Would you like to settle near your parents or your grown children? Could a new semi-detached home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand be the chance to do it? The idea that often comes up first is a multigenerational home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand: one property, two units, one family. Yet it isn't the only way to live close to the people you love.

This article looks at another approach: two separate homes, each one complete, in the same neighbourhood. BÉAcité is the group of 50 semi-detached homes that Maisons Pépin is building in Sainte-Julie's Vilamo neighbourhood. That's how it describes itself: as a fine alternative to the intergenerational (bigénération) concept. So BÉAcité doesn't sell multigenerational homes. It offers each household its own place, close to the other.

Below, you'll find what your town allows and the points to check before you commit. You'll also find a few ideas for a home office.

What Saint-Basile-le-Grand allows for a multigenerational unit

The town regulates this type of unit through its financial aid program. Here are the conditions it publishes:

Such a unit is allowed only as a secondary use, and only in a detached single-family house.
An interior door must connect the two units.
The property keeps a single civic number, a single mailbox and a single service entrance.
A tax credit covers the water, sewer and waste-collection charges of the second unit. You have to apply for it again every year.

In short, you need a detached house large enough for two connected units. These rules can change, and this summary is in no way legal advice. For a specific project, check with the town and a professional.

Why the question matters in your town

A few figures make the topic very timely in Saint-Basile-le-Grand:

The number of residents aged 65 and over is expected to rise by 61.7% by 2041. This projection comes from the Institut de la statistique du Québec and is cited by Montérégie public health.
At the 2021 Census, 35.0% of households were couples with children, against 22.7% across Quebec.
26.2% of people aged 75 and over lived alone.
Multigenerational households remain rare: 90 households, or 1.4%, the same share as in Quebec.

Two generations are well represented, yet few families live under one roof. That's exactly where the idea of living side by side, rather than together, comes in.

Two neighbouring homes instead of one shared house

At BÉAcité, closeness doesn't come through a wall with a door cut into it. Each household buys its own semi-detached home, with its own entrance, garage, private garden and garden-level backyard. You can share morning coffee without sharing a kitchen. Complete landscaping is included and every home comes with an all-inclusive maintenance program, so neither household ends up responsible for the upkeep of two properties.

The semi-detached bungalow, to avoid stairs

It has a 1,006 sq ft ground floor, a basement of the same size and a 294 sq ft garage. Most of daily life happens on one level.

The Duo cottage, for the household that needs room

Its 2,018 sq ft of living space spans two levels. A 338 sq ft mezzanine can be added as an option. Nothing stops the parents from choosing the bungalow and the children the cottage. The project offers both.

Are your parents mostly looking to be free of outdoor chores? Our piece on finding a maintenance-free home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand was written for them.

Multigenerational home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand or two semis: comparing

Both arrangements answer the same wish to be close, but in different ways:

Ownership: a multigenerational unit is part of one building, under one civic number. Two semi-detached homes are two separate properties.
Type of house: in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, the arrangement requires a detached single-family house. At BÉAcité, each household has its own new semi.
Privacy: an interior door links the two units. Each semi-detached home has its own entrance.
The future: when one household wants to move, a separate home can be sold on its own. An integrated unit stays with the main house.

Neither is better in itself. It all depends on how close your family wants to be and how you want to share the decisions.

What to check before you choose

For many families, the ideal would be two adjoining homes, or even both sides of the same semi-detached pair. But the lots you want still have to be free at the right time. Only the sales representative can confirm that:

Eddy Guessous, sales director, knows the status of all 50 lots on Geoffrion and Bissonnette streets. He knows which homes are finished, which can be ready in about four months and which are still to be customized. Reach him at 514-812-9633, by phone or text, or at ventes@beacite.com.
A notary can advise you if several people are buying together or a relative is helping out. This article is not legal advice.

One household may want to keep its home in Saint-Basile-le-Grand. If so, the gap stays small: about 14 minutes without traffic from town hall. To weigh the two settings, our article on living in Sainte-Julie or Saint-Basile-le-Grand sets the figures side by side.

A home office without giving up a bedroom

At the 2021 Census, 25.8% of Saint-Basile-le-Grand's workers worked from home. That's exactly the same share as the metro area as a whole. The figure dates from May 2021, at the height of the pandemic, so it may not reflect today. If remote work is part of your week, it's worth planning a real office space.

In the Duo cottage, the optional mezzanine adds an extra 338 sq ft level. It brings the living area to 2,356 sq ft: enough for a workstation that doesn't take over a bedroom. The homes on Geoffrion Street show other ways to do it. The house at 423 has an open office designed for working from home. The photos of 405 show a mezzanine set up as an office, and those of 408 a closed office with a glass door. Those of 435 show a bright office with an olive-green wall. These are features of specific homes, not standard inclusions. Talk them over with the representative.

Conclusion

In Saint-Basile-le-Grand, a multigenerational unit requires a detached single-family house, an interior door and a single civic number. If those conditions don't suit your family, BÉAcité offers the other approach: two complete semi-detached homes in the same neighbourhood, with full landscaping and upkeep taken care of, about 14 minutes from Rue Principale. Check which lots are free with the representative, and see a notary. A multigenerational home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand is only one of the ways to stay close.

An alternative to a multigenerational home near Saint-Basile-le-Grand