Resale Homes

Resale Homes

Sold & Offered

With so many homes to choose from on the market these days, sellers are always looking for ways to make their home stand out. Surefire tips include pricing it realistically, performing key updates and pouring all kinds of thought — and quality — into the renovations.

Do that, and chances are, your home will sell in relatively short order. A good example of such a home is 37 Lawndale Ave. in Norwood Flats. While only a small percentage of homes go to multiple offers in today’s balanced (some might even say buyers’) market, there were five offers on the table for this home as of Tuesday afternoon.

"I think that’s happened due to several things," said listing realtor Dan Bouvier from Century 21 Carrie.com. "First, I think the home was priced right. Second, it’s in a great location. And third, the owners did their part with all the updates and upgrades. They just made it perfect, and people have noticed that. It’s a perfect example of a home with a perfect balance of character and upgrades."

That list of upgrades is extensive, to say the least. Bouvier’s brochure on the home lists no fewer than 41. "Examples include levelling the main floor by replacing teleposts and reinforcing beams, re-wiring the entire house (all knob and tube wiring was removed), refinishing all the original wood work, a re-built front porch (with ground hog pillars beneath, same as the back sunroom), re-plumbing the entire house, new roof, soffit, fascia and eaves, all new paint, newer windows, plus new furnace, central air and hot-water tank. That’s just listing a few upgrades," he said.

While it’s all well and good to upgrade a home, the home also must be livable. And though 37 Lawndale Ave. is a centre-hall-plan-style home that was built in 1914, it still feels contemporary inside for one main reason, said Bouvier. "The owners put a lot of thought into what they were doing, so the result is a layout that makes the most of the available space (the home measures in at a relatively compact 1,493 sq. ft.)."

A prime example is the kitchen/dining area. When the outgoing owners bought the home eight years ago, a wall divided the dining room from the kitchen. Subsequent renovations ensured that no longer would be the case. "The renovation opened the kitchen beautifully on to the dining room. The kitchen was then remodelled with granite countertops, glass-tile backsplash, modern white cabinets and a heated tile floor," Bouvier said.

A vertical window was added at its rear to inject more light into the space, while stainless steel appliances made for a perfect complement to the contemporary decor. Removing the wall between the dining room also allowed light to stream in to both the dining room and kitchen from a large, oak-trimmed window on the far wall. Meanwhile, a double-wide doorway (with more original oak trim) provides seamless access into a living room that features a huge (oak-trimmed) bay window, gas fireplace with marble finish — and the same distressed engineered hardwoods that run through the dining room.

The hallway between the living room and den (found to the right of the foyer) is also anything but traditional, said Bouvier. "Like the kitchen, it’s heated tile, as well. Not only that, but a handy powder room was installed at the end of the hall. Original features like the high oak baseboards were retained — they go great with the tile."

There are instances where some design features don’t need to be altered, and this home’s upper level is one of those instances. While turn-of-the-century homes aren’t always known for their efficient layouts, this second floor is an exception. "The landing area up here is actually big enough for you to stand and comfortably have a conversation. Then, all three bedrooms are a decent size considering the era of the home. They’re all quite big and come with decent closet space, and the (original) fir floors speak to the home’s original character," Bouvier said, noting there’s also a four-season sunroom at the end of the hall.

Then, there’s the remodelled main bath. "It’s a nice surprise with its heated tile floor, granite countertops, floating dual vanities and beautiful tempered glass/acrylic shower. It also has two transom windows set up high to let light in, while retaining privacy," he said.

The outgoing owners leave-no-stone-unturned attitude is evident outside the home, as well. The private, fenced backyard is a low-maintenance marvel that features a porch with adjacent three-season sunroom, huge deck, shed and double garage. "It’s 24 feet by 34 feet plus shop with in-floor heating, a floor drain, 200 amp panel and eight-foot garage door," Bouvier said. "You can use the shop for that, or as a gym, art studio, or just for storage."

Add a mature, central neighbourhood to the mix, and the result is a home that possesses great appeal (and utility) on every front. "The great thing is that the outgoing owners did most of the work on the home in 2009, so they’ve been able to enjoy the home for seven years," he said. "Now, they can benefit from the fruits of their labour, and a new owner can come in and enjoy an exceptional home in a wonderful area."

lewys@mymts.net

May 21

Resale Homes

Sold / Offered

A look at recently sold homes in and around Winnipeg
Photos by:

There tends to be two types of show homes.

