Winter on Salt Spring

Hi everyone,

Well, it snowed unexpectedly here last night, and was just beautiful. Looks like it'll mostly melt away with the sun today, but it sure feels like it's marked the beginning of winter.

Winter has often been spoken of negatively on the island - things slow down and there's not all that much to do. I felt this way when I lived here previously, but can't agree with it now.

The community offers all kinds of activities during the winter months. There's the movie theatre, art shows and our incredibly active theatre community's productions. There are indoor fitness centers, writing workshops at the library, art, yoga and wellness workshops all over the place. There are great restaurants - and in the winter you can get a usually get a table right away. At home we rent videos or play games as we always have, spend time cooking, reading and working on renovations or creative endeavors. We have people over for dinner parties, or venture out for appetizers and drinks with friends. I try to figure out what I'm missing from the city, and with the exception of our friends who still live there, some of the shopping centres and individual stores, I can't find anything.

And there is so much the island offers that Vancouver doesn't. For instance, I have been astonished at how much sunshine we get over here, even in the cold months. While it's brisk outside to be sure, we've still been enjoying forest and beach walks every weekend - even just walking our puppy around the neighbourhood feels like a satisfying nature walk.

Besides all that, the community really shines here in the winter. People lend a hand to folks who's power goes out or who have car troubles, charity Christmas sales are abundant, as are craft fairs selling the wares of local artisans. Everyone has a cheerful 'let's get through winter together' attitude.

As you might gather, I'm a big fan of Salt Spring year round.

Stay warm - N

Salt Spring's unique and eco-friendly homes

Hello everyone,

I've recently moved my blog over to blogspot.com, in hopes that it will be easier to read, find and ask questions about.

If you have any suggestions for postings, please feel free to request them here.

Today I was discussing with new clients the true uniqueness of the homes on Salt Spring, and how so many of them are built or renovated with the environment in mind.

After working in the Vancouver market, where so many houses are nearly identical and made quickly with only profit in mind, the thought, creativity and care that I see in the homes on Salt Spring blows me away. While most are built in traditional styles, no two homes are alike, and each one has it's own charm.

Part of that charm comes from in the globally-minded care put into many of the homes. Most islanders are eco-centric, and now are building or renovating with materials and methods that are more energy efficient, less toxic and just generally more environmentally proactive. In fact, there are several homes on the market right now that are advertised as eco-friendly. Whether it's solar power, rain cisterns, non-toxic building and decorating materials, organic farms or even minimization of electromagnetic radiation you're looking for, Salt Spring likely has a home for you. Not to mention like minded neighbours.

If you'd like any more info on eco-friendly homes available on Salt Spring, let me know.

All the best - N

Cost of building a log cabin

In addition to the average building costs, I've recently done research for a client checking into the cost for purchasing log home kits. While the kits are relatively inexpensive, the average cost for a finished log home runs between $160 and $240 per square foot, depending on the company chosen, and finishing and materials desired. Quite a similar cost to building any other kind of home.

All and all, it remains quite a lot more affordable to purchase a finished home, as opposed to buying a bare lot and building on it - and the market really reflects that. Any home in the starting range (under $500k) that is well priced, and doesn't have any serious defect, often sells quickly on the island.

Once again, if you are looking in that range, be sure you are working with a realtor who is really on top of what's available.

Stay warm out there - N

The cost of building on Salt Spring Island

Two of my clients have recently asked me what the average cost of building on the island and developing a property was. I thought this information could be useful to a lot of people, so here it is:

Digging and installing a septic field: $15 -20k (depending on location etc)

Drilling a well: $5 - 10k (depending on depth needed, type of ground etc)

Running hydro lines: $2 - 3k (depending on distance from existing hydro lines)

Average building costs: $175 - $200 per sqft (depending on quality of construction desired)

All these figures are approximate, and applicable only to Salt Spring Island. Our costs can be higher here due to the extra shipping involved for materials etc. It's always a good idea to check with a contractor for a more detailed estimate if you are planning on building a home.

Hope this is useful,

Have fun - N

Changes to the entry level market

I've been keeping a keen eye on the entry level market on the island since we bought our home in May. I have to admit, I've been surprised to see how much it has changed even in the past few months.

There is very little on the market in the way of Single Family homes under $400k right now. There are a few options there, but not a whole lot to choose from. Currently the least expensive home on the market is priced at $329k - compared to the $269k in the running back in May. The market is continuing to rise, and the best advice I can give anyone hoping to purchase in the lower range is to get pre-approved right away, act quickly, and make sure you're working with a Realtor who can jump on good deals that pop up.

In other news - for those of you who didn't have the chance to attend the Islands Trust meeting on November 1st, I wanted to pass along that the most controversial proposals of the OCP review have now been taken off the table. The 20% down-zoning, expansion of Fulford Village, 30m waterfront setbacks and the 2000/3000sqft house size limits (and a few others) will no longer be considered. They are still considering changing the current 1/3 lot coverage building size, and I'll keep you updated on that as it progresses.

All the best - N