All Forum Posts by: Walton Armbrister

Hi Brian - 

I myself am in the early stages of planning a new home build in Toronto.  Have you managed to find out anymore information on cost per sq.ft.?  I think most contractors would be hesitant to answer that question in a straight forward manner as the truth being, there are far too many variables in play that would determine the overall per sq.ft cost.  I'm planning to do a self build so I have done extensive research on the associated costs and $200 per I believe is doable but most likely on the low end of the spectrum for a contractor built home in this area. 

Thanks guys, glad to be on board!

@Luc Boiron I do own the property for the tear down.  It's the same one I mentioned in my introductory post so I do have a decent amount of equity in it.  The current house on the property is a 100yr old bungalow in the Rockcliffe-Smythe area of Toronto.  The 2 bedrooms are tiny and has a low ceiling unfinished basement - as many of these homes in the area do - and would require underpinning and digging down if I wanted to add a second unit.  All told, I'd be spending about 100k just to bring it up to livable standards.  Most contractors said at that point it would be better to tear down and start fresh.

So after a couple of years of research and planning I've decided to build new and turn the property into a house hack.  I'll be building a 2 story with a basement apartment.  The top two floors will act as my principal and I'll rent out the basement.  The great part of the new build is, future value of the improved land will still hold the same equity - if not more - as I hold now.  

Hello everyone,

My name is Walton and I've been a member for a year or so however just now getting around to introducing myself.  I've been passionate about real-estate investing for over a decade now and I'm looking to meet and connect with like minded individuals both in the Toronto area and beyond.  

Despite my long time love of REI, I am still relatively "green", having only held 1 property over ten years. Originally purchased as a principal - it served as a rental for a few years while I lived abroad. Now I'm a few months away from starting a tear-down and build (self-build). My plan is to parlay this first-time build experience into a career in development as my core focus.

Really looking forward to being a part of the community!