The Bennett caps Excel Homes' milestone year

The Collingwood, the Newbrook, and the Fleetwood are among Excel Homes’ Hall of Fame front-drive garage homes as the most requested models by their buyers. They will soon be joined by the Bennett, the award-winning builder’s 35th Anniversary model that just opened its first showhome in Silver Spruce in the southwest.

Timeless, classy elegance is the common denominator in all of Excel’s homes, and the Bennett’s admirable use of space and innate flexibility are sure to rocket it to stardom in 2024.

“The Bennett show home is a 35th year anniversary model, and the first of its kind,” says Kristina Plank, Excel Homes Marketing Manager. “It was designed to optimize every square foot of the home, making it feel much larger than it is.”
The new showhome opened in November 2023, and it is already earning praise. “It has garnered a lot of interest from prospective buyers in the neighbouring community of Silverado who are looking to upsize from their rentals or multi-family homes,” Plank says. “The feedback has been amazing, and the show home has been well received with many agreeing that it is one of their favourite Excel show homes.

“Walking into the home, you’ll notice a sophisticated home office with a great use of contrasting colours and a stunning waterfall island in the kitchen,” Plank says. “The home is unique and different from any of our other show homes, with equestrian inspired décor with a nod to Spruce Meadows.”

The great room is warm and cozy with an optional half-height fireplace, with half-height paint grade mantle. The expansive central island with quartz countertops features a waterfall design that adds a cool, aesthetic flair in the kitchen. A coffee station in the walk-through pantry is a smart convenience for busy families, the mud room with shelves and a sitting area is a practical touch.

The vaulted ceiling in the bonus room upstairs brings an aura of spaciousness to the home, and the second-floor laundry is what every growing family needs. The bonus room is strategically located right at the top of the stairs and acts as a buffer between the primary bedroom and the secondary bedrooms to give every member of the household a sense of privacy.

Plank says that Excel’s experienced design team also added the option for a desk in the flex space/hallway on the second floor. “This makes it at once a fun spot for fun-filled family nights, and a quiet spot for the kids to do their schoolwork in.”

The Bennett showhome is located in Silver Spruce, a boutique enclave of single-family homes within the well-established community of Silverado in Calgary’s southwest. It is next door to the Spruce Meadows multi-purpose sports facility that is famed for its international equestrian show-jumping competitions, and the inspiration for the Bennett’s décor.

Beyond its looks, however, Plank says this home was designed for a family or young professional couple to grow into. “We considered thoughtful design options like a mudroom that leads to the pantry, which makes bringing your weekly groceries into the house so much easier.”

The 2,045 square-foot Bennett showhome has three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths with an attached double front garage. Like all homes in Silver Spruce, the Bennett sits on a Zero Lot Line which helps preserve its affordability by cutting the cost of land.

The Bennett was just one of the showhomes Excel Homes opened during its 35th Anniversary celebrations in 2023. Their new showhomes can also be found in Creekstone by Apex Developments in the southwest, in Rangeview by Genstar in the southeast, and also in Cobblestone Creek by Melcor in Airdrie.

“The Bennett is a home that grows with you, as it offers the versatility and functionality that you are looking for with a main floor flex room, walk-through pantry into the kitchen and a large bonus room upstairs. There is room to grow in this home,” Plank says.

Its location in the booming southwest sector is also a big plus, as Silver Spruce is in a well-established area of Silverado where all the easy living amenities can already be found and enjoyed.

There are two schools (elementary to junior high) as well as playschools in Silverado, kindergarten/elementary schools nearby. Silverado also has a fitness and yoga studio, a veterinary hospital and the requisite shopping centre with groceries, banks, pharmacy, restaurants, and so much more already ready for Silver Spruce’s new residents to enjoy.

Zero Lot lines keeps homes in Silver Spruce attainable, even as Calgary remains to be one of the most affordable cities to build a new home, Plank says, and 2024 might just be a great time to get in one.

“Buying a new home now gives you the ability to lock in your interest rate with a rate hold, which gives you some protection from future rate increases,” she explains. “In addition, the cost of land, labour and supplies is expected to increase – buying now locks in the best price for you.”

The Bennett’s opening caps Excel’s momentous milestone year. For three-and-a-half decades, Excel Homes has been part of the homebuilding fabric of the province, and it plans to be an even bigger part of it in the coming years.

“Since we first began in 1988, we’ve built over 13,000 homes in over 80 communities and we have received over 50 awards for design and industry excellence,” says Plank. “Excel Homes is proud to not only build new communities in Calgary and surrounding areas, but to be a part of the community. We look forward to sharing many more years together.”