It may have taken longer than normal to arrive, but the Fall Parade of Homes is here at long last.
With a bevy of innovative and creative home designs in their collective hip pockets, builders are unanimous in saying it will be more than worth the wait.
"I think there's a lot of excitement among the builders because we, as a group, have really done our best to address the issues that consumers have placed before us," says Garth Steek, sales manager for Wellington and Greentree Homes.
"A ton of effort has been put into the new show homes. Visitors to the various show homes throughout the city are going to appreciate the great attention to detail that's gone into the design of all the homes."
Hearth Homes' sales manager Liam Mulhall concurs.
"Builders across the board have paid attention to what people have told them and are doing their best to address those needs," he says. "That's a real positive, because builders are now building what people want. It's more of a consumer-driven business now, and that's the way it should be, because people shouldn't have to settle when it comes to the home they choose."
This year -- at least at the outset -- the focal point of the Fall Parade will be Bridgwater Forest, where the Parade will kick off. Its neighbour to the south in the Waverley West area, South Pointe, also figures to be a prominent point of interest, as well.
Rob Swan, frontman for Huntington Homes, says having two developments -- distinctly different ones, at that -- so close together is going to benefit prospective homebuyers in their search for their dream home.
"The Parade is going to be different this time in that there's going to be such a high concentration of show homes in one area. People can look at homes in Bridgwater Forest, then drive south down Waverley Street to see what's there," he says.
"Having such a great variety of homes to look at in the same area is going to be convenient, less time-consuming and will offer a great contrast in styles. People are going to have a great time seeing what's out there."
Steek says more than any other year, the diversity of styles is going to be that much greater.
"Take us, for example," he says. "Greentree Homes has come up with a cool little 1,800-square-foot bi-level design (at 358 Bridgeland Drive N. in Bridgwater Forest) that features a great utilization of space. We're also offering a traditional two-storey (cab-over), as well as two bungalows that figure to be exceedingly energy-efficient. Our goal is to offer diversity, and value."
Milne says to expect more craftsman-style designs, homes which feature elaborate exteriors that match the home's interior. He says there are also going to be more bungalows to choose from as well.
"Bungalows are now almost on par with two-storey designs," he says. "Two years ago, we were building two-storeys about 80 per cent of the time. Now, we're seeing as many bungalows going up as two-storeys. It's a phenomenon that's just clicked, possibly due to the fact that more people want a home they can live in well into their senior years."
Robert Cotroneo of Gino's Homes adds that Parade-goers should also expect to see a high level of creativity.
"That's where we've gone, and from what I've seen, other builders have too," he says. "In our case, we've got four different show homes from Sage Creek to Royalwood to South Pointe and Van Hull Estates. Each has a different design theme unique to each area, from contemporary to traditional and somewhere between the two. The idea is to create a different look and feel with each home."
A prime example is Gino's show home at 2 Edenwood Place, which will have -- of all things -- leather flooring.
"It will be the only showhome in the city that I know of with that type of flooring. And for the first time ever, all our showhomes are going to be bungalows. That shows you just how popular they've become."
Like Gino's Homes, Parkhill Homes is also entering four homes in the Parade, from craftsman to traditional bungalow and two-storey designs. Although getting ready for the Parade has been hectic, Parkhill's Lori Thorsteinson has been heartened by all the excitement surrounding the annual fall showcase.
"It's been a hectic time but an exciting one," she reports. "The most important thing is that the industry is doing well. Back in the spring, people thought there was going to be trouble, so there was a bit of a lull. Now that people here have seen that the economic downturn is over, buyer confidence is up, and there's lots of action. It's a great sign."
Swan agrees.
"A lot of people were sitting on the fence due to the economic issues that cropped up in the spring," he says. "By and large, most people still have their jobs, a good income and interest rates are the best they've ever been. Now, those people that were hesitating are thinking, 'It's time I did something about getting that new home.' "
Those comments are bang-on, says Milne.
"It's already been extremely busy in the past week or so. People are really excited, and the people who we waiting to make their purchase are now ready to go. The recession is over, and life is good."
