Orléans Village doors open and the buyers flood in
Floor plans ‘as open as possible’ in latest Caivan community
The latest community launch by Caivan Communities has proven to be so popular that the builder sold all but two of its lots on opening weekend.
The June 16 release of 41 singlefamily homes at Orléans Village on Innes Road near Pagé Road had eager buyers lining up two days before the sales centre opened.
“We had planned and hoped for a very successful launch, so it was great to see the turnout we got,” says director of sales and marketing Jonathan Wiseman. “We were happily surprised.”
Although homes were not sold in advance of the opening (except three that went to family and friends) and Caivan left it to potential buyers to organize themselves in line, they did just that, keeping things quite orderly.
“Everyone was in agreement, they knew what lots they were interested in and there weren’t too many conflicts,” Wiseman says, adding that the Friday night before the opening became a fun event. “People were sitting out in their chairs and hanging out and getting to know each other.”
Caivan did bring in pizzas Friday for the crowd, which grew to about 40 by Saturday morning, as well as providing shade, water and food for the hot wait on Saturday as sales agents worked through about 1,000 visitors.
“We sold every single model that we’re offering here … and I think that’s representative of the different types of buyers,” Wiseman says.
Orléans Village is a mix of 500 towns and single-family homes — both two-storeys and bungalows — set on 50 acres.
The first release was singles only, on lots ranging from 35 to 50 feet wide. With only two 42-foot lots left from the initial release, Caivan is scheduled to release more singles on July 7. The towns are not expected to be available until the fall, mainly because the builder is still fine-tuning the designs.
Key elements of the homes are wider lots and what Caivan has trademarked as its OpenPlan designs, which it bills as more than simply an open-concept design.
“You can see on the main floor,” Wiseman says, pointing to an overhead rendering of the model home that’s been built at Orléans Village. “It really is a full open space between kitchen, dining and great room.”
Some of larger plans also have a separate den or bonus room on the main floor, “but as much as possible we’ve eliminated columns, we’ve eliminated posts and boxouts, we’ve kept it as open as possible. There’s very limited hallways.”
And by offering wider lots, there is more opportunity to maximize windows for even greater natural light.
“We’re really optimizing the spaces as much as possible,” Wiseman says.
This is the second community Caivan has launched this spring. On April 28, the builder released its inaugural project, Fox Run in Richmond.
Although Caivan is new to Ottawa buyers, the principals involved have a long track record in the industry. Caivan has been established as a developer for more than a decade in Ottawa, Toronto and Florida and a collaborator with other builders in the region on projects such as the recently sold out Monahan Landing in Kanata.
Interestingly, the floor plans offered at Orléans Village are different from the ones at Fox Run, and that’s because Caivan sees Orléans as a unique community with a slightly different buyer, Wiseman says.
“Not only do we focus on the design of the homes and what we’re offering our buyers but also we really try to focus a lot on the community itself and the neighbourhood and what the streetscapes or what the curb appeal will be.”
The single-family homes at Orléans Village range from a 1,468-sq.ft. bungalow with two bedrooms to a four-bedroom two-storey with 3,388 sq. ft. There’s even one plan, built as the model home, that has an option for a fifth bedroom with a third full bathroom, a choice that excited a family with seven children on opening weekend. (In the model, the space for that fifth bedroom is part of an enlarged master suite.)
Exteriors, presented in a clean traditional style that’s timeless, with simple lines, are a mix of brick or stone accents and upgraded siding, some of it vertical.
Standard features include ninefoot, main-floor ceilings, granite counters in the kitchen, hardwood on the main floor, and a finished basement rec room in all homes.
There are plenty of amenities in the area, from schools, shopping and services to restaurants, parks and trails. “There’s an overload of amenities here,” Wiseman says.
First occupancy is expected in April 2019.