Looking for a new semi-detached home near Outremont when you have children usually comes down to one simple thing: room. An extra bedroom, a basement to play in, a backyard where they can go outside without you watching for traffic.

Outremont is one of the most family-oriented parts of Montreal, and that is also where space can run short. Here is what the numbers say, and what a family home near Outremont can offer in Sainte-Julie, in Maisons Pépin's BÉAcité project.

Outremont, a borough of families

According to Montréal en statistiques, Outremont ranks first among Montreal's boroughs for the share of children under 15: 23.2% of its population in the 2021 Census, compared with 15.3% in the City of Montreal and 17.3% in Sainte-Julie.

The City's household profile points the same way: 2,935 Outremont households, or 31.7%, include children under 18, compared with 21.9% across the City. Of those, 37.1% have two children, 14.3% have three and 14.7% have four or more. These families are often homeowners (62.7%), and the largest group of those owners, 53.0%, live in a home with four or more bedrooms.

On that front, Sainte-Julie will feel familiar: couples with children make up 33.3% of its households, compared with 31.3% in Outremont.

When your home gets too small

The City notes that couples with children in Outremont have the highest crowding rate in the borough: 15.2% live in a dwelling that is too small for them, compared with 6.3% of all households. Their median monthly housing costs reach $2,160, versus $1,300 in the City of Montreal.

The housing stock plays a part too: single-family houses make up only 21.3% of Outremont's dwellings, while apartments, in duplexes or larger buildings, account for nearly eight in ten. Finding a house with one more bedroom without leaving the area isn't always possible.

A family home near Outremont: bedrooms and a basement

At BÉAcité, two of the four turnkey homes already finished have three bedrooms:

423 Geoffrion Street, a three-bedroom Duo home with a finished basement, an open office and a custom wine cellar;
405 Geoffrion Street, with three bedrooms, a mezzanine and a rooftop terrace.

The other two, at 408 and 435, are known here only through their photos, which show bright bedrooms, one of them with a reading nook and a patio door. A visit will tell you how many rooms they have.

As for the models, the Duo cottage offers 2,018 sq ft of living space on two floors, plus an 858 sq ft basement and a garage; the optional mezzanine brings the living space to 2,356 sq ft. Floor areas vary by model and options, and the sales director can give you the figures for each home.

The basement, which all three models have, makes a real difference for a family: a playroom, a homework corner or a guest room, depending on your children's ages. Throughout, large windows light every room, and the ground floor enjoys 9-foot ceilings.

The yard, the garden, and maybe a pool

A family home near Outremont also means outdoor space. Every BÉAcité home has its own garden-level backyard and private garden. Several lots have no rear neighbours, and a pool or spa is possible there. Vilamo's dense landscaping helps with privacy, and exterior landscaping is complete on delivery.

On the practical side, the house has a single garage, a double driveway and an outlet for charging an electric car. And since upkeep is fully handled by an all-inclusive program, your free time stays with the family; our article on the maintenance-free home near Outremont tells you more.

A neighbourhood made for getting outside

The site plan for BÉAcité's 50 lots, on Geoffrion and Bissonnette streets, includes two parks and a retention pond. Around it, the Vilamo neighbourhood has 600,000 sq ft of green space, more than 15% of its area, and a promenade reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and electric transportation.

For family outings, beacite.com mentions a free three-year membership at Espace Tonik Nature, and the Mont-Saint-Bruno ski centre and national park are a few minutes away. Sainte-Julie also has a walking and cycling network of more than 40 km, plus a BIXI station at Parc Arthur-Gauthier.

Vilamo also brings together several types of housing, single-family homes, semi-detached homes, townhouses and condos, built by six builders under architectural standards that shape the neighbourhood's look.

Getting the whole family around

In Sainte-Julie, local public transit is free for everyone, at all times, on every route, and every home in Vilamo is less than 300 m from a bus stop. Everyday shops and services (a pharmacy, medical services, a public market, restaurants, a Caisse Desjardins) are within walking distance. Schools aren't covered here: look into the ones serving the area before you decide.

To stay connected to Outremont, whether family, friends or activities, allow about 40 minutes by car without traffic via the Jacques Cartier Bridge. Our guide to getting from Outremont to Sainte-Julie also covers the weekday metro and bus option.

What you leave behind in Outremont, honestly

It has to be said: Outremont offers a lot to families. The City counts 13 parks, five mini-parks, seven outdoor rinks, an outdoor pool, a wading pool, a splash pad, an arena and a library there, at the foot of Mount Royal. Two metro stations serve the borough.

In Sainte-Julie, family life is organized differently: often more space, inside and out, a planned neighbourhood around a golf course, but more trips by car. It's a choice to make with your eyes open.

Conclusion

A family home near Outremont, in Sainte-Julie, is a chance to give everyone their own bedroom, a basement to play in and a yard to run around in, in a town where couples with children are as common as they are in your borough. To see the three-bedroom homes and tour the neighbourhood, stop by the sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.; evenings and weekends are by appointment.

A family home near Outremont, with room to grow