The first simply overwhelms you with a quick burst of in-your-face wow factor. The second, by contrast, is more subtle in its spectacularity. The moment you walk in, you're aware of the wow factor, but it doesn't fizzle out. Rather, the various design features just get better and better as you tour the home.

That's the case with Huntington Homes' latest show home at 130 Lake Bend Road in Bridgwater Lakes. After walking through the 2,000-square-foot, two-storey design, you think everything in the home is exactly where it should be.

"Pretty much everyone who's gone through the home has said, 'don't change a thing,' " said Huntington Homes' frontman Rob Swan. "That's not surprising. This home is a product of consumer feedback. We plugged in many of the suggestions that people have given us over the last few years."

Those suggestions led to a well-balanced design that's lavish, yet livable.

"Basically, that was our goal with the design," said Swan. "At the end of the day, a home has to be livable. Its design has to be balanced so it delivers the function -- and style -- you need to make it work for you on a day-in, day-out basis."

The home's practical design is evident the moment you step into an extra-wide, tiled foyer, which has a 5.5-metre ceiling.

Your eyes are drawn to an oak staircase with open risers that angles toward the home's second level in brisk, linear style between tempered glass borders framed by white railing. At the same time, the ceiling continues on the other side of the glass partitions, with an intriguing space set beneath it.

"It's a first for us -- an open-concept office space placed by a collection of windows beneath a high ceiling that's highlighted by six oak beams above," said Swan. "It's not only a great space for an office, but its open design allows all kinds of light to flow in from all the windows."

Take the remainder of the stairs up to the second level, and you come upon another unique feature.

"This landing is a cool feature. It's like a lookout or balcony that you can see both the foyer and great room from," he said. "The view is amazing -- the wetlands through the family room's window and the great room."

The theme upstairs is livability and understated luxury. The livability is delivered in the form of two oversized kids' bedrooms, one with a walk-in closet that's as big as many master suites.

Then there's the master suite, which is down a 2.5-metre hallway in a world of its own.

"The concept behind the master bedroom was simple -- to create a space that made you feel like you were going to the spa for the weekend, only you get to use it every day," said Swan. "The wetland view is spectacular, and you've got a big flat-panel TV and electric ribbon-style fireplace on the wall opposite to enjoy. Close the door, and it's like being in your own private spa."

On the other side of that wall is an expansive ensuite with stand-alone bubble-jet tub, tempered glass/tile shower (with rain shower head), heated tile floor and floating oak vanity with dual sinks.

"It's got all the space and amenities you need to relax in style, and privacy," he said.

Meanwhile, the great room is a study in style and ergonomics. Each area is exceptionally spacious and bright.

The family room, with its soaring ceiling, six floor-to-ceiling windows and tile entertainment unit (with ribbon-style fireplace and niche for 70-inch flat panel TV) is notable for its wetland view, space and modern finishes. Next door, the semi-formal dining area next to the kitchen is essentially a sunroom with five windows (plus balcony door) surrounding with space to easily hold a table for 10.

Last but not least is the kitchen, whose hub is a 2.7-metre white/light taupe island with seating for three to four. It's a space that features function first, yet style hasn't been ignored, said Swan.

"Consumer feedback prompted us to make the dining area larger. It's bigger than most formal dining rooms. We also put in a built-in a (taupe) quartz table for seven next to the island, then added on a walk-through butler's pantry off the kitchen so that you can bring in groceries directly from the garage and also use it as a preparation area while entertaining. Striated oak cabinets, a combination of light and dark granite and quartz countertops and a taupe glass tile backsplash finish off the kitchen perfectly."

Another 1,522 sq. ft. of livable space awaits in the walk-out lower level, an open-concept area comprising a games area, media room, sunroom/sitting area (surrounded by six windows and door that leads to a covered patio) plus a three-piece bath and exercise room.

