Vancouver Housing Types

Renovation guides for Vancouver Specials, heritage homes, character homes, leaky condos, and more.

Burnaby kitchen renovation open concept dining area

Rancher Renovation Vancouver: Single-Storey Homes, Costs & Aging in Place (2026)

Ranchers are one of Metro Vancouver's most sought-after housing types — and one of its most misunderstood renovation opportunities. A true rancher is a single-storey detached home where all living space sits on one level: no stairs between floors, a low-pitch roof, and a wider-than-tall street

Read More
Burnaby kitchen renovation open concept dining area

Split-Level Home Renovation Vancouver: Costs, Layouts & What to Expect (2026)

Split-level homes are one of Vancouver's most misunderstood housing types. Built primarily between the 1960s and 1980s, these staggered-storey houses were once the pinnacle of suburban design — offering privacy between living and sleeping areas while making brilliant use of Metro Vancouver's sloping terrain. Today, they

Read More
Richmond home renovation modern living room fireplace

Fireplace Renovation Vancouver: Gas Conversion, Surround Ideas & Metro Van Rules (2026)

Your Vancouver living room has a fireplace — and it looks exactly like every other 1980s fireplace in the neighbourhood. Brown brick, a scratched brass surround, a mantel shelf that was never quite level. It functions, technically. But it dominates the room in the worst way:

Read More
City of Vancouver BC renovation services

Renovating a Vancouver Bungalow: What to Expect, What It Costs, and What to Watch Out For (2026)

Vancouver's bungalow stock is one of the most compelling renovation opportunities in Canadian real estate. A well-executed Vancouver bungalow renovation can add $300,000 to $600,000 in market value, create a legal rental suite, and transform a cramped pre-war cottage into a modern family home — all

Read More
City of Vancouver BC renovation services

Vancouver Special Renovation: Costs, Permits, Neighbourhoods, and What to Expect (2026)

The Vancouver Special is one of the most recognizable — and most misunderstood — housing types in Metro Vancouver. Walk through Fraserview, Renfrew-Collingwood, or Killarney and you'll spot them on nearly every block: flat or gently sloped rooflines, stucco exteriors, wide picture windows, and that unmistakable

Read More
City of Vancouver BC renovation services

Heritage House Renovation in Vancouver: Rules, Costs, and How to Modernize Without Losing Character (2026)

Vancouver's pre-1940 housing stock is unlike anything else in Canada. A craftsman bungalow on East 10th Avenue. A Georgian Revival manor in Shaughnessy. A stucco Edwardian on the First Avenue corridor in Kitsilano. These homes carry architectural DNA that newer construction simply cannot replicate — the

Read More
Burnaby kitchen renovation open concept dining area

Flooring Renovation Vancouver: All Options, Costs & What Works in BC (2026)

Flooring is the single highest-impact renovation you can make in a Vancouver home. Nothing else — not a kitchen refresh, not a bathroom update, not new lighting — transforms how a space looks and feels as completely as new floors. Walk into a 1970s split-level with

Read More
Vancouver home renovation consultation with contractor and homeowner

Mudroom Renovation Vancouver: Adding a Mudroom, Costs & Ideas (2026)

Vancouver gets 1,189 millimetres of rain every year. Add muddy hiking boots, soaking wet rain jackets, backpacks dripping from a downpour, and a dog that treats every puddle as a personal invitation — and you start to understand why a mudroom renovation in Vancouver is one

Read More
Vancouver custom home renovation with modern pool design

Windows & Doors Replacement Vancouver: Types, Costs & Energy Savings (2026)

If your Vancouver home was built between the 1950s and 1990s, there is a reasonable chance your windows and doors are original — single-pane aluminum frames, aluminum sliding patio doors, and hollow-core entry doors that do little to keep the Pacific coast rain and chill outside.

Read More
Surrey bathroom renovation modern glass shower design

Master Bedroom Renovation Vancouver: Suite Ideas, Walk-In Closets & Costs (2026)

The master bedroom is the most personal space in your home — and in Vancouver's competitive real estate market, it has become one of the most financially significant. A thoughtfully renovated primary suite, complete with a proper walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom, can add $80,000 to

Read More