A CHALET IN COPPERFIELD
With a baby on the way, couple knew it was time to upgrade to spacious new townhome
When Jennifer and Jeffrey Best considered buying a previously owned townhome, there was no shortage of options that were listed within their price range.
But that list was quickly cut short “based on the photos of kitchens alone,” says Jennifer.
“The kitchen is where everything happens,” she says, adding she has meaningful childhood memories with her family in the kitchen.
It’s also been a source of inspiration.
“My mom is an incredible cook with an awesome kitchen, and I hope to follow in her footsteps, at least a little,” says Jennifer, adding she recently learned how to bake macarons.
At the time of their search for a new place, Jennifer was pregnant with their now two-month-old son, Harrison.
With a child on the way, the couple decided it was time to upgrade from their 1,100-square-foot rental in Winston Heights.
While the resale market didn’t offer a match, the Bests were impressed with what they found at an award-winning townhome development by Hopewell Residential in southeast Calgary.
The couple bought a spec model of the L Plan at Chalet No6, which is composed of 146 townhomes in Copperfield, a master-planned community accessed off 52nd Street S.E. Sales at Chalet are currently at more than 75 per cent.
From the townhomes remaining, floor plans range from 1,132 to 1,422 square feet, and start from the $290,000s, before tax.
They’re available with two or three bedrooms, and with a singlecar or double-car garage.
People interested in seeing a full-scale example of the townhomes at Chalet can explore the development’s two show homes.
One depicts its L Plan and the other its E Plan.
“They love the value they get with a Chalet townhome, including an incredible selection of designer finishings,” says Jennifer Ford, part of the development’s sales team, also pointing to the “higher level” of standard features with these townhomes.
For the Bests, the location, overall layout of the 1,306-squarefoot floor plan with an attached garage, and specific spaces, such as the ensuite and above-mentioned pursuit of a prized cooking space all lined up.
“Our kitchen is fantastic. That was huge,” says Jennifer of the rear-facing space in an L-shaped format.
“There’s a lot of counter space. It’s really bright and open. It’s a big part of the space down here, but it doesn’t take away from anything else. There’s lots of light, a huge pantry. But the counter
space is insane. It’s this really inviting place where we get to host people and hang out, ourselves,” she adds.
The master ensuite — something they didn’t have in their previous home — was another welcome perk.
“We had one bathroom for our two bedrooms, and at the time we had a roommate,” Jennifer says.
“Three adults sharing one small bathroom was less than ideal.”
Their new place has two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
Along with the master ensuite, there’s a full bathroom on the second level. While it doesn’t directly link to the other bedroom, for the Bests, this is beneficial.
The couple is looking to develop their walkout basement with a third bedroom. With the independent bathroom, anyone staying in this bedroom “won’t need to go through the baby’s room to have a shower,” says Jennifer.
Along with the home, its location played an important role. Jennifer’s family lives in the vicinity, and amenity-wise, nothing ’s missing.
“You don’t have to go anywhere (else),” says Jennifer.
“If I didn’t want to leave a couple square-kilometre radius, I wouldn’t have to. There are movies, I can get all of my grocery shopping done, lots of restaurants. Everything is here.”
The bulk of what she refers to sits at two locations. There’s an expansive stretch of retail development on 130th Avenue S.E., and Seton, a 283-hectare district that, among other things, will build out to 1.5-million square feet of office space and one-million square feet of retail space.
“We’re right in the middle of everything,” says Jennifer.
Ford says this is a significant part of the draw for these townhomes.
“The location is a huge highlight for buyers as Chalet is located in an established area, away from the noise of construction you’d have to deal with in a newer community,” she says. “Even better, Chalet is within just minutes of all the amenities you need, from shopping, to schools, to playgrounds and so much more.
“With Chalet, we even offer some homes with incredible unobstructed views of either the playground across the street or the provincial grassland.”
With Harrison in mind, the couple was also pleased with the number of nearby schools.
Copperfield has a large number of young families, Jennifer says, adding, “There will be lots of other kids around (Harrison’s) age when it comes time to send him to school, which makes a huge difference.”
The couple and their child share the townhome with their dog, cat and bird, a Senegal parrot.
Watson, their Brittany spaniel, will also benefit from the move, with a wide assortment of areas in which to enjoy the fresh air.
“I can think of three parks within walking distance, not including the one that’s right in front of our house,” Jennifer says.
“It’s endless.”