"Like the rest of the home, it's spacious, bright (due to all the glass) and very livable," he said. "Of course, you have space, spectacular views and beautiful finishes to enjoy. Most importantly, the home is livable. You can have all the wow factor you want, but if a home isn't a pleasure to live in, it's difficult to enjoy all the style that surrounds you."

lewys@mts.net

May 14

Resale Homes

Sold / Offered

A look at recently sold homes in and around Winnipeg
Photos by:

Young families looking for a starter home often experience two different schools of thought. The first entails buying a more "affordable" home (say, around $250,000) that needs updating, and performing the required updates over a period of five years or so to spread out the cost of updating key spaces such as the kitchen, bathroom — and, perhaps, modernizing a 1970s-style rec room.

Then, there’s the second school of thought, which dictates spending more money upfront to purchase a home that’s more or less move-in-ready. While those types of homes are quite rare, a 1,176-square-foot bungalow at 22 Salisbury Cres. in Waverley Heights pretty much fills that move-in-ready bill, said Glen Williams of 21 Bachman & Associates.

"This is a well-kept, one-owner home that’s in great condition inside and out," he said. "Outside, the shingles are virtually new, as they were redone in September 2015. Inside, the (plush taupe) carpet that runs through the living room, dining room, hallway and bedrooms was installed in November 2015, as was the flooring in the kitchen."

Williams said the list doesn’t end there. "There are newer tri-pane windows on the main floor that were installed about 10 to 12 years ago, and the kitchen comes with a newer countertops and a newer (Samsung) glass-top range and built-in Maytag dishwasher that’s approximately seven years old. The home also comes with central air conditioning, an alarm system — and single attached garage with automatic garage door opener. Everything in the home is in great shape."

Equally as important is the fact every inch of the home’s square footage is well-used.

"From a young family’s perspective, I’d say its floor plan is very functional," said Williams.

"The L-shaped living room/dining room is a good size with large windows that let in lots of natural light, there’s a big eat-in kitchen (14 feet by 9.5 feet, to be exact) and all three bedrooms are a good size."

Although the home is "only" 1,176 square feet, a subtle design feature makes it feel substantially bigger, he added. "There’s a vaulted ceiling in the living room, dining room and kitchen that lends more volume and light to each space. All the windows are also larger than normal, which simply increases the amount of light that enters the home (the large window over the kitchen sink also provides a view of the gorgeous backyard). Flow from space to space is excellent, which I think is something that would appeal to a young, active family."

The fact the home contains three bedrooms will also be appealing. Tucked away in a private bedroom wing with a tidy four-piece bath, the bedrooms are all a good size: the two kids’ bedrooms are 10 feet by nine feet and nine feet by nine feet respectively; the master suite checks in at 12 feet by 11 feet. And while the master suite doesn’t have an ensuite, that’s no problem, as the four-piece bath is right next to it. A large window overlooking the landscaped backyard (which is filled with mature trees), his/her double clothes closets and plush taupe carpeting make for a space that’s functional and relaxing. Both kids’ bedrooms also come with large windows and good-sized clothes closets with built-in organizers.

Then, there’s the home’s ace-in-the-hole: a unfinished basement just waiting to be developed. "It’s absolutely huge," he said. "I’d say it would give you 800 to 900 square feet of space to develop exactly to your tastes. You can put in a nice big rec room, a bedroom or two, four-piece bath and still have lots of room left over for a storage room. If your kids are young, you could wait to develop it and use it for storage, or just develop it bit by bit as you go. Once the basement was fully developed, you’d have a home that offered close to 2,000 sq. ft. of livable space."

The space surrounding the home — the lot is 53 feet by 110 feet — is also better than average, Williams added. "I love the backyard — it’s privately fenced, and all kinds of beautiful, mature trees run through it. It’s a not only a great spot for kids to play in safety, but is great to look at when you get up in the morning. The home is also tucked away behind mature trees in front, which gives it a private feel."

The home’s location is also exceptional. Because it’s situated on a quiet crescent, there’s no traffic for exuberant kids to run out into, and key amenities such as schools, shopping, services — and the University of Manitoba — are nearby.

