what a neighbourhood looks like:
https://www.toronto.ca/services-pay...parking-permit/residential-on-street-parking/

Trees and changes to the houses made over time. That's the difference. Anyone have any thoughts on that?


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

So having hi-jacked your thread ak.89, I will now try to do you the courtesy of answering your question regarding old vs. new.

I am firmly in the 'old' camp for several reasons. First, you can buy in a neighbourhood rather than in a subdivision as per my definition above. Second, often older houses are on larger lots. Over time, there is no question that the lot sizes have become smaller and smaller as land prices have gone up and up. Privacy is not something to be ignored.

Third, a house you can 'add value' to is always preferable in my opinion to one that is brand new and really leaves you very little room to add value. Simply put, you can buy a new home for say $100 with no real room to add value. Or you can buy a used home for $75, add $25 in renovations and have a home then worth $125 perhaps.

Fourth and most important perhaps is that when you buy a new home, you cannot justify tearing out and putting in a whole new kitchen or bathroom. But with an older home, not only can you justify it as increasing the value of your home, you can do it EXACTLY the way YOU want it to be, not the way some builder decided to make it. My wife would argue that having it exactly as she wants it, is worth far more than money.


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Thank you for such detailed answer. I do like how the lot sizes are in older houses. I have a very specific style I am looking for. I am looking for 4 bedroom with 4 full washroom up stairs, I want separate entrance basement with 2 rooms and a kitchen for rent purposes. My budget is around 2million. Do you think I will be able to find a old house that I can make such kind of change with renovations or should I still look for new house build and have it customized it according to my requirment. I really like how good the privacy is in older homes with nice trees even in the backyard area its great privacy for parties and get together with friends and family but I am just not sure how will I be able to make the changes I need for a floor plan that I am looking.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

ak.89 said:


> I want separate entrance basement with 2 rooms and a kitchen for rent purposes.


I'l take it you have investigated and have assured yourself that the zoning in the areas you are considering will permit secondary suites.


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Mukhang pera said:


> I'l take it you have investigated and have assured yourself that the zoning in the areas you are considering will permit secondary suites.


Actually I am not too sure as I am looking in Oakville area. I will read more about it. Do you know if by law of Oakville allows for a secondary suite or is there specific area it can be done in. Thanks


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Sorry ak.89, I lived in Toronto long ago, that's as close as I got to Oakville. I am now in BC. But, if unsure, you can check with City Hall, planning and zoning department, or whatever they call it there. It can get messy if you put in an unauthorized suite and later have to decommission same.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

OK, now I have to ask what your intentions are for this house. I know the tendency these days is to want more bathrooms but 4 for 4 bedrooms plus a rental unit in the basement sounds to me like you are asking for a lot. If you weren't talking about a $2 mil budget, I would think you were planning on student rental or an airbnb rental business kind of thing.

It is highly unlikely you would find a 4 bedroom house with enough space to add on extra bathrooms to get to one per bedroom in an older home. Typical would be more like 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The basement suite is a separate issue obviously and doable assuming as noted it is legal.

I did own one house that started out as a single story bungalow and had an extension added to the ground floor that increased the square footage on the ground floor by around 50% and then took the roof off and added a second story which added as much as the whole ground floor again. So basically, I started with a 1000 sq. ft. house, increased the ground floor by 500 sq. ft. and then added another 1500 sq. ft. onto the top of that for a total of 3000 sq. ft. I could have had 4 bathrooms. I only had 3.

But that house was in a very desirable part of the Beach area of Toronto and was one of the last remaining houses on the street to be renovated into something bigger. It was literally a 'little old widow' who had lived there most of her life that we bought it from. There is a 'rule' in real estate which says you never want to own the most expensive house on a street. That's because if you decide to sell, buyers who can afford to buy it may not like the look of their neighbours houses if they are not equally as 'upmarket'.

I would think there are still such small houses in some desirable older neighbourhoods of Oakville to be found but they are probably few and far between. You would need a savvy real estate agent to find such a property and an architect obviously to tell you what could be done with it within the existing building regulations etc. Then the financial picture would have to show that after you did the work, the house resaleability would still make sense. I know you say you plan to live in it for 15 years, but you never know hat will happen tomorrow and what you do not want is a house that you have put $2 million into on a street with an average value of $500k.


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Longtimeago said:


> OK, now I have to ask what your intentions are for this house. I know the tendency these days is to want more bathrooms but 4 for 4 bedrooms plus a rental unit in the basement sounds to me like you are asking for a lot. If you weren't talking about a $2 mil budget, I would think you were planning on student rental or an airbnb rental business kind of thing.
> 
> It is highly unlikely you would find a 4 bedroom house with enough space to add on extra bathrooms to get to one per bedroom in an older home. Typical would be more like 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The basement suite is a separate issue obviously and doable assuming as noted it is legal.
> 
> ...


Thank you for replying. Presently I am living in Alberta and all my family are looking to move to GTA, we have joint family which is why I need 4 rooms and 4 washroom upstairs. Basement level i am planning to rent it out for side income and to make it more affordable. I really want to go the route of new build even though I really like old lots with wider space and tree because in new build lot and area I can pick my options and get the floor plan of what I am looking for. When I am trying to search online of new build houses its very confusing in GTA because I can't find any good reliable builders that have detail information. I am hoping to pick 2 to 3 builders and then explain my floor plan and see who is offering the best price per square footage. I don't want cheap builder or who have bad reputation. Some one who is reliable and have good track record.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

With such specific needs you might need to find a custom home builder. The companies referred to by Jimmy above are not custom builders - they offer a variety of floor plans for you to pick from, but if they don't have what you want, they won't go off-plan.


