4 generations, 4 homes, 1 lot: Vancouver family builds own private neighborhood

To help their kids afford housing in the Vancouver area, John and Kathleen Higgins demolished their family home of three decades to build 4 homes on the same lot for their kids, grandkids, and 94-year-old great-grannie.

In 1988, John and Kathleen Higgins bought a modest 1,300-square-foot rancher on a cul-de-sac in Delta, British Columbia, where they raised their seven children. Convinced that the typical 66-foot suburban lot was a waste of land, they began dreaming up alternatives, envisioning smaller homes clustered together to maximize space and community.

After years of pitching the idea to neighbors and local officials, the couple finally gained unanimous approval from the city in 2016 to demolish their old home and replace it with two duplexes—four homes in total—each with its own land title.

The new homes, two at 830 square feet and two at 1,150 square feet, provide a fresh start for the entire family. John and Kathleen now live in one unit, staying rooted in the neighborhood they’ve loved for decades.

Their sons, James and Patrick, each own a unit, a lifeline in a region where homeownership often feels out of reach. The fourth unit belongs to their daughter, who rents it to her 94-year-old grandmother, now surrounded by two great-grandchildren and one more on the way.

  / mysmallerhouse  
John Higgins (architect) [email protected]
Thanks to Patrick Higgins for additional footage: Higginsfilm.com
  / higginsfilm  

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