The container laneway suite itself cost $80,000. Additional costs included delivery, permits, site preparation, connections, and landscaping, all of which totalled approximately $52,000.
From Storeys:
Toronto Just Got its First Modular Container Laneway Suite
Toronto’s first modular container laneway suite is now a reality.
Ballance Containers, one of the few companies that specializes in sustainable living solutions, recently opened up options for laneway suites with the construction of the innovative new home.
Located in the city’s Leslieville neighbourhood, the structure is a modern and compact 225-square-foot studio suite with a kitchenette and is connected to the home’s electrical, water, and sanitation systems.
Whereas laneway suites — which became legalized in 2018 in Toronto — can take months to build, a container home can be fabricated in four weeks. The installation is much easier, quicker, and less taxing for all parties involved (including the neighbours). In addition to secondary suites, modular construction also allows homeowners to add a second level in the future, providing they abide by zoning and permit rules.
“We have been building with modified containers for the events industry since 2017,” says Eric Ballance, founder and CEO of Ballance Containers. “We were forced to pivot in 2020 due to the effects that covid had on the events industry, as a result Ballance started to build residential grade container homes. Covid and the pandemic fuelled the need for this new forward thinking, rapid housing solution.”
Both laneway suites and the recently-approved (but hotly contested) garden suites offer possibilities for homeowners looking for extra space for everything from offices and gyms, to living quarters for aging in-laws. Furthermore, they offer a means to generate rental income in a climate of sky-high home and mortgage prices.
