The Hill PerchThis couple knows exactly how many square feet they want to downsize into
660 sqft—to be precise—was how much of their 2,800 sqft house they were actually using on a daily basis.They measured.
"We weren't using the upstairs at all," said Dad.
"We basically were in the kitchen. The dining room was a walkthrough until special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, and Thanksgiving."
The laneway home they built is 825 sqft.So how did it go from 2,800 sqft—via 660 sqft—to 825 sqft?
“We moved into the main house on a cold and wet January, just as Vancouver was gearing up to host the world at Expo 86.” they recalled. Four decades later, with two daughters raised, two people found themselves, as they put it, "rattling around in a house far too large."
Downsizing was the obvious solution.But to what, exactly?
"Downsizing to a ground-oriented rental or condo was half-heartedly on the radar,” they said. “Purchase of a fee simple row house would have been the ideal route, but Vancouver has not embraced this option to any great extent. I think there are just five near King Edward and Cambie."
The daughters had a different idea, and proposed it by PowerPoint, which sent the whole family into research mode: open houses, hard questions, long conversations.
In the end, they didn't move at all.And everyone else? They just ended up moving closer.
Perched at the highest point of a steeply sloping corner lot, the laneway home is wedged into the grade with quiet confidence.
Present enough to feel considered, modest enough not to overshadow. It was never meant to be a square footage maximizer from the start.
The orientation is deliberate.
Bedroom facing the main house, living area facing the lane. Privacy between two households on the same lot, built into the design as requested.
The den was on the wishlist.
A flex space for whatever the next chapter calls for.
The cabinet colours were chosen by Mom
who had opinions and was given the floor.
"Hopefully the design will facilitate aging in place. Certainly upkeep will be greatly simplified."
Specifications
| Build Year | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood | Hastings-Sunrise | |
| Floor Area | 825 ft² | |
| Levels | 1 | |
| Bedroom | 1 | |
| Bathroom | 1 | |
| Lot Size | 74 x 122 |
From a cold, wet January in 1986to a corner lot bubbling with life.
Floor Plan
Download Floorplan PDF
