GEORGETOWN OFFERS PAIR PERFECT PLACE FOR REUNION
Couple putting distances behind them to settle into duplex in Airdrie
Kaden Louey and Carly Goheen’s weekends will soon be spent a little closer to home.
With Louey in Lethbridge and Goheen in Red Deer, the couple currently lives about 350 kilometres apart.
The friendship they had prior to it becoming a relationship dates back to a Grade 7 volleyball tournament, and they’ve stayed connected through email and chats over MSN Messenger ever since.
And for just more than a year, they’ve been regularly using their downtime to meet. It’s been weekend trips to various ends of Alberta and B.C., but largely the centre point of Calgary.
But soon the only distance between them will be the walk from the kitchen to the great room in their open-concept duplex.
They’re moving to Georgetown at Reunion, a new community by Slokker Homes on the northwest end of Airdrie, featuring duplexes by Slokker and single-family homes by ReidBuilt Homes.
For Goheen and Louey, the original aim was a townhome.
“I was thinking, I’d rather spend less money on the home and get more of the stuff we want in it,” says Goheen. “We didn’t even think about duplexes or anything like that because we figured they would be out of the question. Wishful thinking at that point.”
But after finding the floor plans, selections, lot and price offered on the duplexes in Georgetown, it was a different story.
“Once we saw the show homes themselves, we were kind of in awe,” says Louey.
They bought the Monarch, a 1,300-square-foot model, and one of two duplexes offered by Slokker in the community. The other is the 1,521-square-foot Monarch XL.
They feature Craftsman and Arts and Crafts architectural designs.
The Monarch starts in the $340,000s and the Monarch XL is from the $370,000s. In both cases, the price includes tax and rebate.
“The layout itself is very functional,” says Tom Hong, Slokker’s chief operating officer. “You’ve got an open floor plan that’s great for entertaining on the main floor.
On the second floor, there’s the option for a two master-bedroom format, master bedroom with two separate bedrooms, or a master bedroom, secondary bedroom and a loft.
Hong calls theses duplexes “flexible” and says it will appeal to young couples, professionals, downsizers, or investors who are looking to buy and then rent out the other bedroom.
In both cases, they come with a fenced yard and single-car attached garage. They also have an undeveloped or developed basement, with an option through Slokker to have it developed. Hong says some buyers like leaving the basement undeveloped as a source for additional storage space.
“I think it’s a great product,” says Hong. “With the units being fully landscaped, everything will be turnkey for them.”
The couple was pleased with the assortment of selections they had to pick from, something as firsttime home buyers, they weren’t expecting.
“We can go right up and say ‘we want this backsplash, this countertop’ and get to design our own little home,’” says Goheen
When it comes to the home itself, the kitchen and walk-in closet in their bedroom stood out.
“I have way more clothes than I need,” says Goheen, laughing. “And we actually have the biggest walkin closet. It’s so beautiful.”
Goheen enjoys preparing meals and looks forward to making use of the cooking space in their new home.
“The kitchen is awesome,” she says. “I love that it’s super open concept, so you can entertain and actually clean up and cook or whatever you’re doing at the same time. You don’t have to be separated. We’re a fan of that.”
Kaden also points to the appeal of their pie lot, giving them a “huge backyard,” along with views of the nearby Woodside Golf Course.
Slokker and ReidBuilt are slated to unveil two show homes each during a formal launch of Georgetown on Saturday.
For Slokker, one of the show homes will be the base version and another will boast a number of upgrades.
ReidBuilt’s show homes are the 1,345- square- foot bi- level the Dogwood 2, and the two-storey Ridgeway, which is 2,226 square feet. The Dogwood 2 has three bedrooms above grade and two bedrooms below, while the Ridgeway has three bedrooms total.
The builder has veranda homes in the community from the mid$ 300,000s and front- attached garage homes from the mid$400,000s.
On Georgetown’s location within Airdrie, Hong says, “I think there’s tremendous value for future homeowners.
“Because we’re in an infill subdivision, you’ve got the placemaking with the schools, the parks, and we’re by retail,” he adds.
The community has quick access to Veterans Boulevard, a direct link to Highway 2. Louey says the couple liked that this location allows them to skip some of the busier areas for traffic in Airdrie.
But Airdrie, as a whole, was also a draw. “When I was a kid, Red Deer was 78,000 people, Airdrie is 63,000 people,” Goheen says. “I had a great upbringing in a small city.”