Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff
The trend toward small footprint homes is one of the options available in Nova Lands, the newest addition to Westhills in Langford.
Dale Sproule, manager of real estate sales and marketing for Westhills, said the smaller homes are part of the developers’ efforts to keep costs reasonable for home buyers.
“Construction costs have gone up 40 per cent in the last three or four years,” he said. “Land value and service costs are up as well.”
The 19 small footprint homes available in July are about 1,340 square feet and will start in the $550,000 range, with more definitive pricing expected to be finalized in June. “Rooftop decks are a new feature in these homes, and we’re offering natural gas for the first time in Westhills as well.”
Nova Lands will also include 30 townhomes, 20 duplexes and 70 single-family homes, with about half of those containing suites. The newest phase will add about 350 homes in a variety of options during the next three years within the 500-acre community development. “We introduce new areas as we grow,” Sproule explained. “Once we sold out the 150 homes in Paradise Falls, we started on Nova Lands.”
“A lot of people are looking for homes with suites, not just as a mortgage helper but for their parents or kids as well,” he noted. “It’s a big trend for us.”
The three-bedroom plus single family homes with suites will average 2,600 sq.ft. and be priced between $700,000 and $800,000. All will include quartz countertops, air conditioning and high-end appliances.
“The Westhills standard has always been a high level of finishing,” Sproule said. “We like to remove the need to upgrade from the equation.”
Another trend they’re seeing at Westhills is people buying within the development multiple times, as their space needs change, he added.
“Situations, finances and lifestyles change, so we work hard to have choices that suit a variety of needs. That’s why half of the single-family homes in Nova Lands contain suites. We want to create options that suit a variety of lifestyles.”
Sproule identifies a sense of community as one of the key elements to Westhills’ success. “You have the library, the daycare, the music conservatory and the aquatic centre at the new Y which all contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Having those amenities and others become available over the last few years has really contributed to the unique sense of community here.”
He cited the sale of condominiums in the Lakepoint phase as proof.
“We sold 32 condos in nine hours and a large number of those were to people already living on the West Shore,” Sproule said. “That speaks to our variety of options, quality, design and unique sense of community.”
Having bike, walking and hiking trails throughout Westhills and around Langford Lake is another plus that differentiates Westhills from other developments, added DFH realtor Brad Neufeld.
“Everything you need is within reasonable walking distance,” he said. “And that includes schools, the stadium and ice arena, bowling and dining and entertainment.”
Check out westhillsbc.com for more information.