Finding the right-size home

Whether downsizing or upsizing a home, finding the right-size home is what everyone is looking for. “Right-sizers” isn’t just an industry buzzword, it is what all new homebuyers strive to be.

Finding a home that fits your lifestyle needs is important, but finding one that fits the budget is just as critical, if not more so. After all, no one wants to be house-poor, meaning having a home that you can’t afford.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) says mortgage professionals use two rules to decide how much they’ll lend you. First, your housing costs shouldn’t be more than 32 per cent of your gross income. Housing costs include mortgage principal and interest, taxes, heating expenses and half of your condo fees. Second, your total debt (for housing, cars and credit cards) shouldn’t be more than 40 per cent of your gross income.

Fortunately, Calgary’s new homebuilders work with their customers in offering all home types that can fit their various financial and lifestyle needs. A townhome, for example, can have as many as five bedrooms to fit households with extended families and limited budgets. We spoke with a few homebuilders to find out how they can help the “right-sizer.”

Morrison Homes

Morrison Homes Marketing Manager, Max Conrad, says arranging a budget is the first step. “With any new home the most important thing is going to be establishing your budget. Working with a mortgage broker or lending partner will determine the affordability. Of course, if you’re right-sizing or down-sizing this might not be as important, but it’s still the starting point for any home purchase.,” he says.

“Once you have a budget set you should think about what’s important to you in a new home. Is it a spare room upstairs for grand kids? Or maybe it’s a hobby room to keep you occupied in your passion projects, or perhaps you’d like to develop the lower level with a full basement suite and side entry to allow for guests to have their own area,” he points out.

“These two factors are going to be the most crucial when determining the right size of home.”

Morrison Homes is this year’s BILD Calgary Region Builder of the Year (Large Volume), an award it has won for the third time in a row since 2020 and 16 times in the past two decades. It has the expertise and background to know what the market needs and a wide range of home types to offer to suit every need. That they also build in all quadrants of the city and in many of the surrounding communities has also made Morrison Homes a top choice for many buyers.

Among their best-sellers are their duplex homes, perfect for those looking for an affordable home with no condo fees.

Morrison builds duplex homes in D’ARCY Okotoks, Cornerstone, Dawson’s Landing and Glacier Ridge. We currently have 11 models available across all of communities ranging from 1,234 SF up to 1,604 SF. Pricing for a duplex typically starts in the mid to high $400s.

“Sometimes you may want to right-size to a fully detached home, in that instance a laned home is also a great option! With homes starting in the low $500’s and in popular communities like Belmont, Livingston, Cornerstone, Wolf Willow, Glacier Ridge and even more there is likely a home that’s ready for you to make it yours,” Conrad says.

Morrison Homes also builds Front Garage and Estate homes in the city’s best communities.

Find out where all these are offered at morrisonhomes.ca.

Anthem

“When you are looking for a new home, knowing what kind of home you can qualify for is very important,” says Jessica Sorrell, Vice President, Sales at Anthem. The land developer’s new Anthem Homes division caters to this need.

Anthem has been one of the most prolific land developers in Calgary and now they are venturing into building their own homes with Anthem Homes’ new laned homes.

“Laned homes are fantastic as they offer the opportunity to live in a detached home with lots of privacy but for a more comfortable price point. Laned homes also offer many of the options seen in other product types with bonus rooms, expanded ensuites or main floor bedrooms,” she adds.

Sorrell says the laned homes are very budget-friendly and perfect for those that want attainable single-family living without the burden of condo fees.

“Buying new is a great opportunity to get the home you want. You can work with an Anthem sales team member to find a floorplan with options that suit your needs and then our professional interior design team can find home selections to suit your styles. In addition to the home you want, you get access to the new home warranty program available, giving you peace of mind in your investment.”

Anthem is launching the presale of its laned homes at the end of June in its northeast community of Cornerstone and Pine Creek in the southwest. “We currently have seven different models ranging from 1,260 to 1844 square feet,” says Joel Stewart, Manager, Design and Production. “We are very proud of the models we have built and the options we have available: Main floor bedrooms, expanded kitchens, bonus rooms, expanded ensuites, home office or flex spaces, working kitchens, legal basement suites and more.”

Find out more at Anthemproperties.com.

Excel Homes

When trying to decide on a new home, it would be a good idea to visit a showhome and talk to the sales staff who can guide you in what would work best,” says Excel Homes Marketing Manager, Kristina Plank.

“In recent years, our homes have become so much more than just a place to live. They have become home offices, homeschools, the gym, the entertainment, and so much more. Think about how you live in your home and what suits your lifestyle,” she says. “Think of what matters most to you.”

Excel Homes offers the full range of single-family homes from duplex, laned and front-drive garage models, and they have all kinds of options within those categories. They can build homes to fit multi-generational needs, or two-master suite models, and anything else that the changing needs of buyers dictate.

“Our sales team will guide you through the home-buying journey. They will help you narrow down your top priorities and find a home plan that suits you best. The process can be daunting, but we are here to help, every step of the way,” she says.

Excel Homes offers six unique laned home models, with many options to customize the floorplan by adding pre-planned options like a basement suite or even a loft. “Our laned homes come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 1,480 up to 2,326 square-feet when adding a loft to the home.”

Front-drive garage homes are also popular, mainly with newcomers from out of province. Many from Ontario and B.C. who have been able to sell their typically smaller home and upgrade to a bigger one in Calgary with the profit.

“We offer 15 different front drive garage home plans in a variety of sizes, ranging from 1,775 to 2,911 square-feet. “The Collingwood model is one of our most popular front drive garage floorplans. It is a 2,235 sq. ft. 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home, perfect for a growing family,” she says.

Excel Homes has sells in the communities of Carrington South, Livingston, Homestead and Savanna in North Calgary; Creekstone, Rangeview, Mahogany and in the upcoming community Silver Spruce all in South Calgary. They also have homes in Cobblestone Creek and Chinook Gate in Airdrie.

Visit one of their showhomes in these communities to find out more, or go to excelhomes.ca.