How to Make an Informed Decision about Where to Build your Custom Home
Residing on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada’s Pacific coast, Victoria offers sprawling cityscape, historic architecture, and beautiful coastal living all within a vast array of multicultural communities. The city is one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, with settlement starting in 1843. Victoria is called the “City of Gardens'', and for good reason. The Buchart Gardens boast over 55 acres of garden space, and almost every neighbourhood has community gardens or markets available to the public. With Victoria’s progressiveness and healthy push towards being eco-friendly, it’s no wonder the city has a thriving local economy.
Why Should You Move to Victoria BC?
With its temperate climate and lower cost of living compared to Vancouver, Victoria is an excellent option for anyone who wants little, big city living. From deep-dive snorkeling to visiting the BC Royal Museum, the sheer amount of recreational activities will keep you and your family busy all year round.
There’s a great balance of age demographics in Victoria as well, so you’ll always find like-minded people here to make new friends and make good memories with.
Victoria has an exceptional amount of schools and post-secondary options. Ranging from University of Victoria to Camosun College, Victoria will suit your post-secondary needs. Did you know Victoria High School is the oldest high school west of Winnipeg and North of San Francisco? Whether you’re considering public or private schools there are numerous to choose from across the various neighbourhoods. But what does each neighbourhood have to offer?
Building Your Custom Home in Victoria, BC
Building your forever home can be a thrilling process, however being organized and researching the area before you begin building can save you potential issues in the future. After all, location is everything and communities come from neighbourhoods.
Burnside/Gorge
This is the industrial and commercial district of Victoria. There are two urban villages (including the Selkirk development) and five major parks to choose from.
Downtown
With its rich history and lively waterfront, this is the most rapidly growing neighbourhood in Victoria. Home of Beacon Hill Park and Chinatown, downtown has a plentiful assortment of arts, culture, entertainment and a vast selection of dining choices.
Fairfield/Gonzales
Home of Cook Street Village, which is a commercial area that features unique atmosphere and quaint local shops. Featuring heritage homes and tree-lined streets, Gonzales Bay can be a fantastic place for swimming during the summer.
Fernwood
This is a residential neighbourhood, being the home to many Victoria artists. There are several neighbourhood parks, with playgrounds and tennis courts available. Check out the seasonal markets, summer celebrations, and lively productions from Belfry Theatre.
Hillside/Quadra
While this neighbourhood does have a variety of housing styles and sizes, it should be noted that it has three high volume traffic routes. It has a commercial centre called Quadra Village, and features a multi-cultural community of Caribbean, Dutch, Indian, Greek and Filipino food stores.
James Bay
Surrounded by water on 3 sides, this neighbourhood has waterfront walkways with breathtaking views of the Victoria Harbour and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Comprised of apartment towers, historic homes, and the legendary Fisherman’s Wharf.
Jubilee (North and South)
While it’s the location of many businesses, health agencies and institutions, this is mostly a residential neighbourhood with urban villages located on the border. While there are small parks located at the few local schools, open public space is minimal.
North Park
Featuring an architecturally diverse neighbourhood with remarkable churches, incredible eateries and trendy retail shops. With the Save-On-Foods Centre, Royal Athletic Park, and Crystal Pool Fitness Centre, this is the recreation hotspot of Victoria. While Central Park is the largest in North Park, there are several other smaller parks as well.
Oaklands
Featuring a major shopping centre, 2 community parks, 2 large neighbourhood parks and several small parks, this growing community can be a reasonably priced place to live. Be sure to check out Oakland’s Sunset Market, which showcases over 50 vendors offering a wide variety of goods and services.
Rockland
Originally developed in the 1880’s, this grand neighbourhood showcases a rich display of largely residential homes with very few commercial businesses along the boundaries. Featuring beautifully converted mansions, and the renowned Craigdarroch Castle.
Vic West & The Songhees
Sitting across the downtown harbour, this prosperous neighbourhood is a rapidly growing community. Harbour-front condos, extraordinary hilltop homes, and single-family residences all extended by waterfront walkways connected to shoreline parks and Vic West Community Centre.
Growing Communities in Victoria
The greater Victoria area notwithstanding, Oak Bay and the Uplands can be a phenomenal neighbourhood to live in. Scenic streets lined with art galleries, fine-dining eateries, flourishing gardens, with access to beaches and numerous parks. The Uplands is Oak Bay’s prime real estate.
Close by is Cadboro Bay, which can have a small town feeling in the middle of a city. Upscale neighbourhoods include Queenswood, Cadboro Bay Village, and Ten Mile Point. Its village centre has a wide variety of appealing shops and professional services.
West Coast Living
Before you build, consider your lifestyle and how the location could affect that.
Do you entertain often?
Do you have grandchildren or children? Planning on having kids?
Do you have overnight guests?
Work from home or commute?
Love cooking or eating out?
How many cars do you have?
How much storage space do you need for hobbies?
Be Part of a Community
Before building your custom home, one of the most important things to consider is if the home values in the region are similar to your home’s projected value. Research every neighbourhood thoroughly before you make a decision. Are you nearby parks? How close to downtown do you want to be? How many schools are in the region? These factors should be considered before you begin building your forever home. Victoria offers a wealth of communities, small and large. Perfect for little, big city living.
At White Wolf Homes, our professional team of designers, renovation experts and builders strive for quality and consistency throughout the building process. Contact us today, and allow us to custom-create your vision for your family today.