FLEXIBILITY CORNERED COUPLE’S INTEREST
Jayman Built modified the Emerge 26 home to accommodate a large pickup truck
Whether it was the function of the kitchen, feeling of the ensuite, or space in the garage, for Alice Graham and David Osterlund, the Emerge 26 fit.
The couple bought the move-up single-family model by Jayman Built, their first home together as a couple, on a corner lot in the northwest Calgary community of Evanston.
Graham’s children live with the couple, as well.
Before discovering the Emerge 26, Osterlund and Graham explored listings through the resale home market. But based on options they saw at that time, his 2010 Dodge 2500 pickup truck would be left out in the cold.
To accommodate his 20-foot long vehicle, “a lot of the garages weren’t long enough,” says Osterlund, a process control technologist, who also owns a martial arts studio.
While already generously sized, based on the couple’s home site, Jayman was able to make the couple’s garage even larger. Along with his truck, the space accommodates Graham’s vehicle and Osterlund’s workshop, too.
“They met our needs,” Osterlund says.
The same goes for the home’s interior, where the couple saw a lot of elements that impressed, starting with just step or two through the door.
“We like the mud room and the open entrance is huge,” says Graham, who manages a dental office. “We decorated, put pictures up — so we don’t feel condensed in a front little foyer area. It’s very open and inviting when people come in.”
In choosing their new home, Osterlund also had his eye on the cooking space.
“I wanted a larger kitchen for entertaining, something that would suit us well,” he says. “It’s very open concept, very functional.”
Beyond the kitchen, one of the gems of any home is the master ensuite. This one doesn’t disappoint.
“I feel like I’m on a vacation at a resort going into the ensuite in the bedroom,” Osterlund says.
The couple enjoyed the ability to personalize their home, selecting their finishings from the convenience of Jayman’s StyleMagic Design Centre. This is offered to anyone who buys a single-family home through the builder.
For kitchen cabinets, the couple picked a shade that Graham compares to espresso.
“We went really dark, so they pop against the other colours,” she says.
The community of Evanston was another part of the draw.
Osterlund is moving from a place in the south Calgary community of Woodbine, but Graham’s already well-versed on the area, transitioning from a home about eight minutes away in Harvest Hills.
Graham says she can continue to shop at the Superstore near her previous home, while getting even more convenient access to some of the other commercial amenities they already use in the area.
“We shop up at the Costco at Beacon Hill, there’s that new ( Walmart Supercentre in Sage Hill) so there are a lot of areas that we currently go to, and now Evanston actually makes it easier,” Graham says. Osterlund, agrees. “There’s so much offered here,” he says. “The shopping, the things to do around there, the community atmosphere. There are the big shopping centres but also the small pubs and entertainment that we go to and we really like.”
They’re also fans of Evanston’s connections, providing residents with a quick drive to both Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail.
“Even on challenging roads, it’s so easy to get in and out of the community,” says Osterlund.
Evanston, master-planned by Qualico Communities, is now selling in its final phases. At build-out, it’s slated for 3,348 single-family homes and 1,419 multi-family homes.
“In Evanston you get everything you need and want in a community,” says Laura Field, marketing coordinator for Qualico. “Evanston is building in the last few phases, so this is the opportunity for buyers to build new, in an established community.
“There are two schools, a shopping centre with everything you need right there, including grocery store, bank, yoga studios and many other convenient shops. There is transit already in place in the community, combined with quick access to major routes. This makes commuting to and from Evanston easy.”
Architectural styles include Craftsman, Prairie and Colonial.
The community’s front-drive single-family homes are available from the $470,000s and from Jayman, Sterling Homes, Trico Homes, Broadview Homes, and NuVista Homes.
It also offers laned homes from the $360,000s by NuVista, Broadview, Jayman, Trico, and Pacesetter by Sterling Homes, and duplexes from Broadview, Pacesetter and Jayman from the $370,000s.
There are also townhome developments in the community, including one by StreetSide Developments called the Loop in Evanston, and the other by Partners Development Group called Arrive at Evanston.
“There is a full variety of product options for potential buyers to choose from, with zero lot lines, to larger lots backing on to green space,” says Field. “There is something for everyone.”
A grand opening for a new show home parade in the community will be held May 5.
Evanston has 16 community parks, seven playgrounds, and 6.3 kilometres of walking and bike paths. It also has an elementary school through the Calgary Board of Education and a school for students from kindergarten through Grade 9 through the Calgary Catholic School Division.