Expert homebuying advice from Boaz Feiner, President, Geranium

Due to COVID-19 and other factors, prospective new-home buyers are more carefully weighing location, housing type, design and amenities – and affordability – than ever before.

To help you understand all the issues to make a better, more informed homebuying decision, we went to some of the industry’s top builders and developers for expert advice, as part of our 2021 Builders' Annual.

What advice would you like to offer new-home buyers, as we approach 2022?

When searching for the home that’s right for your family, think about your future needs as far as it is possible. Buying a home is likely your largest investment, and it’s critical to consider things that are important to you, such as work/life balance, what you value, and what makes you happy. There is quite a lot of volatility but also opportunity in our lives today, I encourage you to be confident in your homebuying decision.

There’s been a lot of discussion about wellness and new home design to address emerging needs coming out of the pandemic. What’s your take on this?

Good home design has always been a priority for Geranium, and our goal is to provide our purchasers with maximum use of every square foot of interior space. For example, about 10 years ago, we eliminated separate formal living and dining rooms in favour of open-concept Great Rooms, especially in our smaller layouts. Today, in Midhurst Valley, our standard floorplan is a three-bedroom plus media, rather than a four-bedroom. This way, we include additional shared living space for a family who may only need three bedrooms.

What is it about your company or projects that differentiates you in the marketplace, that you’d like to stress to prospective new-home buyers?

As a land developer as well as a new-home builder, we are in a unique position to address how the whole community will evolve. We provide numerous parks, parkettes and landscaped areas in tune with the expected resident demographic. In each location, we evaluate what we can add to the existing community and plan accordingly. For example, Friday Harbour Resort in Innisfil is a completely different design than Midhurst Valley, or Cardinal Point in Stouffville.

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