Summary
This page shows duplexes and half duplexes for sale in Pacific Douglas, the small South Surrey neighbourhood that sits right on the US border between the Douglas (Peace Arch) border crossing and the Pacific Highway crossing. A half duplex is one side of a building split into two homes. You own your side, and you share one wall with the neighbour. It's a way to get a ground-level home with a yard for less than a detached house on its own lot.
About Pacific Douglas
Paragon calls this sub-area Pacific Douglas, and the City of Surrey simply calls it Douglas. It's the small strip of homes at the very south of Surrey, between Highway 99 and 176 Street (Highway 15), with the border to the south and farmland and The Glades garden to the north. The Surrey 2050 Official Community Plan now guides its land use. See my Pacific Douglas guide for parks, schools and the border crossings.
Schools
Douglas Elementary, at 17325 2 Avenue, is inside the neighbourhood. On the Surrey Schools boundary map, Douglas is in the Douglas Elementary and Earl Marriott Secondary catchments. Always check a specific address with the Surrey Schools School Locator.
What counts as a duplex
Surrey defines a duplex as one residential building holding two principal homes, side by side or up and down. Each side usually shows up on MLS as its own half duplex. In Douglas, most homes were built on subdivision streets under the 1990s plan, so a half duplex here is often a little older than the ones in Grandview.
Strata or not?
Ownership can go one of three ways. A two-lot strata has a strata corporation, bylaws and a Form B, even with only two owners. A shared single title usually has a party-wall agreement on it covering the shared wall, roof and services. Or the two halves can sit on separate lots. Read the title before you assume any of these.
Suites
Each half of a Surrey duplex can have one secondary suite, in line with the BC Building Code. In an older Douglas home, a basement suite may have been finished years ago. Ask for the permit, because the City's newer zoning rules don't make an unpermitted suite legal.
Zoning for duplexes in Douglas
Surrey Zoning Bylaw 12000 gives every lot a zone, and COSMOS will show it for any Douglas address. The old semi-detached zone RF-SD is now called R6, and the old RF and RF-SS single family zones are now R3.
The City's small-scale multi-unit housing rules let eligible lots under 4,050 m² in zones RA, R1 to R5, R5-S and R6 have up to 3 units if they're under 280 m², or up to 4 if they're bigger. A 6-unit option exists only within 400 m of a bus stop with 15-minute service.
Even then, capacity checks on sewer, water and drainage, Section 219 covenants on title, and farm protection permits near the ALR line on the north side can all limit what gets built.
Before you buy a half duplex
- Have the title checked for strata plans, party-wall terms and covenants.
- Where there's a two-lot strata, ask for its Form B, bylaws and any minutes.
- Look up the zone in COSMOS and ask for the suite and renovation permits.
- On the north side, check the lot on the ALC's ALR map and ask about farm neighbours.
- Drive by on a holiday weekend to see how border traffic affects the street.
See current figures on Fraser Valley Market Stats, and check schools on my South Surrey school catchments page.
Nearby areas & related pages
Talk to me
Call or text me at 604-928-1361, or send me a message.
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The data relating to real estate on this website comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of either the Greater Vancouver REALTORS® (GVR), the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) or the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB). Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent. This representation is based in whole or part on data generated by either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB which assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. The materials contained on this page may not be reproduced without the express written consent of either the GVR, the FVREB or the CADREB.