THE GREAT INDOORS
There’s plenty on offer — both inside and out — at the Harrison Highlands master-planned community.
Harrison Highlands Project location: 1489 Osprey Place, Agassiz Project size: 49 single-family homes, one to seven bedrooms Price: $385,000 — $650,000 Residence size: 1,400 sq. ft — 4,000 sq. ft. Developer: Odessa Group Interior designer: Leah Holmes Architect: Joel Marples Sales centre: 1489 Osprey Place, Agassiz Hours: noon — 5 p.m., Fri — Sun Telephone: 1-844-our-view Website: www.harrisonhighlands.ca Occupancy: Immediate, or up to seven months for homes that are yet to be built
A brand new house, a welcoming community of like-minded people and the potential for extra money in the bank — this is the sales pitch of Nathan Stone, managing partner of Odessa Group, whose company is building 49 new singlefamily homes in the masterplanned community of Harrison Highlands.
“By moving 30 to 60 minutes outside the urban centre, you can get into a brand new house with all the bells and whistles — designer-selected flooring, quartz countertops, vaulted ceilings — while putting money in the bank at the same time,” Stone said. “People are looking at this and seeing that they can put an extra one or two hundred thousand dollars away and retire five years sooner.”
The development covers some 90 acres above Harrison Hot Springs in the Fraser Valley and there’s a wide range of homes from which to choose. Homes have between one and seven bedrooms and are priced from $385,000 to $650,000. Odessa Group has gone for a mix of housing styles and elevations to create an estate community feel and encourage diversity among its residents.
“Our main demographic is active retirees, buyers between 45 and 64 years old, who are looking to move away from the more urban areas in search of a greater connection with the outdoors,” Stone added. “In some cases they’re able to get a bigger house than their old home at a lower cost. And it’s brand new.”
Odessa’s slogan for the project is “live where you play” because of the natural amenities that surround the development. Harrison Highlands is 10 minutes from Harrison Hot Springs and the lake, and five minutes from the Harrison and Fraser rivers. There’s easy access to local farmers’ markets and nature trails, a paragliding launch site up above the development, a golf course four minutes away and Hemlock ski hill only 15 minutes away.
“A lot of our buyers enjoy active outdoor lifestyles,” Stone added. “Harrison Highlands is proving to be the perfect place for them to get out into nature, put a little bit of equity in the bank from their house and retire in a great new community.”
There are a total of nine different floor plans, four exterior colour packages and three interior colour packages. Stone said the company has made the buying process simple and will work closely with buyers to help them decide on a lot, choose a floor plan and pick their colour schemes.
Architectural features include two- or three-car front garages, full-sized aggregate driveways and covered patios and decks. Inside, there are nine-foot-high ceilings in the main and basement floors and vaulted ceilings in key areas.
There is designer- selected laminate hardwood flooring throughout the main floors, plush carpeting upstairs and hand-set floor tile in the ensuite and main bathrooms. The oversized windows frame breathtaking views and flood living spaces with natural light.
“As amazing as the pictures in our promotional materials are, they don’t even do justice to the incredible views that you get from the development,” Stone said.
When it comes to the kitchens, Odessa has not scrimped on the luxury. Buyers can choose from three designer colour schemes, including classic Shaker-style or contemporary flat-panel cabinetry accented with modern brushed-chrome hardware.
There are designer- laminate counters with porcelain tile backsplashes and walk-in pantries with built-in shelving. Every home comes with a full Whirlpool Energy Star stainless steel appliance package.
Spa- inspired ensuite bathrooms include dual porcelain sinks, heated floors, walk- in showers with glass doors and oversized vanity mirrors. Main bathrooms feature deep tubs and large vanities with plenty of storage.
Some plans also include a powder room and there are low-flush toilets for water conservation throughout.
The comprehensive list of features also includes high-efficiency forced air furnaces with centralized programmable thermostats, advanced air source heat pumps that provide heating and air conditioning, multimedia connections for highspeed cable and Internet and roughed in central vacuum systems. Optional upgrades include finished basements and the ability to personalize homes.
Odessa Group bought the Harrison Highlands development in 2014 which, when complete, will have 75 houses in total. Stone is keen to emphasize the benefits of living in a place that is already developing into a close-knit community of people.
“This is not just a collection of houses put together,” he said. “There really is a great sense of belonging here, and you’ll find that homeowners socialize together often. A lot of our buyers go south for the winter and take their RVs to the same places in the U.S.”
It’s handy then that among the development’s landscaped parks, water features, neighbourhood grocery stores, eateries and shops there is also RV parking.
Homes are on sale now and the sales centre at 1489 Osprey Place is open from noon to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday.