Panorama Ridge Surrey: Panoramic Views and Premium Homes

The place

A ridge-top residential neighbourhood with a rural feel in its older sections and newer subdivisions filling in the gaps. The lots on the south-facing slope are large, often a third to half an acre, with mature trees and long driveways. Panorama Village at 64 Avenue and 152 Street is the nearest shopping, and Sullivan Heights, with its newer townhomes and the Sullivan Heights Secondary catchment, is next door to the east. Below the ridge, Colebrook Road runs through farmland along the Serpentine River, and the dyke trails are at the bottom of the hill.

The homes

A real mix across fifty years. 1970s and 1980s ranchers and split-levels on the biggest lots, some original and some renovated into something quite different. 1990s and 2000s two-storey homes with basements, built to capture the view. And a steady trickle of new builds replacing older houses on the best-positioned lots. Prices range widely with the view, the lot and the age of the house, and the spread between an original 1975 rancher and a rebuilt view home on the same street is enormous. For buyers, that spread is the opportunity: a dated house on a south-facing half-acre is one of the better value propositions in Surrey if you can see past the kitchen.

Schools and commute

Panorama Ridge Secondary is the local high school, with Colebrook, Hyland and Woodward Hill among the elementary schools, depending on the address. The commute is the neighbourhood's quiet advantage: Highway 10 and Highway 91 are minutes away, which puts Richmond, Delta, the airport and the Alex Fraser Bridge within easy reach, and Highway 99 is accessible via 64 Avenue or Highway 10. For a household working in Richmond or Delta, Panorama Ridge can be a shorter drive than South Surrey.

What to check on a ridge lot

• Slope and geotechnical. Many lots fall away steeply to the south. Ask about retaining walls, drainage and any geotechnical reports, especially on newer builds.
• Trees. Surrey's tree protection bylaw applies. The view you want may depend on trees you cannot remove, on your lot or your neighbour's.
• Septic and services. Some of the older, larger lots were on septic; most are now on City sewer, but confirm.
• The view corridor. Look at what could be built downhill. A new two-storey on the lot below can change a view, and nothing in the zoning prevents it.
• Older homes. Oil tanks, aluminum wiring, original roofs and windows, as with any 1970s house in the region.

Who it suits

Buyers who want a view and land more than they want a village or a beach. Multigenerational families who need a large lot for a coach house or a suite. Households commuting west toward Richmond and Delta. It does not suit anyone who wants walkability, transit or a new strata townhome; Sullivan Heights next door covers the last of those.

The short version

• A ridge-top neighbourhood with ocean and valley views and some of the largest residential lots in Surrey.
• Homes from original 1970s ranchers to new view builds, with a wide price spread.
• Panorama Ridge Secondary; quick access to Highways 10 and 91.
• Check slope, trees, services and what could be built downhill.

If you are looking for a view and a big lot and South Surrey's prices for that combination are out of reach, let me show you Panorama Ridge. I think more Peninsula buyers should know about it.