Journal
The Journal.
Plain-language guides to custom home building and renovation, plus multiplex development, zoning, and what BC's new housing rules mean for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley homeowners and investors.
Homeowner Guides
You own a Vancouver lot and you're not sure what to do next. Start here.
You own a single-family lot in Metro Vancouver and you keep hearing you could build more homes on it. This is the order things actually happen in: what to check first, what a feasibility review tells you, how a partnership works, and when a builder gets involved.
Trent Praski · September 5, 2026 · 9 min read
Homeowner Guides
Questions to ask before developing your Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley lot
Before you sign anything to develop your lot into a multiplex, there are questions that separate a sound partnership from a costly mistake. Here are the ones we'd ask.
Trent Praski · August 27, 2026 · 7 min
Homeowner Guides
Where do you live while your lot is redeveloped?
If you're partnering on a multiplex on the lot you live on, you'll need somewhere to stay during construction. Here are the real options, the timeline that sets how long, and the costs that drive each one.
Trent Praski · August 26, 2026 · 7 min
Homeowner Guides
The 2-5-10 home warranty, explained for new multiplex owners
Every new multiplex unit in BC comes with mandatory home warranty insurance. Here's what the 2-5-10 actually covers, what it doesn't, and how it transfers when you sell.
Trent Praski · August 24, 2026 · 8 min
Homeowner Guides
The City of Vancouver multiplex permitting process, step by step
From a first feasibility check to the building permit and final inspections, here's the City of Vancouver multiplex permitting process explained in plain language, what each stage involves, which drawings you need, and where projects tend to slow down. Updated July 2026.
Trent Praski · August 8, 2026 · 7 min
Homeowner Guides
Sell, Develop, or Hold: Which Makes Sense for Your Vancouver Lot?
Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley homeowners sitting on a developable lot have three real options right now: sell, develop with a partner, or hold. Each one has a different payoff, a different timeline, and a different risk profile. Here is how to think through all three honestly.
Trent Praski · July 21, 2026 · 7 min
Homeowner Guides
Multigenerational housing in Metro Vancouver: building a multiplex for two generations
Surrey alone has nearly one in ten households living across two generations under one roof. Multigenerational housing built as a multiplex under Bill 44 is now the most practical way to make that work, separate legal units, separate front doors, separate lives that stay connected.
Trent Praski · July 13, 2026 · 6 min
Common questions
About the Journal
What topics does the Venture Pacific Journal cover?
The Venture Pacific Journal covers Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley multiplex development, specifically BC's Bill 44 / SSMUH rules, GP/LP partnership structure for homeowners and investors, feasibility reviews, city-by-city permitting guides (Vancouver R1-1, Burnaby SSMUH, Richmond RSM), construction timelines, financing, and missing-middle housing strategy.
What is SSMUH and how does it affect Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley homeowners?
Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) is the BC provincial policy, enacted under Bill 44 in 2023, that requires municipalities to allow three to six homes on most standard residential lots without a rezoning. Lots within 400 metres of a frequent transit stop can add a sixth unit. This affects most Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley homeowners, including those in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, and New Westminster, by dramatically expanding what they can build on land they already own.
What is a GP/LP partnership in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley multiplex development?
A GP/LP (General Partner / Limited Partner) partnership is a limited-partnership structure for real estate development. In a Venture Pacific arrangement, the homeowner contributes their land as equity and becomes a Limited Partner. Venture Pacific acts as General Partner, contributing capital, design, permitting, and construction management while carrying the construction risk. Proceeds are shared at project completion according to the partnership agreement.
How long does a Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley multiplex development take from lot to completion?
Most Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley SSMUH-compliant multiplex projects take 18 to 36 months from the start of the feasibility review to occupancy: six to twelve months for design and permitting, and twelve to eighteen months for construction. Projects requiring a rezoning or development variance permit take longer. Venture Pacific's Manchester Living project, for example, had its rezoning approved December 2023 and is expected to complete August 2026.
Does the Journal cover custom home building as well as multiplex development?
Yes. The Journal is organized into two sections: Build, covering custom homes, renovations, and construction contracts and costs, and Develop, covering multiplex development, SSMUH and Bill 44 zoning, GP/LP partnerships, and city-by-city permitting. Each post is tagged into one of these two sections so readers can filter to the topic that matches their project.
Can I get new Journal posts without checking the site?
Yes. The Journal publishes an RSS feed at venturepacific.ca/rss.xml that any feed reader can subscribe to. New posts on both the Build and Develop sides appear in the feed as soon as they go live, so a reader following BC housing policy or construction-cost updates does not need to check the page manually.
Are the Journal's zoning and permitting guides specific to one city?
No, they cover multiple Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley municipalities separately, because SSMUH rules differ by city. Vancouver's guide explains the R1-1 zone, Burnaby's covers its R1 SSMUH district, and Richmond's covers the RSM zone. A homeowner should read the guide for their specific municipality rather than assume the rules match a neighbouring city.
Who writes the Venture Pacific Journal?
Journal posts are written by Venture Pacific's own team members and credited by name on each post. Most bylines link to that person's team profile page. This keeps the byline tied to a real, identifiable person rather than an anonymous company account, so a reader can check who is behind the zoning, financing, or construction guidance in any given article.
Let's talk about your property
A conversation, not a commitment.
Whether you're curious about the multiplex value of your land or looking to partner on a missing-middle build, we're here to start the conversation.