GROWING CHARACTER
The greening of new areas
The Monte Carlo 7 is a frontdrive home with a main floor office and a walk-through pantry. Upstairs are four bedrooms and a bonus room. The Igloliortes had the walkout basement developed with another bedroom, full bathroom and rec room, which Douglas completed a month after they moved in.
As the family settles in, Gareth says he is delighted that his new home requires no additional work.
“When we lived in St. John's, we lived in a 150-year-old character home. There was a relentless amount of work,” he says.
The model they chose, with a starting price of $529,900 including GST, has been well-received in both Precedence and Sunset Ridge in Cochrane. Area sales manager Derk Patton says additional land for this type of home, including walkout lots and south-backing level lots, will be available by midsummer.
“We also have laned homes, from 1,180 square feet to 1,462 square feet, priced from $350,000 to the low $400,000s. There's R2 zoning in this community, so people can have a legal lower-level suite,” he says.
Precedence is the new shining jewel of Cochrane — the new river community, Patton says. Residents enjoy an outdoor lifestyle with excellent access to the Bow River and the pathways. James Walker Trail makes getting in and out of Precedence easy.
“It's a real game-changer and in future, that road will connect with Highway 22,” he says.
Unlike many builders, Douglas offers a high number spec homes, building them to the same fit and finish as its show homes. It specializes in building in smaller communities including Cochrane, Airdrie, Chestermere and Okotoks.
The builder has been singled out with six nominations in the Canadian Home Builders' Association 2021 National Awards for Housing Excellence, with three in the best entry-level home affordability category.
Douglas is also a finalist in the 2020 BILD Awards by Building Industry Land Development-calgary Region, with two nominations in a comparable category — best new home up to $254,999.
“While we have won numerous Calgary and Alberta awards over the years, we have only placed nationally three times in the past 20 years, with one win. So, to have six finalists this year is a huge accomplishment. We are very excited and proud of our team,” says Shanda Grohn, Douglas marketing manager.
“We work really hard to design and build efficient, beautiful homes for our clients, and we're very proud to be recognized for that amongst our peers.”