Who Are the Best Home Builders in Edmonton (and 7 Tips for Comparing Them)
No, really, who are the best home builders in Edmonton?
When building a new home, one of the most important decisions you can make is who you choose to build with. Building a home is a big decision, and one that can cost you a fair bit of time and money, so it’s only natural that you’ll want to find a builder that’s the perfect fit for you.
There are a lot of great home builders in our city, so we’ve put together this guide to help you make the decision and hopefully keep your new home build on the right track.
- Who Are Some Of The Best Home Builders in Edmonton?
- Focus on Finding a Quality Builder
- Compare Apples to Apples
- Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
- Choose Your Incentives Carefully
- Get References
- Pay Attention to Customer Service
- Making and Changing Your Choices
Who Are Some Of The Best Home Builders in Edmonton?
While we’d love to have an opportunity to have our prospective home buyers purchase our products, we’re never ones to shy away from being honest with respect to our competition and sometimes we are not the right fit for your family, we want our customers to be as informed as possible.
Here’s are some of the companies that have a solid home building history in the Edmonton Area: *
Augusta Fine Homes
Thinking of buying a luxury home in Edmonton? Augusta may have the answer. Augusta builds in Langdale in Windermere, Wespointe Community, Lake Summerside, and the Uplands at Riverview.
Google Rating: 4.4
Kanvi Homes
Kanvi Homes has been around since 2006. They have some modern designs and many options to personalize your home. They build in four communities across Edmonton, including the Arbours of Keswick, Jagare Ridge, Jensen Lakes, and Cavanagh. They also build in a variety of infill communities.
Google Rating: 4.6
Morrison Homes
Morrison Homes builds primarily duplex, laned and front attached garage models. The communities you can find Morrison Homes in would include McConachie, Walker Summer, Chappelle Gardens, Glenridding Ravine, Rosenthal, and Tonewood.
Google Rating: 4.0
Pacesetter Homes
Pacesetter Homes is a sister company of Sterling Homes, and having been around for years, they have an emphasis on building spec homes, with the flexibility of option selections. Pacesetter builds in over 30 communities across Edmonton and surrounding areas, in all quadrants of the city.
Google Star Rating: 3.8
Streetside Edmonton
If you’re looking for condo and townhome living, Streetside specializes in this product type. They build in several communities throughout Edmonton, with floor plans ranging from 650 Sqft to 1,600 sq ft.
Google Rating: 4.5
And in case you were wondering, Sterling Homes’ Google rating at the time of writing is 4.2.
Let’s take a look at some tips you can use to help compare possible home builders to find the best one for you.
Focus on Finding a Quality Builder
Obviously, you’ll want your new home to last, and even though newly-built homes come with a new home warranty, you still don’t want to have to deal with the time and disruption of having repairs done right after you move in.
The best way to avoid this is by seeking out quality home builders in Edmonton. When you tour showhomes, pay attention to the details – are doors closing properly? Are the materials used to build the home high-quality? Do things just feel cheap? Take notes on the products used in the build and research them independently when you get home. Make sure to keep an eye out for any other red flags; you’ll be happy you took the time to do so.
Free Resource: Home Builder Comparison Checklist
Compare Apples to Apples
One of the hardest things about comparing home builders in Edmonton is that each home they build is different, even though many floor plans will be similar. Two comparable homes may seem to cost the same, but if one includes a patio or exterior landscaping and the other doesn’t, the first one could be a better deal.
Similarly, take a look at some of the other external lot factors such as the neighbourhood (or location within the neighbourhood), the shape of the lot and even which direction the lot faces.
Sometimes, a home builder advertises lower prices, and understandably, cost-conscious shoppers are drawn to them. But once you add in the features you want, you have a higher price than you’d get from the builder who has higher starting prices but the features you want are included as standard options. Sterling Homes includes many items that other builders consider upgrades in our standard specification, and we factor the best possible price for all our features into our listed price.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
When looking for a builder, don’t be shy when it comes to asking questions about them and their building process! Not only can you learn a lot about the process of building your home, you can also see how willing the builder is to answer your questions.
If you’re unsure what to ask, a few things to consider asking a prospective builder could include:
- How long will the building process take?
- How closely do you work with your architects and designers?
- Will the neighbourhood be governed by a Homeowner’s Association or Restrictive Covenant?
- How often will you update me on the progress of my home?
- Can you provide me with references from past customers?
- What subcontractors do you work with, and how do you screen them for quality?
Be sure to make notes of the answers as you go, so you can compare the answers to your overall experience afterwards.
Choose Your Incentives Carefully
Throughout the year, builders sometimes offer their customers incentives (AKA promotions). This could include things like a certain amount of free upgrades, landscaping, or a discount on the purchase price.
While these can be great offers that will save you a lot of money, take the time to be sure the offer is for something you actually need. If you can get something you were already planning on for free or at a discount, even better!
This is another situation where it can be beneficial to do your own research – some “free” incentives can be built into the cost of the home ahead of time, so if you know what various upgrades are likely to cost, you can tell how much you’re really paying for them.
Get References
Sometimes, people worry they’ll seem pushy or overbearing if they ask to speak with former and current customers, so they don’t ask for references. It’s incredibly helpful to talk to people who have been through the process before and who have lived in the builder’s home for a few years. They can let you know what life has been like after the dust has settled. Don’t be afraid to ask the builder for references.
Probably one of the best places to get an unbiased review of a builder is on Google Reviews. You can check out the rating any time.
Pay Attention to Customer Service
The customer experience will tell you a lot about a builder, so pay attention to all of your interactions with them. For instance, does the builder return your phone calls or emails promptly? Does the Area Manager seem attentive when you’re asking questions about a home or community? The way you’re treated throughout the home buying experience is a good indicator of how you will be treated during the construction and post-possession phases.
You want a builder who’s going to take you seriously and address any and all of the concerns you may have. You also want to feel confident that the home builder will quickly take care of any issues that might crop up after the home is built. They shouldn’t leave you hanging.
Making and Changing Your Choices
Having a part in the design of the home is one of the best parts of building your own home. It’s helpful to know what you’re getting yourself into. Ask how the design selection process works. In many cases, you’ll have to make all of your selections upfront – with Sterling, you have the help of a professional interior designer and our designQ Centre – but you’ll want to know at what point those decisions are set in stone. For instance, it’s pretty much impossible to make changes to the floor plan after the builder has broken ground.
At Sterling, we pride ourselves on being one of the best builders in the Edmonton area. We have decades worth of experience, and we think this shows in our quality, our attention to detail, and our customer service. Download our free guide of questions to ask when comparing builders, then come and speak to one of our experts about building your dream home. We know you’re going to like what you see.
* please note: Google Ratings are current as of March 2021.
Originally published Jun 26, 2020, updated Mar 25, 2021
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