Couple builds $2.3 million custom home in B.C. with 'eyes wide open' on costs

CHILLIWACK — Les Lang and his wife Sherri Acres have moved into a custom-built $2.3 million home in Chilliwack, B.C., after deciding the premium for a bespoke design was worth the cost.

"If you're buying a new build in a subdivision, then that's a different story," said Lang, a former consultant in the mining industry. "But if you're going custom, you have to forget about that. And that was really where we kind of stalled in our planning process."

He said they compared the projected cost to what they could buy on the market. "But then when you got looking at it, you couldn't have this and you couldn't have that. And so, the lure of being able to build something custom exactly the way that we wanted drew us back in."

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"But it was with eyes wide open that we knew this wasn't all about the cheapest way to build."

The couple purchased the 2.8-acre vacant lot in 2016 and began planning in 2023, living in a basement suite during construction. Their 2,100-square-foot home is a Norwegian dogtrot design, featuring a 1,650-square-foot main living area and a 450-square-foot studio connected under the same roof, with a covered breezeway and a detached three-car garage.

"We were looking at what thought we wanted to build, but it became clear that we couldn't afford it," Lang said. "We felt that we could live happier in a simpler home that was more jewel-box-like with nicer features rather than trying to invest the same dollars in square footage."

The build cost about $1.9 million, with planning and design bringing the total budget to $2.3 million. An additional $300,000 was paid for the lot.

Builder Chris Klaassen, co-owner of Alair Homes, said the design added expense. "It's not the biggest house or the most expensive house or any of that, but it's one of the most unique homes I've ever built," he said.

"I would not call it an economical build by any stretch, and that's because it has three distinct structures. There's a high percentage of exterior wall surface, things like that relative to the square footage," Klaassen said.

The home includes a green roof covered in six inches of soil and sedums, which required beefing up the structural load by about 50 per cent. Finishings include copper wall panels, plaster walls, a steam shower, solid wood beams and extensive glazing.

Klaassen said the custom home market remains strong compared to the slower spec home industry. "What I call market housing or spec housing is definitely really slow right now," said Klaassen, whose company works in the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver.

"There are a combination of factors, but I would argue probably it's largely affordability. The higher end renovation and even custom home space, which is not market housing, it's a totally different demographic and the market is still relatively strong."

He said his clients tend to be "high net worth individuals" who aren't impacted by a sluggish economy. "They're a little more cautious for sure than they were, but some of them are still going ahead and spending money and getting that dream home they've always wanted."

The couple moved into the home this past spring after less than a year of construction.

With files from The Globe and Mail