Question for Indo-Canadians who grew up in those big houses

[canuckster19]

I remember those bigger houses popping up all over Surrey in the 90s, and they generally seemed to be occupied by Indo Canadians, I had some Indo Canadian friends in school but they all lived in more "typical" 3 bedroom 2 bathroom type houses. 

 

Anyways my question is kinda simple, how big are they, number of rooms, types and how many people would live there?

[D.B Cooper]

37 minutes ago, canuckster19 said:

I remember those bigger houses popping up all over Surrey in the 90s, and they generally seemed to be occupied by Indo Canadians, I had some Indo Canadian friends in school but they all lived in more "typical" 3 bedroom 2 bathroom type houses. 

 

Anyways my question is kinda simple, how big are they, number of rooms, types and how many people would live there?

Only Indo people live in those houses.  
I know some indo people, but they don’t live in those houses. 
How many indo people could they cram in there?   
 

lol.    Easily could have asked the exact same question without mentioning race at all.  
 

Does anyone know anything about the large farm houses built in the 90s I’m the Surrey area?     How many rooms, saw feet were they usually?   
 

also, could have just looked on a real estate website.  

 

[canuckster19]

17 minutes ago, drummerboy said:

Only Indo people live in those houses.  
I know some indo people, but they don’t live in those houses. 
How many indo people could they cram in there?   
 

lol.    Easily could have asked the exact same question without mentioning race at all.  
 

Does anyone know anything about the large farm houses built in the 90s I’m the Surrey area?     How many rooms, saw feet were they usually?   
 

also, could have just looked on a real estate website.  

 

Why does it matter that I mentioned race? But thank you for clarifying what the "don't accuse me for being a racist I'm genuinely curious" term is.

[Duodenum]

2 hours ago, canuckster19 said:

I remember those bigger houses popping up all over Surrey in the 90s, and they generally seemed to be occupied by Indo Canadians, I had some Indo Canadian friends in school but they all lived in more "typical" 3 bedroom 2 bathroom type houses. 

 

Anyways my question is kinda simple, how big are they, number of rooms, types and how many people would live there?

Usually 8 bedrooms total (including 2 basement suites). The main portion of the house would usually have 5-7 people. Then 2+ in each basement suite. 

[-DLC-]

Generally I'd consider that "race" isn't appropriate but I believe it is.  When I attended council meetings addressing the large homes being built on agricultural land, the group lobbying for them did so on "cultural" grounds as Indo Canadians who said they were generational homes.  So families could live/stay together which  was part of their culture. 

 

So I'm leaving it as is because that's what the argument to build the homes was based on.  And it's a legitimate question...I, too, am curious as to "how many" people live in one of those homes.  I like the concept...wish my family could/would do that.  

[HI5]

My cousins built a new house 5 bedrooms and a bonus room room on top floor, 1 bedroom on main floor (for my grandma) and 2 bedrooms in the basement. (8bed, 8bath, 2kitchens, 1 spice kitchen or whatever).
 

5 people (grandma, parents, two cousins) in the house, each bedroom as its own washroom and walk-in closet. 
 

It’s bit of an open concept, so that basement won’t on rent, unless they make changes to the current layout later. 
 

Most Indians tend to have big houses as the parents tend to stay home with them (not sent to old folks homes as often).

[-DLC-]

10 minutes ago, HI5 said:

My cousins built a new house 5 bedrooms and a bonus room room on top floor, 1 bedroom on main floor (for my grandma) and 2 bedrooms in the basement. (8bed, 8bath, 2kitchens, 1 spice kitchen or whatever).
 

5 people (grandma, parents, two cousins) in the house, each bedroom as its own washroom and walk-in closet. 
 

It’s bit of an open concept, so that basement won’t on rent, unless they make changes to the current layout later. 
 

Most Indians tend to have big houses as the parents tend to stay home with them (not sent to old folks homes as often).

I, too, want my Dad to live with me rather than in a home.  In seeing what's currently unfolding, that's stronger than ever now.  I think it's lovely to take care of parents (if we're able - no judgement, as some just can't) ... they take care of us and what goes around comes around.

