GREAT HILLCREST HOMES COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Downsizing buyers bet on bungalows because bigger isn’t always better
Building homes with two storeys has long been the answer to maximizing every square foot of space on today’s smaller lots. However, one new home builder says that, ever since the launch of a singlelevel model, buyers are hot on bungalows.
Jamie Ivey, area sales manager for Shane Homes in Airdrie’s Hillcrest community, says they launched a smaller, promotional bungalow called the Wayside this summer. There’s no show home and no brochures, just a sign on 8th Street advertising bungalows from the mid-$300,000s.
“I get four or five people a day. It’s crazy. I’ve never had a sign draw like this,” Ivey says.
The sign on the road caught the eye of Airdrie residents Frances and Ivan Iverson, both in their early 60s, who are trying to downsize with retirement in mind. While they attempted to downsize to a bungalow five years ago, the home they chose still had more space than they needed.
They were keen to find a smaller home on a smaller lot and weren’t interested in paying condo fees and being “dictated to” by a condo board.
“We found that with a resale home, prices are still up there and the homes needed work, taking us over what we wanted to pay. And, if we did find a new bungalow, the prices were still high and they weren’t small enough,” Frances says.
The starting price of the Wayside drew them in, but the design and size of the home gave them cause for serious consideration. The home is just 1,068 square feet with an open concept main floor and one large master bedroom with ensuite and another half bath on the main floor. The plan includes main floor laundry and a small mud room at the back door.
The bungalow’s optional basement plan calls for another 845 square feet — enough floor space for two more bedrooms, a living area, a full bath and mechanical room. The Iversons went for the whole package, including an oversized double garage off the back lane.
“We hummed and hawed. Ivan is a carpenter, so we thought maybe we could save money if we developed the basement and built the garage ourselves,” Frances says. “But the price was so good, and Shane was so willing to work with us on anything. We gave them our bottom line, they worked the numbers, so we went ahead.”
The Iversons say the Wayside is nearly 1,000 square feet smaller than their current bungalow. The furnace room in the basement will have ample room for her freezer, she says, with one bedroom earmarked for her art studio and the other for visiting family.
With a smaller footprint, the bungalow allows them to remain in a detached home with just enough room for a garden and a deck.
“It lets my husband take care of his own space, but it’s not overwhelming, and if we don’t want to do it, we can hire someone,” Frances says. “I think this smaller bungalow is the perfect answer for baby boomers who still want their own place but still want control. We raised a family in a less than 1,000-square-foot home and we were all quite happy — bigger isn’t necessarily always better.”
Ivey says they’re also seeing interest from families with older children, where the parents want the privacy of the upstairs master suite and are happy to give the kids the downstairs bedrooms with their own bathroom and living area.
“Another option is for parents with one or two children still at home, perhaps attending postsecondary school, to have the entire