North Surrey Townhomes for Sale

Written by Jared Gibbons, REALTOR®

For townhome buyers weighing Guildford, Whalley and the rest of North Surrey, I read the strata plan, bylaws and repair records with you before you firm up. I've been a REALTOR® since 2015 and a member of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board's Medallion Club for 10 straight years, which puts me in the top 1% of all Realtors in the Fraser Valley by FVREB sales. I have more than $500M in sales.

Summary

Paragon, the MLS® system local REALTORS® use, treats North Surrey as one area made up of eight sub-areas. The feed above is set to townhouses in all of them, so apartments, houses, duplexes and acreages are filtered out.

Where North Surrey's townhomes are

Guildford

Guildford has more townhome complexes than any other part of North Surrey. Many sit near Guildford Exchange, where the R1 RapidBus starts its run along 104 Avenue to Surrey Central Station.

Whalley

Whalley has a large share too, from older complexes on side streets to newer ones near King George Boulevard. Some are a reasonable walk from Gateway, Surrey Central or King George SkyTrain stations.

Fraser Heights and Cedar Hills

Fraser Heights is mostly detached streets, with a smaller group of complexes between the Fraser River and Highway 1. It has no SkyTrain station and sits farther from the Expo Line than Whalley or Guildford, so most trips start with buses 337 or 338 to Guildford Exchange or a drive to Highway 1. Cedar Hills, near Robson Park on 100 Avenue, has a few complexes mixed in among its houses.

Townhome strata basics

A strata is created when a developer files a strata plan at the Land Title Office. Owners hold their own strata lots, and together, as the strata corporation, they own the common property.

Conventional strata vs bare land strata

Most townhome complexes are conventional stratas. The strata plan defines each lot by the building's walls, floors and ceilings, and grounds, driveways and roofs are usually shared. Under the Standard Bylaws, the strata corporation must repair the structure and exterior of the building, the exterior doors and windows, and fences that enclose yards and patios.

In a bare land strata, lot lines are drawn by survey markers instead. The plan usually doesn't show the homes at all, and common property is often limited to internal roads, utilities and shared facilities. If the plan shows outlines of individual homes, the Province suggests it may not be bare land.

Limited common property

A townhome's yard, patio or parking pad is often limited common property. That means it's shared property set aside for one unit. Under the Standard Bylaws, the owner with the use of it handles routine upkeep, while the strata covers less frequent work and the items listed above.

Records to read before you buy

Form B: Information Certificate

The strata must provide a Form B within 7 days of a request. It shows the monthly strata fee, any amount owing on the unit, approved special levies and the contingency reserve fund balance.

Depreciation report

This report reviews the complex's common assets and estimates what they'll cost to repair and replace over 30 years. For townhomes, think roofs, siding, decks and paving. Stratas with five or more lots need one on a five-year cycle.

Bylaws and rules

The Standard Bylaws apply unless the developer or owners have filed different ones at the Land Title Office. Ask for the full filed set and the current rules.

How I help North Surrey townhome buyers

I pull the strata plan first, so we know whether a complex is conventional or bare land and which yard, patio and parking areas belong to the unit. Then I read the depreciation report against the Form B. If the report says roofs or siding are due soon and the reserve looks thin, we ask how the strata plans to pay before you commit.

I also check the filed bylaws for pet limits and rules on changing a patio or fence. If you're working to a budget across the whole city, my Surrey townhomes under $1.2M page widens the search beyond North Surrey.

North Surrey Townhomes FAQs

1. Where are most North Surrey townhomes? Guildford and Whalley hold most of the townhome complexes in North Surrey. Fraser Heights and Cedar Hills have smaller groups, and the other sub-areas have only a few.

2. Is every townhome a strata property? Most are, but not all. A townhouse in a strata complex can look exactly like a row house that isn't strata-titled, so check the title and the strata plan.

3. What is a bare land strata? It's a strata plan where lot lines are set by survey markers instead of a building's walls, floors and ceilings. The owner usually looks after the home, and common property is often limited to roads, utilities and shared facilities.

4. Who fixes the roof and siding in a conventional strata? Under the Standard Bylaws, the strata corporation repairs the structure and exterior of the building, including exterior doors, windows and fences around yards. The complex's own filed bylaws can change that split.

5. Does a townhome complex need a depreciation report? In BC, a strata with five or more lots must get one on a five-year cycle. It covers the roof, siding, paving and other common assets over 30 years.

6. Where do I find a complex's bylaws? The Standard Bylaws apply unless the strata has filed different bylaws at the Land Title Office. Ask for the full filed set, plus any rules, with the Form B.

7. Does this page show condos or houses? No. It shows townhouses across North Surrey only. Apartments and detached homes each have their own North Surrey page.

Nearby areas & related pages

• North Surrey condos for sale
• North Surrey houses for sale
• Whalley condos for sale
• Guildford townhomes for sale
• Whalley townhomes for sale
• Bolivar Heights homes for sale
• Guildford condos for sale
• Surrey neighbourhood guides

Talk to me

Call or text me at 604-928-1361, or send me a message. I usually reply the same day, often within a couple hours.

Selling? Get a free home evaluation and I'll tell you what your home could sell for.