 

Nice at a time like this to all be together too.  It's so painful NOT being there for Dad as much as I'd like.

[bishopshodan]

At one point there was 7 of us living in a 1 bedroom trailer.

But we're Brit-Canadians of so I'll wait for the white immigrant trailer trash thread. 

[JM_]

1 hour ago, bishopshodan said:

At one point there was 7 of us living in a 1 bedroom trailer.

But we're Brit-Canadians of so I'll wait for the white immigrant trailer trash thread. 

that must have made dating pretty awkward. 

[Grapefruits]

The area I live in is full of old ranchers.  Slowly they are being bought up, then demolished soon after.  The majority of the massive houses going in run around 8 bedroom and 8 bath.  You can look them up on BC Assessment.

 

 

[drummer4now]

4 hours ago, HI5 said:

My cousins built a new house 5 bedrooms and a bonus room room on top floor, 1 bedroom on main floor (for my grandma) and 2 bedrooms in the basement. (8bed, 8bath, 2kitchens, 1 spice kitchen or whatever).
 

5 people (grandma, parents, two cousins) in the house, each bedroom as its own washroom and walk-in closet. 
 

It’s bit of an open concept, so that basement won’t on rent, unless they make changes to the current layout later. 
 

Most Indians tend to have big houses as the parents tend to stay home with them (not sent to old folks homes as often).

Essentially this.. 

 

My parents just built a 10,000 sq ft home on Vancouver Island so my grandparents could live in the same house.

In July my poor Bibi broke her ankle in a fall and she was grateful to live in our house otherwise she would been stuck in a old folks home.

 

Also I would say most Indo Canadians have big houses because they tend to either work well paid jobs and/or multiple jobs that generate a good source of income. 

 

My parents earn around $5000 per month just from rent alone as we have two basements and a trailer.

Edited March 29, 2020 by drummer4now

[Ryan Strome]

8 hours ago, Duodenum said:

Usually 8 bedrooms total (including 2 basement suites). The main portion of the house would usually have 5-7 people. Then 2+ in each basement suite. 

 

7 hours ago, debluvscanucks said:

Generally I'd consider that "race" isn't appropriate but I believe it is.  When I attended council meetings addressing the large homes being built on agricultural land, the group lobbying for them did so on "cultural" grounds as Indo Canadians who said they were generational homes.  So families could live/stay together which  was part of their culture. 

 

So I'm leaving it as is because that's what the argument to build the homes was based on.  And it's a legitimate question...I, too, am curious as to "how many" people live in one of those homes.  I like the concept...wish my family could/would do that.  

 

6 hours ago, HI5 said:

My cousins built a new house 5 bedrooms and a bonus room room on top floor, 1 bedroom on main floor (for my grandma) and 2 bedrooms in the basement. (8bed, 8bath, 2kitchens, 1 spice kitchen or whatever).
 

5 people (grandma, parents, two cousins) in the house, each bedroom as its own washroom and walk-in closet. 
 

It’s bit of an open concept, so that basement won’t on rent, unless they make changes to the current layout later. 
 

Most Indians tend to have big houses as the parents tend to stay home with them (not sent to old folks homes as often).

Good lord...no more than 4 people for me. Wife and 2 kids.

6 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

At one point there was 7 of us living in a 1 bedroom trailer.

But we're Brit-Canadians of so I'll wait for the white immigrant trailer trash thread. 

 

4 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

that must have made dating pretty awkward. 

Maybe he's from Saskatchewan, Jim. In which case they dated within the family.

[HI5]

1 hour ago, Ryan Strome said:

 

 

Good lord...no more than 4 people for me. Wife and 2 kids.

 

Maybe he's from Saskatchewan, Jim. In which case they dated within the family.

You live in Alberta, go to Cambridge Heights in Conrich. My gf family owns that land, taxi drivers are living in mansions with 800k mortgages.

[Ryan Strome]

1 minute ago, HI5 said:

You live in Alberta, go to Cambridge Heights in Conrich. My gf family owns that land, taxi drivers are living in mansions with 800k mortgages.

Haha I know the area.

