TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
The two-storey Langley 26 design packs tons of value and livability into a 1,398-sq.-ft. package that lives much larger than its listed square footage.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
Light-filled and pleasingly spacious, the great room is the perfect spot to watch a Jets game or movie.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
Equipped with a tall pantry next to the range and plenty of counter space, the island kitchen is as functional as it is beautiful.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
Featuring rich finishes and a user-friendly layout, the kitchen/dining area in Signature Homes’ Langley 26 design in Prairie Pointe offers a great balance of style and utility.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
The dining area, set next to a landing with back door, closet and powder room, opens seamlessly onto the kitchen and great room.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
The beautifully isolated primary bedroom is a relaxing, naturally bright space.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
One of the home’s two secondary bedrooms features a handy walk-in closet that greatly increases storage capacity.
TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS
There’s ample opportunity to relax in a warm bath or get refreshed by a brisk shower in the tastefully finished four-piece ensuite.
With a shortage of inventory, the spring real estate market has seen many small starter homes listed in the $300,000 range sell for as much as $100,000 over list price.
And with inventory projected to remain low, competition for starter and move-up homes — many of which check in at ages between 40 years old and a century-plus — figures to remain frantic.
This has left many young families in a bind.
Unwilling to compete for overpriced older homes that may need extensive updates and unable to afford a 2,000-sq.-ft, family home that would cost somewhere in the $600,000 to $700,000 range, they are looking for options.
One of those options is a new back-lane home, says Cindi Burak, sales and marketing manager for Signature Homes.
“These types of homes provide people with an option that’s far more affordable. Built on a smaller lot on a back lane, they were designed to provide young families with a nice home at a much more affordable price,” she says.
Burak says Signature’s new show home at 485 Ken Oblik Dr. in Prairie Pointe, which checks in at 1,398 sq. ft., was designed to deliver exceptional livability and style.
“This show home is on a promotion and is priced at $515,000, about $25,000 under the normal price. That includes the lot, GST, landscaping and quite a few other upgrades.”
Those upgrades include a Mitten board-and-batten siding exterior with stone detailing, quartz countertops, a tile backsplash, two-tone thermofoil cabinets, SPC wide-plank flooring and custom blinds on the main floor.
A 20-by-20-foot concrete pad will also be installed out back, which can accommodate a 20-by-20-foot double detached garage.
Burak notes the main floor offers another key upgrade.
“The ceiling is nine-feet high, which really creates a nice sense of space. Combine that with huge windows at either end of the main living area, and you have a bright, airy space that is very livable.”
Adding to its livability is a layout that was well-thought-out, right down to the most minute detail.
At the centre of the main living area is an island kitchen that serves as the free-flowing area’s hub.
“I love the island,” says Burak. “At eight-feet long, it’s just the right size. It seats three people, yet it doesn’t intrude on either the great room or dining room. The kitchen looks great with its two-tone cabinets, quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances and a generous, tall pantry to the left of the range.”
Then, there’s the light-filled dining area behind the kitchen.
“It’s a really good size, providing plenty of room for a table that seats six,” she notes. “There’s lots of room to move around it and into the kitchen, and there’s also a back-door entrance with a closet and powder room. A laundry closet was placed on the other side of the powder room across from the kitchen, and there’s also a door to a handy side entrance on the same wall.”
A pleasingly spacious great room then caps off the exceptionally livable main area.
“Again, it’s a really good size,” Burak says. “Right now, we have a big sectional sofa in it that fits perfectly. Overall, the home lives much larger than its listed square footage.”
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a stylish four-piece bath, and the primary bedroom is deftly separated from the kids’ bedrooms by its very own 10-foot-long hallway next to the stairs.
“The layout is just so efficient,” Burak says. “Both secondary bedrooms are a nice size with large windows; one even has a walk-in closet. The primary bedroom is bright, spacious and comes with a large walk-in closet and roomy four-piece ensuite.”
Add in a lower level that offers about 500 sq. ft. of livable space, and families have approximately 1,900 sq. ft. of total livable space to enjoy in a very energy-efficient home.
“This home is part of our Eco Smart Program, which delivers a home that’s 25 per cent over code, making it very energy efficient with R-58 attic insulation, R-18 rim-joist insulation, tri-pane, low-e argon windows and a heat-recovery stack,” Burak says. “That makes for long-term utility savings in a home that has been designed to offer great value and livability.”
lewys@mymts.net
Details
Builder: Signature Homes
Address: 485 Ken Oblik Dr., Prairie Pointe
Style: two-storey
Model: the Langley 26
Size: 1,398 sq. ft.
Bedrooms: three
Bathrooms: two-and-a-half
Price: $515,000 (includes lot, upgrades & GST)
Contacts: Cindi Burak, sales and marketing manager, 204-955-6505; Gary Zhu, new homes sales representative, 431-877-5656
