Thursday 25 November 2021

Goal Setting for the Business

Do you set goals every year? Whether personal or professional, setting goals can help achieve the outcomes you want. 

 Every year towards the end of November the BCO Team does its goal setting for the upcoming year. We find this so helpful, as it lets us both reflect on what the past year brought at the same time as looking forward to a new year. It allows us to deep dive on what worked, what didn't, what we need more of and what we need less of. It also allows us to kick around new ideas and discuss possible new plans or directions.


Goal setting for BCO puts our clients front and centre. It is all about how can we help our clients achieve their goals in real estate? What information, systems and tools can we provide or develop that will serve our clients' needs?

Meeting our goals means bringing success to our clients and helping them reach their goals. Having a plan in place makes our success, and their success, that much more reachable.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!


Thursday 11 November 2021

No Zoning? What Does That Mean?

Most people who live in a municipality with a governing body are familiar with zoning bylaws. These tell a property owner what types of activities, buildings and uses are allowed for a specific property. However, the rules change when you move to a more secluded or remote area. 


Many rural properties in BC are excluded from zoning bylaws by their respective Regional Districts and are simply referred to as No Zoning areas on maps. However, if you read the fine print, most Regional Districts will inform you that there are still requirements. This example is taken from the
 Mount Waddington Regional District site:

“While there is no Building Bylaw in effect outside of the communities of Coal Harbour, Hyde Creek, Malcolm Island and Woss, that requires a Building Permit or Site Permit to be applied for and issued for new construction, all construction must meet the requirements of the BC Building Code.”

This may seem to be a bit too much structure for someone who just wants to go build a cabin in a remote location, However there are some good reasons to pay attention, and not just because all buildings built in BC are required to meet the BC Building Code.

While we might want, and plan for, our recreational or remote property to stay in the family for generations, sometimes life happens. If you need to sell a property that you have built on within 10 years of the building being completed, you have to have a Home warranty (Homeowner Protection Act) in order to be able to sell. This is becoming more of an issue, and there are properties that cannot be sold right away because they don't have a home warranty or Owner Builder Authorization. Rectifying this, when possible, can take time and cause frustration for someone who needs to sell the property.

Insurance premiums are constantly on the rise and getting insurance for a remote property can be a challenge. Building it to code may help your chances of getting insured.

A lot of the basic Building Code is around safety issues. In remote areas where services such as fire departments and emergency support are minimal or non-existent following the code may help keep both the property and the people using it protected and as safe as possible.

Education and information are key, wherever you want to build in BC.

Resources:
http://www.bccodes.ca/building-code.aspx?vid=QPLEGALEZE:bccodes_2012_view (A copy of the BC Building Codes is likely in your local library as well, or at your city/village/regional district office)

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!