The single-family home still popular
PHOTO ARYANNE GAGNÉ, PROVIDED BY ROXANNE JODOIN
Buyers typically look for properties with three or more bedrooms. Here, a bedroom in a century-old house in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
Single-family homes are still popular with buyers, especially young families. “Suburbs and single-family homes are more attractive for the yard, the square footage and the quality of life,” explains Caroline Doyle, owner of the Forget and Doyle brokerage team at Royal LePage Urban. In terms of the number of bedrooms, buyers want a minimum of three “to have at least an office and a bedroom or two for the kids,” she says.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROXANNE JODOIN
Landscaped backyards are coveted, assures broker Roxanne Jodoin.
Homes with amenities are in demand, especially those with a landscaped backyard, explains Roxanne Jodoin, of the Royal LePage Privilège real estate agency.
“The backyard becomes an outdoor room that is an extension of the dining room or living room,” says the woman who works on the South Shore of Montreal. We can think of a summer kitchen, an outdoor living room or a fireplace. “It’s something that can be love at first sight,” she says. On the other hand, swimming pools are not necessarily sought after, says Caroline Doyle. They can attract families, but put off some who see them mainly as maintenance and costs.
Further from the city
PHOTO ALEX LÉVEILLÉ, PROVIDED BY CAROLINE DOYLE
The more remote suburbs are sought after by buyers, with some even looking for “a kind of hybrid between a house and a cottage.”
Of course, those who are eyeing houses often move away from the city since prices are high and teleworking allows for greater flexibility. “I see an exodus to the suburbs or the countryside, about an hour’s drive from Montreal,” notes Roxanne Jodoin. “People will move a little further away from the first ring to have access to larger lots, houses or a sort of hybrid between a house and a cottage. With teleworking, people can afford it.”
Who is looking to the countryside? People who are approaching retirement, says Caroline Doyle. They are planning for their old age and are “already thinking about a place in the countryside to avoid the prices that continue to rise,” she says.
The city is not abandoned, however.. In the Montreal area, residential sales in July increased by 12% compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers of Quebec. The metropolis still charms young people, “who stay in the city for the proximity of services and public transportation,” concedes Mme Doyle. Or baby boomers “who sell their property and buy a pied-à-terre in Montreal.”
Read our article “The exodus of Montrealers to the region is running out of steam”
Turnkey properties
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLINE DOYLE
Buyers are turning a lot towards turnkey properties.
Quebec City-area real estate broker Patricia Deguara of RE/MAX Fortin Delage sees many couples who abandon their home once the kids have left and are looking for “a turnkey solution for their new home.” “They want to buy a property, sometimes with a view, sometimes contemporary, definitely something turnkey,” she says, noting that these buyers want to treat themselves. They may be tempted by a “maintenance-free, worry-free” condo or a home designed to accommodate friends and family.
Even for the youngest, turnkey solutions are sought after. “Young people may have less know-how,” says Roxanne Jodoin. “Some will make this choice for the sake of time and comfort.” And renovations are expensive, she points out.