Straight answers to the real questions.

The Free Property Report™ is a personalized read on your property: what your lot allows today, the built forms it could support, an estimate of value now and once built, and the financing options you may qualify for. It is free, takes about two minutes to start, and comes with no obligation.

No — that is what the report is for. Most owners start with nothing more than "what is the smartest move for my property?" We show you the realistic options and the numbers behind each, and you decide from there.

It depends on the project. A basement or garden suite typically runs 2–4 months for design and permits, then 4–8 months to build. A multiplex conversion usually lands in the 12–18 month range end-to-end. Larger projects take longer — your report sets honest expectations for your specific plan.

Four metros: the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan and more), Metro Vancouver (Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam), Calgary and area (Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere) and Edmonton and area (St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove). Start your free report to confirm we serve your address.

It depends on your city. Ontario allows up to three units on most residential lots with no rezoning (Bill 23), and Toronto permits fourplexes city-wide. Vancouver allows up to six units on a standard lot — eight if all rental. Edmonton permits up to eight as-of-right. In Calgary, suites are broadly permitted and multi-unit potential is lot-specific. Your free report confirms the number for your exact address.

Usually not for the small-scale forms — they are permitted as-of-right in most of our markets: three units across Ontario, fourplexes in Toronto, multiplexes in Vancouver, up to eight units in Edmonton. Variances come into play when a design pushes past setbacks, height or lot-coverage limits. We design to avoid them where possible, and manage the process when one is worth it.

If it was built without permits, quite possibly not — that is the #1 gap in Canadian suites. The good news: legalization paths exist in every market we serve — Ontario’s retrofit rules are forgiving, and Calgary even runs an official suite registry. Your free report flags where your suite stands and what legalizing it would take.

Backyard homes are established options in all four metros: laneway and garden suites in Toronto, laneway houses in Vancouver, and backyard suites in Calgary and Edmonton. Whether your lot qualifies depends on access, lot depth and servicing — exactly what the free report checks.

Construction typically runs about $300–$500 per square foot for new builds, and conversions of existing space (like basements) run meaningfully less per foot. Costs vary by market — your free report prices your actual project with current local numbers.

Almost nobody pays cash. Most owners finance the build — often against the property’s value once built — so the rent covers the payments. We map the government-backed financing options and programs you may qualify for. HouseLyft is not a lender; we help you understand and access what exists.

No. The proposed federal Secondary Suite Loan was cancelled in Budget 2025 and never launched. Be wary of anyone still advertising it. We build your financing plan around programs that are actually active today.

Adding units usually increases your assessed value, so plan for some increase — it is a normal cost of an income property, and the rent typically outweighs it many times over. On the flip side, additional residential units are largely exempt from development charges in Ontario, and Alberta’s per-unit charges are among the lightest in the country — savings your report itemizes for your address.

Everything between "what could this become?" and keys in hand: feasibility, design, approvals and permits, financing strategy, and a managed build with one team accountable to the finish. You make the decisions; we do the heavy lifting.

The report is free. If the numbers make sense and you want to go deeper, the Property Opportunity Blueprint™ prices your exact project — budget, returns and financing path — before you commit to anything. You always see the numbers before you spend a dollar on construction.

No. The report is yours to keep — use it with us, with another builder, or simply to make a decision. Most people stay because one accountable team is simpler, but there is genuinely no obligation.

Neither. We are a property-development team. We help you understand and access government-backed financing options and programs, and we coordinate with your lender or broker — but financing decisions and approvals always rest with the lender.