Building a Strong Foundation
The Kelowna area is fortunate to have beautiful Lake Okanagan at its doorstep! Those of us that call this area home treasure the lake for its summer activities, the relief it brings on a hot day and the never-ending spectacular views. Our summer season brings many friends and family to enjoy the pleasures of our hometown. Some of those visitors like it so much they choose to build their dream home here!
We have built many lakefront homes for our clients and understand the complex process that is necessary to achieve success. Lakefront property is very desirable and has become quite limited and expensive. We advise our clients to speak to us in the early stages. Surveys and environmental assessments will need to be done on the property to establish the actual ‘building area’ and a development permit will be required. Services to the home will be site specific, which have an impact on the home’s design and build. We have extensive experience in designing and building homes on the lakeshore and will be able help guide you through this process. Some clients are from out of province, so our understanding of the local conditions and regulations is so important in both the design and build of their home.
Here are two recent examples that identify some examples of our recent work:
We designed and built an outstanding lakeshore home which included a substantial outdoor living space complete with swimming pool. The challenge of this specific waterfront location required us to dig down seventeen feet to reach a solid clay base. We then had to bring in 325 truckloads of blast rock to prep the ground for the build. This one item alone had big implications for the overall budget and was identified early in the planning.
Another interesting custom project we did was the addition of an Infinity Pool after we finished the initial custom home project. This home was perched on a cliff overlooking the lake which called for a unique solution to these extreme site conditions. Utilizing steel girders which were anchored from one corner of the home provided the necessary support. Our knowledge and experience eliminated surprises from unknown cost increases on this project. Our clients appreciated our understanding of what was required and of course, love their new pool!
Designing for the terrain is so important, not only for how it affects your house design, but also the unknown costs. Many people go over budget because the home was designed without the Builder’s input, therefore leaving the client in the dark about significant costs. We recommend that you choose your Builder before buying the ‘building lot’. On more than one occasion, our client has thanked us for identifying challenges and opportunities in the beginning stages of pursuing their dream home!!