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Thread: Buying Land, Building Multiple Houses + Shop, questions!

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    Default Buying Land, Building Multiple Houses + Shop, questions!

    So the wife and I are planning on buying land our in the country somewhere, not too far away from Calgary. Maybe somewhere around Longview, or some small town with a hospital, mostly for my wife to work as a nurse. I work in IT and can work from home 99% of the time.

    Now, this is all still a few years out, but the plan is this:

    1. Buy a plot of land. With any luck it will have gas/electricity already
    2. Build a house on this land for wife and I. Probably around 2000 square foot, nothing crazy
    3. Build a nice big shop for like 5 cars or so
    4. Build a second guest house, which will house my aging parents.

    Currently both us and my parents own our homes in Calgary, we plan on selling both + savings to put into this venture, and live together on a peace of land. I don't even know where to start to look into this, so hoping to get some input for those who might live in the country or know answers to some of my questions.

    I am thinking with everything involved to make this happen (2x houses + shop) I need to get some engineering/architecture/home builder involved? Ideally we would deal with a single company to design everything for us, and then we execute. What kind of company are we looking for? Who can we ask about everything we would need to make this happen. There are many things involved obviously (gas/electricity/septic tanks, legal stuff etc)

    If the land already has a house on it, depending on the size, we might keep that house for ourselves or our parents, and build an additional structure. It's really just a dream at the moment, but in 2 years time we will be ready to move on this, and want to prepare ahead of time so I know what to expect.

    If anyone lives out in the country or knows anything about this, please let me know! Any and all info will be appreciated.

    Thank you.

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    This sounds insanely expensive but also awesome. Hope you have a couple million bucks.
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    This sounds insanely expensive but also awesome. Hope you have a couple million bucks.
    This unless you are into mobile homes.
    Originally posted by Thales of Miletus

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    fact.
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    guessing who I might be, psychologizing me with your non existent degree.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    This sounds insanely expensive but also awesome. Hope you have a couple million bucks.
    That's the plan!

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    Mobile home and a couple massive pole barns. Park tractor, trucks and RV inside.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by eblend View Post
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    That's the plan!
    I support this.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    Buy this lot for 700k (tho it was 600k last week?)

    https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...algary-bowness

    Build a 2k sq foot house for 600k

    Build a 4 car garage with a suite on top for 300k.

    Baller ass place with privacy right on the bow River for 1.6mm

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    Build everything floodproof in that location. Minimum 10 feet above river. But I know that street, great area.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

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    "Needs to be near hospital"? Then what's to decide? Black Diamond and surrounding area.
    Unless you're thinking Didsbury.

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    being in IT and WFH, the #1 consideration needs to be fast and reliable internet, that's what prevented me from buying in the country.
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pheoxs View Post
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    Buy this lot for 700k (tho it was 600k last week?)

    https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...algary-bowness

    Build a 2k sq foot house for 600k

    Build a 4 car garage with a suite on top for 300k.

    Baller ass place with privacy right on the bow River for 1.6mm
    I wouldn't build my forever house/family commune right next to a river. Personal preference though. I also wouldn't do it within city limits, as restrictions on land coverage for outbuildings, big shops etc are highly preferable outside the city... just development in general is easier not in the city. Also consider property taxes in the city (which will be killer once a nice house gets built here) vs rural areas which are peanuts in comparison.

    Downside is the $/ft cost for a new house on an acreage is way higher if you need to get utilities there.

    My vote, by a massive margin, is buy an acreage that has a dwelling already built on it, and utilities already in (water is a big one, you can spend a fortune trying to find reliable water supply if you are the first one to build on the property... if you're buying, someone else has already gone through that and you just have to get a well report to validate flow rate etc.). If you buy a place with a house on it, the people who have built it, more or less, have gone through the most difficult part. All you have to do is call the local municipality and verify development regulations (if it's rockyview county, they're super helpful - I was just on the phone with them about this 2 weeks ago).

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    Quote Originally Posted by pheoxs View Post
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    Buy this lot for 700k (tho it was 600k last week?)

    https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...algary-bowness

    Build a 2k sq foot house for 600k

    Build a 4 car garage with a suite on top for 300k.

    Baller ass place with privacy right on the bow River for 1.6mm
    My Grandfather built a house on Bow cres. left and pass 1 house after passing marys corner store in the 80's. He setup a sawmill and built a log style house. kinda looks like a barn with a 3 car garage, im sure some of you have seen it. He had 3 lots!
    Machining, Fabricating, Welding etc.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    being in IT and WFH, the #1 consideration needs to be fast and reliable internet, that's what prevented me from buying in the country.
    Yes this is a concern, but hoping Starlink will address this. I have a co-worker who just signed up with them near Bragg Creek. He just moved into house out there and will be running LTE for the time being as he has coverage, but did sign up for the wait list for Starlink. He will be using it for a few years by the time I decide to move on this (unless I win the lottery).

