Map shows the way to your new dream home
Discover the many advantages of a newlyconstructed home by touring the city’s newest show homes. The Regina Leader-post Show Home Guide Map provides locations, viewing hours and contact information to help you plan your tour.
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” is a familiar refrain regarding many items produced today and, sometimes, that is a good thing.
“When people say homes are not built like they used to be—they are 100 per cent right, because they are built way better,” said Stu Niebergall, president and CEO of the Regina & Region Home Builders’ Association (RRHBA).
National and provincial building codes are continually being updated, ensuring that homes built in the 2020s are more structurally sound, durable and energy efficient than those built just a few years ago. “The last code update went into place Jan. 1, 2018, and homes are built to that very high standard now, but if your home was built before that, it doesn’t achieve today’s modern building code,” said Niebergall. “A newly built home is significantly more energy efficient than one built a decade ago.”
The use of state-of-the-art construction methods to ensure that a home is well-built and energy efficient is vital, but it is also important for a home’s interior design and fixtures to be up to date. Often, new home buyers can choose interior paint colours, cabinetry, countertops and floor coverings to suit their personal style. Further, if the home is custombuilt, buyers can design their own floor plan and add any extras they feel suit them and their family.
“It’s not always easy to find exactly what you want in an existing house. If you choose to build, you really do have total control over the design of the home,” said Niebergall.
But one of the best reasons to buy a newly built home, he said, is that it’s just that: brand new.
“The odds of needing repairs in the first several years are slim to none, and you can forget about having to renovate that outdated bathroom. It’s move-in ready; that new home is magazine glamorous right from day one. That gives you a lot more time to really settle in and enjoy the home,” he said.
On the financial side, opting for a newly built home means you don’t need to spend money on repairs and updates for a significant amount of time. And buying a newly built home eliminates the stress of participating in bidding wars, something that is now taking place in Regina’s housing market.
Other monetary enticements to buy a new or existing home include federal and provincial government programs. Provincial plans include the Saskatchewan First-time Homebuyers’ Tax Credit and the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) Rebate for New Home Construction. Federal plans include The First-time Home Buyer Incentive Program, the Federal Firsttime Homebuyers’ Tax Credit, the Home Buyers’ Plan (which allows temporary withdrawal of funds from a Registered Retirement Savings Plan) and the GST/HST New Housing Rebate program.
But perhaps the main financial incentive for buying a home at this time is that mortgage interest rates are at almost all-time lows of approximately two per cent. On March 10, the Bank of Canada announced that its key policy rate, which affects mortgage rates, will remain at 0.25 per cent until inflation reaches two per cent. It predicts that will not happen until 2023.
Visiting show homes is a good way to see examples of builders’ work. You have the opportunity to meet with the companies’ representatives, see samples of floor plans, check the quality of the work, find out what new features are available, and get a sense of what you like and what you want.
Builders have adopted measures to minimize the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus during show home visits. Only two people at a time are allowed to enter. PPE/ masks are mandatory, and a disclosure form and contact tracing information are required. A hand sanitizer or wash station is provided and visitors are never allowed to use washrooms. Lights are turned on and all doors are open in advance to prevent visitors from touching switches and handles. After visitors leave, the show home is cleaned and sanitized.
To help you plan your tour of local show homes, the Leader-post publishes a map and listing of show homes in Regina and the surrounding area. Readers can f ind this in Saturday’s Leader-post, and on leaderpost.com/showhomemap. It includes show home locations, hours and contact information.
If you are a builder who would like your show home featured on the map, please contact your local Postmedia sales consultant, call 306-781-5251 or email advertising@leaderpost.com.