What’s the Best Style of Home for a New Canadian Family?
As you start your new life here in Canada, one of the key things you need is a place to live! You’re going to need to think carefully about what type of home you want to buy. While you may not be ready for the actual purchase yet, knowing what you want will give you a starting point for determining your down payment and mortgage options to make the home affordable.
New Canadians have plenty of options when it comes to home styles; we think that these are some of your best choices.
Townhomes are an Affordable Option for New Canadians
Townhomes are homes that are connected in a row of three or more homes. This means you’ll share at least one wall with a neighbour, but modern Canadian building techniques are so good that you won’t hear the family next door through the walls. In general, townhomes tend to have 1,500 square feet or less, but you still get everything you’re looking for in a home, including a garage in most cases, a comfortable living space, and two or three bedrooms. Many townhomes also offer the option to finish the basement, giving you a lot more living space.
The big advantage to townhomes is the price tag. Since a smaller home and some of the exterior features are shared among the other homes in the row, it costs far less than many larger homes. This is an ideal situation for new immigrants who are just starting their families in Canada and are looking for something affordable.
Every payment you make builds equity in the home so you can have more money for a bigger house if you find you need one down the line. Townhomes can also be a good choice for older couples who are coming to Canada to be with a family that’s settled here already. They don’t have a lot of maintenance, and you can easily afford it, even on a modest retirement income.
Multigenerational Families Love Duplex Homes
Duplex homes are another affordable alternative for new Canadian families. They consist of two homes attached at the side, but as we mentioned before, the sound won’t travel between the homes. They tend to be bigger than townhomes, and usually have a few more options that aren’t as commonly available in the townhome models, such as a bonus room on the second floor. The style also allows for a bigger backyard for barbecues or letting the children play. And with a price only slightly higher than a townhome, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
We frequently see this style of home appealing to multigenerational newcomers. One family purchases one side of the duplex, and the parents or children purchase the other side. This gives each family unit the privacy they want, but still allows the convenience of having the family right next door.
Enjoy More Space and Privacy in a Single-Family Home
Finally, we come to single-family homes, which are the type of homes most people think about when they picture a house.
In this style, Sterling offers two choices. We build “front attached” homes, which have garages attached to the front of the home. It’s convenient to park the car in the garage and then just walk inside. We also build “laned” homes, which are homes that don’t have attached garages but have a garage pad included behind the home (there’s also the option for the builder to complete the garage or you can wait until you have saved enough to complete it yourself). Laned homes often have a cute, picturesque look to the front of the home.
Inside, both of these styles of single-family homes have plenty of living space, with some having more than 2,500 square feet! You can even opt to finish the basement, which gives you 500 – 1,000 extra square feet.
The design of these large single-family homes comes with an added potential bonus: the opportunity to add a full suite – bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area – in the basement. Many of the new Canadians purchasing our homes choose to finish the basement into a suite for their ageing parents. The parents have a sense of independence, but the adult children are close by if anyone needs help. However, some families simply prefer this style of home because they see it as their “forever” home. It has all the space they need for their growing family, so they know they won’t have to move.
If you’re new to Canada, it may be overwhelming to think about all of your new home options. One of the best ways to learn more is to tour each style. This will give you a better sense of what each style of home looks like so you can make an educated decision about what’s best for you.
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About the Author:
At Sterling Homes, our mission is to provide the opportunity for affordable homeownership without compromise. Over the last 70 years, Sterling Edmonton has quickly become one of Edmonton’s most popular builders. We bring more than seven decades worth of exceptional customer service, superior design and unparalleled craftsmanship to the greater Edmonton area. As a member of the Qualico Group, Sterling Homes focuses on greater Edmonton’s finest family communities, while being able to offer some of the region’s most family friendly prices thanks to volume purchasing power for materials, trades and land. This has not only made Sterling one of Edmonton’s bestselling, move-up builders, but also one of the industry’s most respected home providers. It is through our uncompromising commitment to our customers that we proudly deliver the Sterling Advantage – that’s why each and every home we build includes a 10-year home warranty, a completion guarantee and new home warranty excellence rating. Our Advantage is our pledge that, when you build your dream home with Sterling, we will deliver a timely, well-built home you’re sure to enjoy for years to come.
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