Changing Streetscape

This is a typical house built in the Dunbar area (and in other areas of Vancouver) in the 1930's; this one was built in 1930 on a 50x130.25 foot lot. It was advertised for sale in February 2013 as a "level building lot". In the first photo, the house sits in its context of diversity--the two houses on either side are replacement houses. The one on the left was built in 2011; the one on the right, 1987.

It is interesting to compare the values of the three houses (using the BC Assessments). On the left, the buildings are worth $1,359,000. On the right, the buildings are worth $434,000. The one in the middle is worth $27,500. Since the three lots are identical, the land value is identical, just over $2 million. Obviously, the one in the middle has considerably less interior space, approximately half the space of the others. 

 I did not have a photo of the original house on the left because it was torn down prior my collecting data for this website. However, a neighbour living near there had taken photos of houses in her area, and she kindly lent me her file to use, so here is the original 3869 West 34th Avenue house:

Regarding the house on the right, it was torn down before Google Street View, so it would be difficult to obtain a photo of it. It's GONE.

With this second photo from August, I've included a detail of the roof to show that the house needed work, no doubt quite a lot inside and outside. When a small and decaying house with this kind of low-key charm is torn down, does the neighbourhood lose something?

Torn down prior to September 18, 2014. Address: 3861 West 34th Avenue.

A 50's Bungalow Will Be Replaced With a New Dwelling

Most of the houses in this area that I call the "50's area" are modest one storey bungalows built for middle class families. This house is a bit larger, with its tiny second storey, but it was probably added later, maybe 1960. The property was sold in February 2013 for over $2.5 million and looked like this in March 2013:

In June 2014, it appeared a bit more neglected, likely being empty since it was sold and maybe before. The untamed plants threatened to engulf the house.

Torn down September 15, 2014. The untamed plants and the tree are gone. The surprise is that as of September 17, 2014, the empty lot is now for sale for $3.22 million.