[coastal.view]

10 hours ago, bishopshodan said:

At one point there was 7 of us living in a 1 bedroom trailer.

But we're Brit-Canadians of so I'll wait for the white immigrant trailer trash thread. 

did you sleep in shifts ?

Edited March 30, 2020 by coastal.view

[bishopshodan]

2 minutes ago, coastal.view said:

did you sleep i shifts ?

Us 4 kids in the bedroom, mum and dad on the hide-a -bed in the front room, gran in the hall.

[PunjabiCanucks]

We built as a family a 5 bedroom house, 4.5 washrooms, 2 kitchens, family dining living room, 2 story, about 3600 square feet.

This is our familys dream house and in the future my parents will live with me/ vice versa. Its in the culture and I see the pros and cons but I love them and want them to stay. 

 

Dream house as my parents/ grandparents first migrated here and lived in a small farm cabin (3 to 5 people) for years before they bought their first house (almost 8 years later).

 

 

 

[189lb enforcers?]

Instead of asking how many people live there, I’d rather hear how many incomes are in the home. 
 

I admire those willing to put away ego, pride, independence or whatever reason that I, a  dastardly white male, can’t similarly combine residences and finances in this way for certain benefits. 
 

The premise of the OP question feels like it’s a cultural difference, but more recently, perhaps more-so heritage, relating to how wide-open the land was in the Western Hemisphere for the past 300 years, 130 in BC versus India. 
 

I’d be interested in how many incomes are put towards the household because that’s where a ‘strategy’ in a country unaccustomed to such living arrangements and their impact on real estate are interesting to me.  

 

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by 189lb enforcers?

[PunjabiCanucks]

7 minutes ago, 189lb enforcers? said:

Instead of asking how many people live there, I’d rather hear how many incomes are in the home. 
 

I admire those willing to put away ego, pride, independence or whatever reason that I, a  dastardly white male, can’t similarly combine residences and finances in this way for certain benefits. 
 

The premise of the OP question feels like it’s a cultural difference, but more recently, perhaps more-so heritage, relating to how wide-open the land was in the Western Hemisphere for the past 300 years, 130 in BC versus India. 
 

I’d be interested in how many incomes are put towards the household because that’s where a ‘strategy’ in a country unaccustomed to such living arrangements and their impact on real estate are interesting to me.  

 

 

Both my mom, dad, and grandpa doing seasonal berries worked throughout the year. But the benefit, personally is that you increase savings too.

Also with indian cuisine, you can make so many dishes out of so few things. 

 

When we were growing up, personally me and my sister got jobs at the local store when we turned 15. By the time I started undergrad I had 30k saved up

we supported each other through education financially too. Once she graduated and started working that was an additional 60 to 80K in the household. I'm still studying but thats a salary I want to add to the house as I want my parents to retire asap.

[Duodenum]

10 hours ago, 189lb enforcers? said:

Instead of asking how many people live there, I’d rather hear how many incomes are in the home. 
 

I admire those willing to put away ego, pride, independence or whatever reason that I, a  dastardly white male, can’t similarly combine residences and finances in this way for certain benefits. 
 

The premise of the OP question feels like it’s a cultural difference, but more recently, perhaps more-so heritage, relating to how wide-open the land was in the Western Hemisphere for the past 300 years, 130 in BC versus India. 
 

I’d be interested in how many incomes are put towards the household because that’s where a ‘strategy’ in a country unaccustomed to such living arrangements and their impact on real estate are interesting to me.  

 

 

Grandparents will have pension income plus whatever work they do while they are still young (ie. Picking berries, farm work). Some will have two pensions (one from India and one from Canada). Instead of using this money for paying for old folks homes or anything, they basically use it for their kids and grandkids. Immigrant parents will be both working usually (cab, truck, construction, factory, other).

A lot of immigrants bought property back when it was cheap as Indians put high value on home ownership. Property value and rent increases put a lot of them into the upper middle class. Many own multiple property now, bringing in rental income. Children have their schooling paid for and stay at home rent free until they get married. Usually leave home with zero debt and decent savings. Huge emphasis on getting educated and high paying jobs or starting their own businesses.