Do you think there is a housing crisis in Montreal? You haven’t seen La Tuque.
“I don’t know if you know anything about Haute-Mauricie, but for the past two or three years, it’s been absolutely impossible to find adequate accommodation,” notes Claudette Claveau, a resident of La Tuque who has managed to keep her cool head, as we will see.
“The main factor is the fact that there is a major repair of the dams in the Haute-Mauricie territory, which has brought in a very large flow of workers from outside. So duplex or triplex owners have transformed their homes into workers’ rooms, which is obviously much more lucrative. »
Even the tight-knit community of La Tuque cannot escape the lure of real estate gain.
“Which means that small families, young couples and people like me who are looking to find housing are not able to do so. There are none available. »
Purchasing is not easier, and she proves it.
I will invite you to visit, at your convenience, the Centris La Tuque real estate website. You will see what is available in terms of housing and houses for sale. It borders on the ridiculous.
Claudette Claveau, resident of La Tuque
Invitation accepted.
The real estate market in La Tuque as of January 29
57 properties for sale, including:
• 12 condos (to be built, all in the same project)
• 18 courts
• 5 chalets
• 14 single-family homes
• 6 duplexes
• 2 triplexes
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE RE/MAX SITE
A duplex built in 1920 put up for sale in La Tuque at the end of January for $99,900.
Source: Centris, La Tuque, January 29, 2024
“You can buy a chalet for $600,000!” », exclaims the Latuquoise.
On January 29, a chalet was offered for $499,000.
“And what you see as a house or duplex for sale is completely outdated. It needs a lot of love. »
A duplex built in 1920, a simple cube covered in plastic cladding, was advertised at $99,900.
“So we couldn’t find accommodation. »
In 2022, Claudette Claveau lived in a 4 1/2 on the upper floor of a duplex. “I was close to retirement and I didn’t want to invest in a property on my own,” says the 65-year-old woman.
His daughter Vicky, then aged 38, occupied a 5 1/2 in a multiplex with her daughter in shared custody.
“It cost him a lot of housing. So we got together and wanted to buy a duplex. »
For a year and a half, they visited “everything that was on the market,” but they found nothing interesting, or even drinkable, within their budget of approximately $220,000.
“These were buildings that needed a lot of renovation. Finally, we found a single-family home that was within our budget. I didn’t really fall in love, but we thought it was a good solution for us because the basement was completely renovated. »
The transaction closed in October 2022.
“We paid $168,000 for the house. We each gave $20,000 as a down payment. »
In the basement, Vicky and her daughter each have their own bedroom, a large living room and a bathroom.
On the ground floor, Claudette enjoys the kitchen, living room and three bedrooms.
“There is one that is dedicated specifically to the activities of my daughter and my granddaughter, because they take a lot of photos, paintings, drawings,” she says. The other bedroom will be reserved for the expansion of the kitchen. »
The basement accommodation does not have any.
“We share the grocery costs and I cook in exchange for washing dishes, transporting the bins to the side of the street and doing small jobs around the house,” explains the co-owner.
Semi-retired, Claudette works from Friday to Sunday. “My daughter has full use of the whole house all weekend. And I have peace all week,” she describes with a laugh.
Little Sophia lives with her mother every other week.
“They live a lot in the basement, but they come upstairs for meals. This is the time we have in the day to talk about this. »
Sharing space and expenses
“Everything concerning the house, the mortgage, the insurance, the electricity, the taxes, we pay it together,” says M.me Claveau. “There’s not a lot of discussion around what we should or shouldn’t pay. We share the snow removal costs. Everything is well calculated. »
Claudette and Vicky pay their monthly contribution into the joint provident fund.
The grandmother, mother and little girl live in an elderly home that needs all the love they can give. Fortunately, Vicky is skilled. “We are redoing wardrobes in the house. Mom pays for the materials and the daughter takes care of the rest. We get along very well like that. »
The fact remains that three generations of women live in the same house, the layout of which necessarily includes some elegant compromises and a generous layer of diplomacy.
We don’t always have the same ideas, and we’re not always in a good mood. And a 12-year-old preteen in the house is not always easy. But we are getting organized. And the house is so big! If we want to sulk, we each do that on our floor and that’s it. And we move on to other things the next day.
Claudette Claveau, resident of La Tuque
“It’s beneficial, both for my daughter and for me,” says Claudette Claveau.
Their lifestyle costs each of them around $1,250 per month, she estimates.
“We’re not looking far, but we’re not close to selling. We talk about renovating the house, we have plans, we put it on paper. Then we leave like that, it suits us both,” she said in a serene voice.