Latest news with #RenovaHomesandRenovations
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
2 new townhome collections launching in Cochrane
Builder and developer group Renova Homes and Renovations is hot on both the community of Cochrane and on creating innovative multi-family housing. In fact, over the past few years, the award-winning builder (it earned the title of Small Volume Multi-Family Builder of the Year for the third year in a row at the 2024 BILDCR Awards) has parlayed much of its energy into designing innovative multi-family offerings within the growing town. Article content Article content 'We've seen a lot more urban style development in the past 10 to 15 years in Cochrane, which in part has been spurred on by the town council. It wanted to see less sprawl and more sustainable communities, which means more multi-family, more duplexes and townhome-style housing, which is bringing an even better price point to the market,' says Justin Mauro, president of Renova Homes and Renovations. Article content Article content The builder, which has two award-winning multi-family projects on the go in Cochrane — Freestone Townhomes and River Pointe Villas, along with a collection of single-family projects in Greystone and Willows West, is launching two new innovative townhome collections come the fall of 2025: Pope Ave. Townhomes and Willows West Townhomes. Article content Located within the historic part of Cochrane, Pope Ave. Townhomes, a 21-unit development launching in September, will be within a short stroll of both the town's main street and will be priced starting in the low $500,000s. Article content Article content 'These will be very urban-style, true three-storey townhomes with an internal communal courtyard,' says Mauro, noting that this type of townhome style, although seen in cities like Calgary, will be the first of its kind in the Town of Cochrane. 'And the location is really second to none. People will be able to walk or ride their bikes everywhere.' Article content Each urban park home (think exteriors with plenty of HardiePlank siding, with aluminum and light charcoal wood grain features) will feature between 1,200 and 1,400 square feet of living space with a double-car attached garage at grade. The open-concept living spaces — kitchen, dining room, living room, powder room and laundry extend across the second floor, while three bedrooms including a large primary bedroom with ensuite and two secondary bedrooms with a secondary full bathroom are on the third floor. Article content A looped internal road allows for an innovative design that is similar to a garden suite-style home collection configured in a U shape. As such, the front door of each home is located on the opposite side of the garage and is accessed through a beautiful landscaped courtyard. Article content The collection at Willows West, launching in October, will be tucked in to the last portion of the south side community of Willows West, backing onto a natural wetland. Article content 'It's going to be very quiet, very cosy and very low traffic,' says Mauro, adding that the shape of the site is unique. The 63-unit Craftsman-styled collection — open gables, plenty of trim work and stone detailing — will offer two styles of townhomes. The first, a two-storey design, will feature more traditional styling with two exterior parking stalls, three-bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms and the option to develop the basement level, adding another 472 sq. ft. of living space to the 1,300-sq.-ft. two-storey plan. The second plan, located on the ridge, will incorporate drive-under two-car garages with a walk-out at grade. Large decks, main floor living spaces with state-of-the-art kitchens, living rooms, dining rooms, powder rooms and laundry rooms on the main floor and a second-level with three bedrooms complete the plan. Article content Article content 'Starting at $400,000, the value really is very good,' he says. Article content The Pope Ave. and Willows West Townhome collections will add to Renova's award-winning repertoire within the town, including its Freestone Townhomes, a collection of 71 two-storey, three-bedroom townhomes featuring Modern Prairie architecture and the River Pointe Villas, a 33-unit community of bungalow-style villas and two-story luxury townhomes located on the banks of the Bow River, both of which are situated within the community of Riversong. The Freestone project won Best Townhome/Villa up to $450,999, while the two floor plans in the River Pointe Villas project earned finalist nods for their designs at the BILDCR Awards in April.
Edmonton Journal
14-05-2025
- General
- Edmonton Journal
Is it better to finish the basement as part of the build or later on?
Article content It's often a top-of-mind conundrum for buyers of new build homes — whether or not to have the builder finish the basement during the new build process or wait and either DIY it or have a contractor do it at some point down the road. 'I get calls from people all of the time asking this and it's a great question,' says Tom Welling, general manager of renovations at Renova Homes and Renovations, a Calgary-based home builder and renovator, noting that he has experience creating basements as both a new home builder and as a renovator. Plus, he is a former new home warranty inspector. 'So I've seen it all when it comes to basements — the good and the bad,' he says with a laugh.
Calgary Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Is it better to finish the basement as part of the build or later on?
Article content It's often a top-of-mind conundrum for buyers of new build homes — whether or not to have the builder finish the basement during the new build process or wait and either DIY it or have a contractor do it at some point down the road. Article content Article content 'I get calls from people all of the time asking this and it's a great question,' says Tom Welling, general manager of renovations at Renova Homes and Renovations, a Calgary-based home builder and renovator, noting that he has experience creating basements as both a new home builder and as a renovator. Plus, he is a former new home warranty inspector. 'So I've seen it all when it comes to basements — the good and the bad,' he says with a laugh. Article content Article content 'I think you have to think of it from this perspective: You've got a builder building your house and this is the same challenge whether you are building a custom home or renovating. The initial price shock scares people. So, then they are counting their beans and then they say: 'You know what? We're are going to put off the basement development.' And then they take possession of the house and wish they had done it,' says Welling. Article content Article content The cost of finishing the lower-level will definitely add to the home-building budget, but it is typically money well-spent. It increases a home's value and if the lower level is designed as a legal secondary suite, the financial return as a mortgage helper can be significant. Article content Plus, there is the convenience of having the basement completed when you take possession, allowing you and your family utilize the space. Article content It's possible to roll the cost of the basement into the home's overall financing, but for many, qualifying at the higher value (with the asset value of the finished basement) may be an issue. Article content 'But know that the price of finishing the basement after a home is built is going to cost you $30,000 to $40,000 more,' says Welling. 'So you need to weigh that out. To do the construction in the new build cycle, it is much less expensive. When you wait until after, it's like doing a full renovation after you've just built your house. You have to bring all of the trades back on site.' Not to mention the noise and the dust. Article content But, if you decide to wait, there are several pluses to this scenario. The first being that waiting to finish the lower level gives the home's foundation time to 'cure,' and settle and any cracks or leaks in the lower-level will be obvious in the unfinished state. Secondly, it allows the homeowner to get a feel for how the lower-level space will be used by the family, which isn't always apparent from the get-go. This is key to creating a good design that works for the home's flow and for optimum use of the space. The third plus is that it allows for more time to save for the construction and finishing.
