JDL Blog

Please join JDL Homes as we congratulate our trusted partner Modern Classic Building Solutions on the launch of their new website!

Modern Classic is family owned and operated right here in the Lower Mainland. They supply and install quality custom storage solutions and millwork, architectural hardware, windows and doors.

If you are a designer, contractor or speciality stores in the Lower Mainland, check them out!


Congrats guys!

It's November and you know what that means!??? It's time to celebrate MOVEMBER! 

If you notice a lot of bald face men around our job sites this week, don't be alarmed! The JDL Homes crew is proud to be taking part in Movember. We're growing mustaches during the month of November to support Prostate Cancer Canada.

Even Jeff's great big beard has been sacrificed in order to comply with the rules of Movember - everyone must start the month with a freshly shaven face. He's freezing, but excited!

Keep up to date on our Movember mustaches. You should follow us on twitter here.

Check out the City of Vancouver's informative Laneway Housing How-To Guide below. Read about lot-size requirements, design restrictions and inspiration!

Read more about laneway homes on the City of Vancouver's website.

On Saturday, October 1st, the Langford family bundled up the baby and struck out to take in the Vancouver Heritage Foundation's 2011 Laneway House Tour.

While we didn't make it to all the houses, what we did see was inspiring. It was great to see some other builders doing stylish, high-quality work.

Laneway housing has met with some resistance since its introduction to Vancouver in 2009. However, walking through some of these homes it is clear that they are a smart, practical solution for affordable housing in our region.

As a licenced and insured new-home builder, JDL Homes can help you with your laneway home from design to build and all the details in between.

Check out the homes below for inspiration and then contact Doug today for your free consultation.

Small really is beautiful! This 750 square foot 2 bedroom plus garage is full of smart storage and plenty of light. I was impressed that the second bedroom had room for a crib AND a built-in captain's bed.

Lot Size: 50 x 120
Zoning: RS-1
2 bedroom
750 square feet (plus garage)

The nice big balcony was a key feature of this spot. The upstairs living space was an interesting reversal from some of the others which were primarily living downstairs, sleeping upstairs. However, the bakers on the tour wondered if they could survive in a home without a proper oven.

Lot Size: 35.25 x 112
Zoning: RS-5
1 bedroom
921 square feet (including garage)

This home built by the owner was the first stop on the tour. It was absolutely gorgeous and made me think we should build a laneway house for our family and just rent out our main house! Yes, it was that nice. The builder made excellent use of windows, french doors and skylights to keep the entire space feeling bright and airy. All the natural light made you forget you were in a laneway house.

Lot Size: 47.5 x 130
Zoning: RS-1
2 bedrooms
970 square feet (including garage)

At 530 square feet this was the smallest laneway house we looked at on the tour. The house featured  a one-wall galley kitchen, one and a half baths and beautiful french doors opening out from the kitchen / main living space onto an outdoor patio.

Lot Size: 33 x 130
Zoning: RS-1
1 bedroom
530 square feet

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost upon us? Where does the time go?

It just so happens JDL Homes also celebrates its birthday around this time of year. It's a time for reflection, celebration and gratitude.

As we look back, we are so thankful for everyone who has been a part of our extended JDL family. From clients who have become dear friends, to our trades, to our crew who work side-by-side with us everyday, we are so grateful for your support.

We raise our glass to all of you who have made JDL Homes possible:

From our family to yours, thank you. Here's to many more years.

Cheers,
Doug & Jeff

JDL Homes is proud to introduce our featured designer, Jevons Tang.

Jevons comes from a construction family; both her father and uncle worked in the construction industry in Hong Kong.

Jevons practiced in Hong Kong for 10 years before arriving in Canada. In Hong Kong, she worked for an interior architecture firm specializing in large commercial projects such as hotel lobbies and condominum clubhouses.

Jevons continued her design education here in Canada and is now an Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer (AKBD). Her exceptional knowledge of plumbing and construction processes gives her a unique perspective as a designer as she truely understands the functional elements of the design / build process.

Doug and Jeff are thrilled to have Jevons Tang working in partnership with the JDL Homes team. Her humour, keen eye for design, excellent attention to detail and committment to customer service make her a pleasure to work with and we're glad to count her as part of the JDL family.

Watch for upcoming blog posts from Jevons Tang for great design ideas, tips on how to complete new home construction here in Canada while living over-seas, and tips and tricks for your next kitchen or bathroom renovation.

Don't forget to check out some of Jevons' work in our portfolio!

It's a dreary, rainy September day here in Vancouver. 

What better way to perk up than to look forward to Spring with the Pantone Spring 2012 Colour Trend Report?!

Pantone is a world authority on colour and is a leading colour trend forcaster. Designers of all stripes look to Pantone for inspiration, to track trends and keep them up-to-date on the hottest up-and-coming colours.

Curl up with a cup of tea, forget that it's raining, and plan your Spring design project with the help of Pantone's colour report.

Here's a few reasons to think again . . .

Means no instructions. No instructions means trouble. See where this is heading?

If you buy a display model (with no box and no instructions) you're in a dangerous situation where you don't know what you don't know. You'll have no idea if you're missing anything until you're well into the installation. If you're lucky.

If you're unlucky, you might not notice you're missing a piece until your fixture starts leaking. Whoops.

Ok, so you saved a ton on your fixture by buying a display model. That's great.

Except now you have no box, no instructions and are probably missing parts. You suddenly find yourself paying a plumber an hourly rate to run all over town in search of the exact screws in the exact colour you need to match your fixture. And because he has no instructions, it's going to take him a lot longer to install it.

Suddenly, that great deal has cost you more than you would have paid for the item in a box, with instructions and all the parts included.

Maybe it wasn't such a great deal afterall?

We admit it. We love a bargain. Who doesn't?

Unfortunately sometimes those bargains are, well - more than you bargained for.

Case in point:


A friend found a great deal on a fixture at one of the many discount building supply stores in town. Great piece, great price. Or so they thought.

On closer inspection, our friend realized that the colours of the various parts of the fixture didn't match. There was not one, not two, but THREE shades of chrome.

The General Contractor had to go to the store not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES due to problems with the fixture.

The plumbers had to install the fixture TWICE.

In the end, our friend gave up and bought a better quality fixture from a reputable dealer, having spent three times the value of the initial fixture in labour costs.

The moral of the story?

When buying fixtures for your home that you will use every day, remember to invest your money wisely. They will see heavy wear and tear; you'll appreciate the lifetime warranty that is offered on quality fixtures by most reputable dealers. 

We don't think much about our kitchen faucet or shower head, but you'll quickly realize how much you use them if they don't function properly.

If you are using it every day, you're going to want it to work. Spend your money accordingly.

At JDL Homes, we are always looking to help our clients get the best value for their money.

Unfortunately, over the years, we've seen folks make expensive mistakes in a effort to watch their bottom line.

Our new feature "Spend a Dollar to Save a Dime" is designed to help you keep from making the same mistakes.

We invite you to have a read, enjoy a laugh and save your money!

Cheers,
Doug & Jeff