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.

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?

The one thing we can all agree on, as a result of the pandemic, is that our lifestyles have changed considerably. People are revaluating what “home” means to them. This includes working from home, working out at home, entertaining (of course, when we are able to do so, safely) and more.

We are witnessing a trend where homebuyers are looking to enrich their lives by moving closer to amenity-rich communities, such as the Niagara Region, that offer an abundance of walking and hiking paths, pet-friendly parks, waterfront trails and open space, and all the same conveniences of big city living.

Silvergate Homes offers two new home communities that cater to this: Legends on the Green, backing onto a renowned Niagara Falls golf course; and Village on the Twelve, in a well-established area in St. Catharines.

In addition to the communities themselves, Silvergate is tailoring the home interiors to focus on the latest home designs, including home offices, fitness and entertainment areas. We want each and every home we build to promote happiness and well-being. If you can achieve this in the comfort of your home, your everyday life will benefit. Large, covered porches, for example, have become a staple in our designs, allowing homeowners to take in the natural settings surrounding them, creating a harmonious and peaceful space to relax and enjoy.

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?

Silvergate Homes prides itself on unique, quality design, craftsmanship and attention to detail. This can be seen in every stage, from community planning, to floorplan designs and layouts, construction, features and finishes, quality materials, and more. We take great care in ensuring our homes are efficiently built and address all homebuyers’ needs and wants. Appealing to market demand, we have shifted our focus to constructing bungalow townhomes. Of utmost importance is thinking outside the box. Although the homes are attached, we use various materials and colour palettes for each individual unit, which gives every home its own unique and personalized feel.

Building Energy Star homes has always been of the greatest importance to Silvergate. We believe that we should build homes that contribute to the well-being of the next generation. Incorporating large windows into our designs allows for an abundance of natural light. Other efficient building practices include eco-friendly designs, higher R-values in homes, LED lighting, and Energy Star rated fixtures.

In addition, we strategically select community locations surrounded by natural features such as golf courses, greenery, walking paths and waterfront.

We recently had a federal election, and all the major parties promised to address housing supply and affordability. If you had the opportunity to speak directly to the Prime Minister on this topic, what would your advice be?

Affordability is certainly a challenge for many homebuyers. However, homeownership is truly a lifelong investment that most Canadians strive to achieve.

Leadership that allows the development process to be streamlined at all levels of government will ensure that developers can bring new homes to market faster. In turn, this keeps an adequate supply of housing available to meet the demand. This would assist in reducing shortages and support our industry as a whole.

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