Before choosing a new semi-detached home near Blainville to live close to your parents, or to your grown children, one question comes first: one shared house, or two houses?

In Blainville, it's far from theoretical. According to the 2021 Census, 515 households, or 2.3% of the city's households, were multigenerational, compared with 1.3% in Sainte-Julie and 1.4% in Quebec. This article compares the multigenerational home near Blainville, as the City regulates it, with the approach BÉAcité offers in Sainte-Julie: two separate homes. Neither one is the right answer for every family, and the choice often depends as much on personalities as on budgets.

The intergenerational home, as Blainville regulates it

Blainville's bylaws provide for an additional intergenerational unit. According to the City, these dwellings have only one civic address and a single heating, electrical, water and sewer system used by everyone in the home, and only one main entrance at the front is allowed. The added unit must be connected to, and permanently open onto, the other rooms of the main dwelling.

It is permitted only in a single-family home, and it's intended for people related by blood or marriage. The aim, the City says, is to encourage several generations to live in the same dwelling.

One address, one entrance: what it involves

In practice, this formula puts two households under one roof, sharing the same systems. It requires work: a building permit is needed before starting. To encourage such projects, the City runs a residential renovation and expansion assistance program, available in particular for any detached single-family home converted into an intergenerational dwelling; it offsets the property-tax increase through a credit, for the year of the work and the two years after. Its conditions and deadline should be checked with the City.

The arrangement has clear advantages: you're as close as can be, help is always at hand, and a single property is enough. It also means agreeing on a lot — heating, the entrance, everyday noise — and thinking about what will become of the added unit when circumstances change.

Multigenerational home near Blainville: the other way, two separate houses

BÉAcité Duo presents itself as a fine alternative to the intergenerational concept. The idea is simple: instead of sharing a house, each household has its own, a complete single-family semi-detached home, with its own entrance, garden-level backyard and garage. No conversion is needed, since each house is designed for one household from the start.

One important point: whether you can reserve two homes close to each other in the project depends on what's available when you start looking. Ask the sales director right away, with the site plan in hand: 50 lots on Geoffrion and Bissonnette streets, with two parks and a retention pond.

Stairs, or no stairs

When two generations move together, their needs aren't necessarily the same. Floor areas belong to the models:

the semi-detached bungalow is single-storey: 1,006 sq ft on the ground floor, with a basement of the same size and a garage;
the Duo cottage offers 2,018 sq ft of living space on two levels, or 2,356 sq ft with the optional mezzanine;
the Urbain model has 1,622 sq ft of living space.

Among the four homes already built, the photos of 435 Geoffrion Street show a residential elevator, between the open-plan ground floor and the upper level. Grandparents who would rather avoid stairs will probably look at the bungalow first; a household with children, at the extra room the Duo cottage provides. A visit lets you judge, on the spot, what would suit each person.

Upkeep: one less thing to sort out between generations

In a shared house, upkeep often becomes a family matter, split between two households with different schedules and different strengths. At BÉAcité, full landscaping comes with the purchase and the all-inclusive maintenance program takes over from there; the sales director will give you the details. In Quebec, every new home sold by a builder must also be covered by the mandatory guarantee plan for new residential buildings, and the sales representative explains the coverage.

A neighbourhood for grandparents and grandchildren alike

Two generations don't expect the same things from a neighbourhood, and Vilamo answers to both. For older family members who would rather not depend on a car, a full commercial strip is within walking distance — medical services, a pharmacy, a public market, restaurants, a Caisse Desjardins — and Sainte-Julie's local public transit is free for everyone, at all times, on every route. Every home in Vilamo is less than 300 m from a bus stop.

For the youngest, BÉAcité's site plan includes two parks, a promenade is set aside for pedestrians and cyclists, and the city's walking and cycling network runs to more than 40 km. Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park, right next to Sainte-Julie, is ideal for family outings that bring every generation along.

What to settle before you decide

Each household's timeline: four turnkey homes are for sale right away, several customizable homes can be ready in about four months, and 20 more are still to be customized.
Ownership: two separate houses mean two purchases; your notary can help you structure the family project. Two separate houses can also be resold separately, should one household move on later.
The distance from those who stay: if part of the family remains in Blainville, read our article on the drive from Blainville to Sainte-Julie.
Work: if the adult child works from home to stay available, see our article on finding a home with a home office near Blainville.

Conclusion

A multigenerational home near Blainville, in the sense of the municipal bylaws, means one address, one entrance and shared systems, with a permit and renovations. BÉAcité offers the other way: two separate homes, each complete, looked after by an all-inclusive program. To find out whether two homes close together are available, and which would suit each generation, the simplest step is a visit to the sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street: weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment in the evening and on weekends.

Multigenerational home near Blainville: one address or two?