BUILDER HELPS COUPLE MAKE DREAM COME TRUE
Coventry Homes makes customization a breeze for new house in Uplands by Riverview
Dreams, apparently, do come true.
Later this year Julie Giacobbo’s dream will become a reality when she and her family, which includes Charlie, a five-year-old German shepherd-border collie mix, move into their new Coventry home in the Uplands at Riverview.
“My dream was always to build and to be able to design my own home, so that is kind of what led us to the Uplands,” said Giacobbo, adding they were outgrowing their current townhome, needed backyard space for a spirited and energetic Charlie, and are at the age where it might be time to start a family, and if so, their townhouse wouldn’t work for them anymore.
Currently in Summerside, Giacobbo and her husband checked out their own neighbourhood, looked in the Orchards, and considered the Keswick area. But it was the Uplands from Qualico Communities that won them over.
“There’s a beautiful ravine and walking trails,” said Giacobbo of the southwest community off of 199th Street N.W. and Maskêkosihk (pronounced Muss-kay-gosee) Trail, and moments from the Anthony Henday.
“That’s what sold me on the Uplands. You’re not right smack in the middle of the city, you feel a little bit removed but you’re so close to it. You can access anything.”
When they checked out homes in the other areas, none spoke to them. But in the Uplands, which includes homes from builders such as Daytona Homes, Homes by Avi, Jayman Homes, Kimberley Homes, Pacesetter Homes, Sterling Homes and Streetside Developments, it was Coventry Homes that struck a chord.
“Like I said, it’s been my dream to build my own house and choose all the finishes and say like, oh, I want to move this wall or make whatever changes we wanted to, and with Coventry we were able to do that,” said Giacobbo. “We actually picked the main floor of one model and the top floor of a different model and then we were able to customize that top floor, and there never was a ‘no, you can’t do that.’”
She also loved the chance to get into Coventry’s design centre to choose the finishes for their home.
“I was in heaven,” said Giacobbo. “They have so many options.”
Their home will be a two-storey model, with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms and about 2,200 square feet. Construction is underway and the couple is hoping for an October possession date.
In the Uplands, Coventry is presently building townhomes, single-family homes with front attached garages, and streetscape homes — where the garage is recessed and more flush to the front to increase the home’s curb appeal. Prices start in the low $300,000s for townhomes while other products begin in the low $400,000s.
“The Uplands right now is one of the largest growth nodes projected for the City of Edmonton,” said Robin Nasserdeen, director of sales for Coventry Homes.
“It is definitely primed to be the next big community in Edmonton.”
Coventry likes the fact the community has a versatile product mix from smaller single-family homes to executive style estate homes. Combine that with natural amenities such as the tree lined ravines of Wedgewood Creek and Nasserdeen said it’s no wonder it’s become a popular spot.
Coventry, which has been part of the Uplands from the start, promotes the ability to customize homes. “We’ve put elevators in homes,” said Nasserdeen. “Our flexibility and our ability to work with homeowners to build the home they want is really what we’re seeing people knock on our doors for. They want more than some of the standard cookie-cutter homes.”
In the Uplands, Nasserdeen said Coventry buyers are opting for the maximum living lifestyle package, which maximizes the basement by developing it into a livable space. There’s also an executive chef package for those who want to indulge their inner chef, and Giacobbo couldn’t turn that one down.
“I went to culinary school; cooking is my passion ... so we went with the chef’s package,” she added.