    Quote Originally Posted by cjblair View Post
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    I wouldn't build my forever house/family commune right next to a river. Personal preference though. I also wouldn't do it within city limits, as restrictions on land coverage for outbuildings, big shops etc are highly preferable outside the city... just development in general is easier not in the city. Also consider property taxes in the city (which will be killer once a nice house gets built here) vs rural areas which are peanuts in comparison.

    Downside is the $/ft cost for a new house on an acreage is way higher if you need to get utilities there.

    My vote, by a massive margin, is buy an acreage that has a dwelling already built on it, and utilities already in (water is a big one, you can spend a fortune trying to find reliable water supply if you are the first one to build on the property... if you're buying, someone else has already gone through that and you just have to get a well report to validate flow rate etc.). If you buy a place with a house on it, the people who have built it, more or less, have gone through the most difficult part. All you have to do is call the local municipality and verify development regulations (if it's rockyview county, they're super helpful - I was just on the phone with them about this 2 weeks ago).

    Yah, not interested in staying in the city. A river front house is nice and has always been my dream, but a dream of being away on my own out in the country is bigger than a dream to be next to a water body. Thanks for all of that other info. We are hoping that we can find a lot with a house on it already, even if old. It would allow us to hopefully build another one nearby and live in the old one during the build, or renovate the old one later into a guest house for parents. As you said, with a property already there, at least you know that gas/electrical/water has already been addressed.

    Quote Originally Posted by ThePenIsMightier View Post
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    "Needs to be near hospital"? Then what's to decide? Black Diamond and surrounding area.
    Unless you're thinking Didsbury.
    To tell you the truth, we haven't really looked where there may be some. I know there is one around Black Diamond, but if that's all that there is nearby, then it will be around that area. I just want to have the ability to drive into the city if I need to, so can't be completely out in the middle of nowhere.

    My wife got a few more years left in school, so we are waiting until she is done before starting the real search, but I want to prepare and gather as much info as possible.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Thaco View Post
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    being in IT and WFH, the #1 consideration needs to be fast and reliable internet, that's what prevented me from buying in the country.
    Starlink!

    So when you moving?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr2mike View Post
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    Starlink!

    So when you moving?
    I am actually moving the end of next week, but didn't get rural, small town with decent internet and big lots.. starlink is still too early for me.
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    Quote Originally Posted by rage2 View Post
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    It's not the size that matters, it's the taste it leaves in your mouth.

    Quote Originally Posted by JRSC00LUDE
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    I say stupid shit all the time.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Misterman View Post
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    You will need to check with the county and how your property is zoned etc. You might be surprised by some nasty regulation where you find out you are not allowed two seperate dwellings on the same property. There are work arounds (suites, carriage houses over a shop, non-foundationed building etc, but not always, and that would be a rude awaking if you already bought your land. Also, if you have two separate houses on one piece of land your taxes will spike enormously. You might be better off with two separate land titles with individual houses.

    Basically, research the shit out of it before buying the piece of land you want. Counties are a pain in the ass to deal with when doing things outside the norm.

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    Quote Originally Posted by legendboy View Post
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    My Grandfather built a house on Bow cres. left and pass 1 house after passing marys corner store in the 80's. He setup a sawmill and built a log style house. kinda looks like a barn with a 3 car garage, im sure some of you have seen it. He had 3 lots!
    Omg that’s such a sweet house!

    Also @ExtraSlow :

    Doing It For the 'Gram

    I ain't worried 'bout it right now..

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    Wonder what the counties would say about those 'movable' mother in law cottages / guest cottages. Many are pre-fab just move into place and connect. Kind of like a mobile home but nicer.

    The headache is all with the municipality / MD rules etc. The house on piers flipstah posted doesn't fly here - Alberta doesn't allow pier foundations last I checked -

    Are you really "hospital only" because we're a bit more decentralized these days Unless your wife's education has led her to highly specialized areas - there's often healthcare options in just about every community.

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    South Health Campus is less than 20 minutes from Okotoks, Aldersyde, Turner Valley. Foothills County is also very easy to deal with. The shop with attached living quarters would be ideal as it limits outbuildings to one.

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    One of my buddies who also happens to be a neighbour now built on a 5 acre lot just down the road from us, off of highway 762.

    He built:
    - 2000+ sqft house, 2-story walkout
    - house also included a 1200 sqft garage
    - 3600 sqft shop which also includes living quarters, office and a 50s diner

    I think the land was about $300k and the build was around $1.3M.

    This was about 5 years ago.

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    Quote Originally Posted by never View Post
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    One of my buddies who also happens to be a neighbour now built on a 5 acre lot just down the road from us, off of highway 762.

    He built:
    - 2000+ sqft house, 2-story walkout
    - house also included a 1200 sqft garage
    - 3600 sqft shop which also includes living quarters, office and a 50s diner

    I think the land was about $300k and the build was around $1.3M.

    This was about 5 years ago.
    I assume the build used very high end shit or the shop had multiple hydraulics lifts. For the house of 2000SQFT, I would assume the build should cost no more than 400k with standard finishing.

    Or am I living in 2003?
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