In Conversation With... Mirella Sarrapochiello, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Dunpar Homes

When you’re looking to buy a new home, you want to know that your builder is not just up with the times, but also has your personal needs and wants in mind. At Dunpar Homes, finding its customers the perfect property is not only part of its mandate, the company says its buyers are the most important part of its story.

And from building much needed “missing middle” housing in the GTA, to offering luxury rental properties, and to developing a full mixed-use neighbourhood around a shopping mall rejuvenation, Dunpar is evolving with the times.

Vice-President Sales and Marketing Mirella Sarrapochiello explains how the company is delivering on today’s homebuyer demands, in the face of some of the challenges facing the industry.

Dunpar has something of a focus on the “missing middle” type of housing – long before this need became such a focus. Where did this foresight come from?

It was in 1981 that Dunpar first started renovating stately, older homes in downtown Toronto and developed a passion for continuing to build homes of a similar design, but that were more affordable than single family. Hence the company’s launch into stately townhomes that has taken Dunpar to locations right across the GTA. The buyer reaction has been extremely positive, primarily because of the home designs both inside and out and the manicured landscaping that compliments every community we build.

We have found that some people who purchase a Dunpar home, then move, end up by coming back to a Dunpar Home in another community we have built.

How are things coming along at Boutique Towns on Lake Shore in Etobicoke?

Boutique Towns are currently in the registration stage and sales have not yet begun. As a result, we do not yet have a definitive construction schedule or occupancy date.

And at Lambton Towns in St. Clair Ave. West?

Lambton Towns were launched a few months ago with a consistent level of registrations and enquiries. Initial sales were solid, however, in view of the current market conditions and purchasers’ concerns about mortgage rates, the number of enquiries and sales has somewhat slowed. We anticipate beginning construction in spring 2023, and occupancy to be late 2025.

What is it about these neighbourhoods that led Dunpar to commit to building there?

When Dunpar identifies a possible site for a new community, we often look for a location that is going through a regeneration. These locations often lend themselves to the need for new housing and our townhomes are usually an ideal product to build in these areas.

What else goes into selecting the neighbourhoods in which you choose to build?

We generally look for good access to transportation, whether it be by GO, TTC or main thoroughfares, for those driving. In addition, as our homes are usually occupied by families, we look for schools in the area as well as parks and local shops and services. All of these requirements are met with Lambton Towns and our Streetsville Village homes, now under construction.

What is the status of Kingsway Village Square, the boutique luxury rental, on Prince Edward?

Kingsway Village Square is currently fully leased, and we are really pleased about it. We believe it is the terrific location that is the draw and the great services and environment of the building itself. People really like living there.

When Dunpar launched this project, it kind of signaled a move to more rental properties. What has happened in this category since then?

We are clearly seeing a significant increase in the building of purpose-built rental buildings across the GTA. With the high cost of purchasing a home, the increase in immigration with so many people needing a place to live, and companies seeing the financial benefits of having properties they own and manage, this product presents a solid option for business owners and investment funds.

There’s so much concern about affordability these days. How is Dunpar dealing with this issue, to the benefit of homebuyers?

This is a constant challenge for most builders today, for we are at the mercy of the suppliers, contractors and municipalities. Toronto’s decision to increase the development charges by 46 per cent over the next few years will affect all developers in how they build and source materials. We are doing our best to build as efficiently as possible, but will have to adjust if materials costs increase.

And what about the other issues the industry is facing – labour shortages and rising costs? How is Dunpar managing those?

Dunpar’s Project Director, Taylor Rogers, has more than 15 years of experience in construction with an excellent reputation, and has established great relationships with the trades. Fortunately, for us, this has helped address the labour shortage problem and keep construction moving on our sites.

To assist the trades, we have been able to purchase in advance a large amount of the materials we need for our homes and warehouse them until we need them – everything from flooring to kitchens. In this way, we are able to more accurately schedule a lot of the construction timing, making it much easier for the many trades we work with to plan. In addition, this helps us control the costs for our purchasers.

What’s next for Dunpar?

Dunpar has purchased the Sheridan Mall in Mississauga and renamed it Sherwood Village. We are in the process of redefining and restoring the mall. More information will be available this fall.

We are also in the final stages of building a commercial office space on Jutland in Etobicoke and the first phase has already been sold out. We are now launching the second phase of the project.

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AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE...

What are you especially proud of with your involvement in this industry?

We are especially proud of not compromising on the quality of the homes we build. We make every attempt to improve our product with each project we create and never stop learning.

If you weren’t in homebuilding, you would be…

To be honest, I would be doing exactly what I am doing now, as I love this industry.

What’s on your reading list these days?

Where the Crawdads Sing – a great first book for Delia Owens, which has also been made into a movie.