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Spudd said:


> With such specific needs you might need to find a custom home builder. The companies referred to by Jimmy above are not custom builders - they offer a variety of floor plans for you to pick from, but if they don't have what you want, they won't go off-plan.


Thank you for replying. Anybody have any experience with these companies. Lindvest, primont and valery homes. They are offereing new build homes in North Oakville area.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

ak89 i don't mean to question your lifestyle in any way, so please ignore this post if it makes no sense to yourself.

i'm left wondering about the resale value of such an unusually-designed big custom-built home, though. A residence built to house 2 families, or one very large extended family, or a communal grouping of unrelated persons, will not only be difficult to find but in the end it will also be difficult to sell.

if you are 2 close families, would a duplex arrangement suit just as well? or even a pair of semi-detached houses? one of the kitchen/dining room suites could be modified to accommodate everyone together for sit-down meals.

these more conventional dwellings would be easier to find in older neighbourhoods, with their larger lots & mature trees. Not to speak of easier to sell, in the end. A $2 million investment is something to consider carefully imho!


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## MyCatMittens (Oct 20, 2015)

I think the only realistic option in Oakville to accomplish this would be a teardown/reno. From my observation, there are very few detached homes being built anymore (given the prices). Where they are being built, they are either completely out of the price range you are looking for, or are much smaller (e.g. 1000-2000 sq/ft). Most of the development north of Dundas seems to be towns/semis/etc.That is where the demand/price point for most buyers is. I agree with HPs comments above regarding buying pair of semi-detached homes. In addition to resale, that may even work better from a parking perspective - 2 families + renter in a single family home (assuming a number of vehicles) isn't going to be ideal. There is no overnight parking on the roads in the vast majority of Oakville. In the event that any 3500 sq/ft new homes become available in any new subdivision, keep in mind that a) they aren't likely going to negotiate major modifications, and b) there are going to be huge lineups to buy (read: overnight). $2m isn't a lot in Oakville, and it is definitely a sellers market when it comes to new builds.


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## MyCatMittens (Oct 20, 2015)

To add to the builder's lists above, the largest (I believe) would be Mattamy (they have a "Coming Soon" for The Preserve that shows 34/38/45/50' ft lots). You can sign up for their waiting list. Not sure if Fernbrook or Ballantry are building any singles (as they have also built a lot of the detached homes in North Oakville). Unfortunately most of the ones I have seen are "Coming Soon". I'm guessing the larger lots will go pretty quick ;-).


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

ak.89 said:


> Thank you for replying. Presently I am living in Alberta and all my family are looking to move to GTA, we have joint family which is why I need 4 rooms and 4 washroom upstairs. Basement level i am planning to rent it out for side income and to make it more affordable. I really want to go the route of new build even though I really like old lots with wider space and tree because in new build lot and area I can pick my options and get the floor plan of what I am looking for. When I am trying to search online of new build houses its very confusing in GTA because I can't find any good reliable builders that have detail information. I am hoping to pick 2 to 3 builders and then explain my floor plan and see who is offering the best price per square footage. I don't want cheap builder or who have bad reputation. Some one who is reliable and have good track record.


If you are fixed on a new build, then you will definitely need to look for a custom home builder and not expect to get what you want from any developer who puts up dozens of new homes in a sub-division. Developers won't make the kind of changes to their floor plans that you are likely to want. 

Custom home builders obviously can be found who will work with you and your architect to build anything you want them to build. But you will have to consider the realities of what that entails. First, you must find a lot to build on. A custom home builder may be able to steer you in the direction of lots that are available but they will not be in the middle of a new subdivision. Either it will be an existing empty lot or a lot with an existing house that can be torn down.

You are talking about Oakville, you will have to consider what you mean by 'in' Oakville. Finding an available lot of sufficient size to build what you want to build, is probably going to be very difficult, within your BUDGET unless it is nowhere near downtown Oakville itself. You could end up in Milton or Burlington trying to find a suitable lot to build on.

You are not going to figure this out by posting in this forum. You need to get on the phone and talk to some real estate agents in the area and talk to some custom home builders in the area and LISTEN to what they tell you. I would guess that a 5-10 minute conversation with half a dozen of them will let you know how realistic your EXPECTATIONS are.

Here is a list of custom home builders in the area. https://www.houzz.com/professionals/home-builders/c/Oakville--ON


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## ak.89 (Dec 14, 2018)

Longtimeago said:


> If you are fixed on a new build, then you will definitely need to look for a custom home builder and not expect to get what you want from any developer who puts up dozens of new homes in a sub-division. Developers won't make the kind of changes to their floor plans that you are likely to want.
> 
> Custom home builders obviously can be found who will work with you and your architect to build anything you want them to build. But you will have to consider the realities of what that entails. First, you must find a lot to build on. A custom home builder may be able to steer you in the direction of lots that are available but they will not be in the middle of a new subdivision. Either it will be an existing empty lot or a lot with an existing house that can be torn down.
> 
> ...


Thank you for all your help. I will work on it by contacting few realtors and builders. thanks


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