Are Old Homes Really Better Built Than New Homes?

Nobody likes to see character homes being torn down. They may have historical value, but are they all really worth keeping?  Everybody knows the saying: “They don’t build them like they used to.” But how true is it? Are older homes really built better than homes today? Did tradespeople have more skills in the past [...]

By | 2017-06-22T23:14:58+00:00 June 22nd, 2017|Uncategorized|

Construction and Home Prices Still Going Strong in April

Despite the news reports of a housing bubble, demands for houses and condos continue to drive the Vancouver market.  With all this activity it won’t be slowing down anytime soon. People, it seems, are willing to pay to live between the picturesque mountains and the ocean in one of the most beautiful cities in the [...]

By | 2017-05-31T20:30:16+00:00 May 20th, 2017|Residential|

What You Need To Know About Home Warranties

The modern home warranty program is a result of the leaky condo crisis that happened in British Columbia from the 80s to around the 2000s. According to the Homeowners Protection Act, new homes built in B.C. by licenced, accredited builders must now be covered by third-party home warranty insurance. At minimum, home warranty insurance must [...]

By | 2017-06-20T00:25:29+00:00 May 10th, 2017|construction|

How Should We Save Character Homes From Demolition?

The city of Vancouver is reviewing its current character housing zone policy to see how it can save character houses through better incentives. The aim is to retain these homes while accommodating growth in a more sustainable way. The city defines a character home as anything built before 1940 that isn’t in the heritage register [...]

By | 2017-04-05T23:28:34+00:00 April 5th, 2017|construction, Residential|

The Life Of A Project: How We Do What We Do

How do you find a suitable building lot in North Vancouver, one of the most sought after places to live in  the world? Equal parts luck, persistence, patience, and experience. The natural features that make this  area so desirable to live in also make it so hard to build in. Squeezed between the ocean and the  mountains, raw land development is practically nil, and existing lots frequently have limiting features like  rocks,  trees, streams and severe slopes. With “in-fill” housing or “tear-downs”, the average age is  steadily getting younger and the land values are creeping ever higher.    With such high demand, Apex relies on its’ network to find properties that haven’t hit the open market  and make a no-subjects offer. Even then, after calculating construction costs, if the sale projection  doesn’t make sense we pass on the purchase and keep looking. A robust market doesn’t mean an  automatic sale – you still have to do your homework.   We specialize in North Vancouver because of its natural beauty, landscape, and community. However, it  is one of the most challenging and complicated municipalities to navigate. Those trees, forests and  streams must be protected; the future build must consider the constraints of slope, wildfire, and natural  environment. Apex has over 20 years of familiarity with the processes and challenges that must be  navigated for a successful project.   By streamlining the entire process of designing, building and selling homes, from start to finish, we are  able to build a beautiful home with the lowest possible budget without sacrificing quality. From start to  finish, we usually take 6-7 months to build, way faster than the industry average. We are able to build so  quickly because we have a dedicated team of trade professionals and partners with whom we’ve  developed a close, long-term relationship for many years   We have a unique building process where we bring in many experts from different fields to ensure that  the homes we build are perfect for you and your family. We consult with designers, engineers, realtors,  and construction professionals to get the best possible end product. Proposed plans are reviewed by all  parties. We get constant input and feedback from the experts about everything from construction,  mechanical and practical issues, ensuring even the smallest detail is thought through.  Afterwards, with  the practical issues determined, we bring in an interior designer into the process who will use their  expertise to put the finishing touches on the house.   A successful collaboration means everybody checks their egos at their door. Everyone must contribute  their best within their own expertise.  Apex prides in projects touched by the hand of many different  professionals – successful collaboration is our hallmark.   In fact, many of our houses are sold even before completion. Someone will usually drive by and begin to  chat with our site manager about the impressive building taking shape. One or two visits are usually all it  takes before our realtor takes their call.   We are able to avoid many developments where too much money is spent in one part of the  construction only forced to compromise in other more critical areas. In addition, years of developing  trade skill and loyalty pays dividends in speed and quality of workmanship.   If you are looking at building a spec or custom home, or renovation, gain the benefit of our expertise and  experience.   Give us a call 1.877.546.2739    

By | 2017-06-20T00:25:32+00:00 March 16th, 2017|Concepts|

Highway 1 Construction Signals Boom For the North Shore

North Vancouver is known for its natural beauty and gorgeous homes, but it’s also famous for its traffic jams. Traffic woes are a daily occurrence for both The Lion’s Gate and Iron Workers’ Bridges, which can be backed up to 6 kilometers as early as 3pm on a weekday in either direction. Years of frustration [...]

By | 2017-06-20T00:25:32+00:00 February 15th, 2017|Residential|