Page 6 - Real Estate Now Jan-Feb 2022

The Laneway Solution: Infill Properties

Scott Shpak courtesy realtor.ca
or an urban planner, they’re called infill homes, but you may refer
to them as laneway houses. We’re talking about infills added to
Fresidential properties, as the term is also used commercially. Any
new or replacement building on an old lot is technically an infill, but in
contemporary use, it often describes a second house built on a single lot.
In 2020, Canadians were asked to stay home. This meant people started
to see their homes differently and many were eager to look at ways to
get more from their principal residence. Economics sometimes plays
a role, particularly in pricey real estate markets, where the need for
more space looks to infills rather than additions. Infill homes can also
be rental income generators.

A lifestyle choice
The infill concept isn’t for everyone. If you love your green space, you’ll
have much less of it once you surrender room for the foundation. In
other places, city bylaws may be a factor, restricting new construction
by size or style. Those coveting rental income may be stuck if zoning
frowns upon multi-family developments.
Preparing for infill construction does have its share of frustrations, from
zoning interpretations and limitations, to cost overruns and unexpected
twists and turns. Don’t undertake an infill project on a whim. You’ll need
to research and review, revise and reschedule. Repeatedly.
However, places where infills are permitted are often the
neighbourhoods that draw those inclined to pursue the concept. Areas
like Cabbagetown in Toronto or Kensington, Calgary’s “Left Bank,” attract
artists, students, alumni, and the stylishly affluent with the allure of
eclectic and esoteric surroundings, artsy villages within urban centres.
In defense of infills
The home office
The work-from-home paradigm shift was already in action before the
coronavirus pandemic accelerated the trend. It doesn’t take long in an
improvised dining table workspace to begin to crave the comforts of a
conventional office. For some, the mental transition that keeps their heads in a productive space requires a change of
scenery which an infill home provides in more dramatic fashion than a bedroom-to-office makeover.
A mix of style
Few people have purist design tastes. Your Victorian cottage may lend itself to shabby chic while sometimes you
crave the peaceful zen of Japanese or minimalist styles. On narrow, inner city lots, the boxy practicality of Bauhaus
and similar modern styles maximizes space and gives you a clean design palette. Since infills are often built at the rear
of lots backing onto lanes, the space between buildings offers a transitional style buffer, though you may well choose
complementary rather than contrasting design.

It’s hard to say if striking modern designs dominate residential infill homes or if it’s just a matter of the dramatic being
more obvious. However, there’s no shortage of stunning when it comes to infill projects, whether you’re in Harbord
Village in Toronto, Prince Arthur and Sherbrooke in Montreal, or South Fraser in Vancouver, the laneway infill is alive,
well, and thriving in urban Canada. ■

6 | REAL ESTATE NOW | LB@LoraleeBurns.com