Fittingly, the two homes were designed by Hilton Homes, the first builder to pour a foundation in the southwest Winnipeg development.
"The basement of 3 Aspen Forest Point was actually started on March 3," says Hilton Homes' Spencer Curtis. "The Kahlons (owners of the 2,413 sq. ft., two-storey home) were supposed to take possession Aug. 30, but getting building permits was a bit of an issue, so they took possession a little less than a month late, which is pretty good, considering everything."
Predictably, the two families that now call the community -- previously known as Waverley West -- are ecstatic about being able to take possession of their new homes.
"We were actually able to get in on Friday (Sept. 26)," says Jeewan Kahlon who, along with sister, Kiran, calls 3 Aspen Forest home with father, Pal, and mom, Jaspal. The Elizabeth is a newly minted design that features a garage set back from the front of the home, part of the new builders' guidelines set out specifically for Bridgland Forest. "It's great to be here. You can't beat the location. In time, it's going to be a very, very nice area with all the parks, walkways and ponds."
While location was the main reason why the Kahlons chose to call Bridgland Forest home, they were also impressed by the new designs that builders rolled out to give the development a distinctive new look, both exterior and interior-wise.
"The design was so fresh and imaginative -- we love the floor plan upstairs with the large bedrooms and, especially, the open loft area off the stairs. The open-concept main level with sitting room at the front is also really bright and gives us lots of room to move," says Kahlon. "It's exactly what we expected in a house, and community."
Curtis says from a builder's standpoint, it's a thrill to finally hand over keys to customers who have waited so patiently.
"Needless to say, we worked really hard to make this happen," he says. "You're always anxious to not only get a new community going, but to see how your new designs turn out. Both the Kahlons and Kalers are very pleased with their new homes. It's gratifying to see all the hard work pay off."
Meanwhile, a couple of streets east at 38 Appletree Crescent, the aforementioned Kalers -- Satvir, wife, Gurpreet, and daughter, Simrit -- are also settling into their new digs. Satvir says while possession was delayed, it was worth the wait.
"Actually, we were supposed to take possession Aug. 1, but there were some delays -- they weren't a big deal," he says. "Now that we're finally here, we're extremely excited. We're looking forward to living here and growing with the community."
Gurpreet adds that she's been pleasantly surprised at how livable their new two-storey home is compared to their former residence.
"It feels like we have a lot more space in this house than we had in our other one," she says. "I really like the floor plan, it's so well-thought-out. Once we get everything where we need it to be, we're going to be very happy here. It's going to be a great place to live and raise a family."
It's a sentiment shared wholeheartedly by Curtis.
"Now that people are finally moving into their homes, we're starting to get a taste of what Bridgland Forest is going to be like," he says. "Before long, all kinds of homes are going to be ready, and more families will start to move in. In time, it's going to be a thriving community. As the setting matures over the next few years, I think Bridgland Forest is going to really be something special."
lewys@mts.net