"It’s just an amazing neighbourhood. It’s perfect for a young family," he said. "And it’s not often that you can find a solid family home for this price point in Waverley Heights. A young family can come in at five per cent down and live in the home as-is until they want to finish the basement or upgrade the kitchen or bathroom. It’s a great family home in every respect."

lewys@mymts.ne

May 14

Resale Homes

Good to go

Young families looking for a starter home often experience two different schools of thought. The first entails buying a more "affordable" home (say, around $250,000) that needs updating, and performing the required updates over a period of five years or so to spread out the cost of updating key spaces such as the kitchen, bathroom — and, perhaps, modernizing a seventies-style rec room.

Then, there’s the second school of thought, which dictates spending more money up front to purchase a home that’s more or less move-in-ready. While those types of homes are quite rare, a 1,176 square foot bungalow found at 22 Salisbury Cres. in Waverley Heights pretty much fills that move-in-ready bill, said Glen Williams of 21 Bachman & Associates. "This is a well-kept, one-owner home that’s in great condition inside and out," he said. "Outside, the shingles are virtually new, as they were redone in September 2015. Inside, the (plush taupe) carpet that runs through the living room, dining room, hallway and bedrooms was installed in November 2015, as was the flooring in the kitchen."

Williams said the list doesn’t end there. "There are newer tri-pane windows on the main floor that were installed about 10 to 12 years ago, and the kitchen comes with a newer countertops and a newer (Samsung) glass top range and built-in Maytag dishwasher that’s approximately seven years old. The home also comes with central air conditioning, an alarm system – and single attached garage with automatic garage door opener. Everything in the home is in great shape."

Equally as important is the fact that every inch of the home’s square footage is well-used. "From a young family’s perspective, I’d say its floor plan is very functional," said Williams. "The L-shaped living room/dining room is a good size with large windows that let in lots of natural light, there’s a big eat-in kitchen (14 feet by 9.5 feet, to be exact) and all three bedrooms are a good size."

Although the home is "only" 1,176 sq. ft., a subtle design feature makes it feel substantially bigger, he added. "There’s a vaulted ceiling in the living room, dining room and kitchen that lends more volume and light to each space. All the windows are also larger than normal, which simply increases the amount of light that enters the home (the large window over the kitchen sink also provides a view of the gorgeous back yard). Flow from space to space is excellent, which I think is something that would appeal to a young, active family."

The fact the home contains three bedrooms will also be appealing. Tucked away in a private bedroom wing with a tidy four-piece bath, the bedrooms are all a good size: the two kids’ bedrooms are 10 feet by nine feet and nine feet by nine feet respectively; the master suite checks in at 12 feet by 11 feet. And while the master suite doesn’t have an ensuite, that’s no problem, as the four-piece bath is right next to it. A large window overlooking the landscaped back yard (which is filled with mature trees), his/her double clothes closets and plush taupe carpeting make for a space that’s functional and relaxing. Both kids’ bedrooms also come with large windows and good-sized clothes closets with built-in organizers.

Then, there’s the home’s ace-in-the-hole: a unfinished basement just waiting to be developed. "It’s absolutely huge," he said. "I’d say it would give you 800 to 900 sq. ft. of space to develop exactly to your tastes. You can put in a nice big rec room, a bedroom or two, four-piece bath — and still have lots of room left over for a storage room. If your kids are young, you could wait to develop it and use it for storage, or just develop it bit by bit as you go. Once the basement was fully developed, you’d have a home that offered close to 2,000 sq. ft. of livable space."

The space surrounding the home — the lot is 53 feet by 110 feet — is also better than average, Williams added. "I love the back yard — it’s privately fenced, and all kinds of beautiful, mature trees run through it. It’s a not only a great spot for kids to play in safety, but is great to look at when you get up in the morning. The home is also tucked away behind mature trees in front, which gives it a private feel."

The home’s location is also exceptional. Because it’s situated on a quiet crescent, there’s no traffic for exuberant kids to run out into, and key amenities such as schools, shopping, services — and the University of Manitoba — are nearby. "It’s just an amazing neighbourhood, it’s perfect for a young family," he said. "And it’s not often that you can find a solid family home for this price point in Waverley Heights. A young family can come in at five per cent down, and live in the home as is until they want to finish the basement or upgrade the kitchen or bathroom. It’s a great family home in every respect."

lewys@mymts.net

By Todd Lewys
May 12