Sheena and Jason were looking for a new home that could accommodate their family dynamics, weekend hobbies, and future needs. They spend much of their free time outdoors between entertaining family, playing with their dogs, and tinkering on cars getting them show ready (or simply fixing one of the kid’s vehicles).
With grown children who have transitioned out of the home, and with Sheena’s retired mother Mary living with the couple, they knew they needed a home that could be supportive long-term. After searching for a couple of years around Calgary for a community that could accommodate a Carriage Suite, they stumbled upon Harmony. The unrestricted ability for their family to choose a home that fell within their checklist, and price point, made them eagerly embrace the wide-open skies of Harmony.
What they needed was a functional home design that could provide Mary with her own independent space, a larger garage to support a hobby of show vehicles, and a spacious yard to allow their dogs the freedom they needed and space for Mary to garden. They were sold when they realized that they could have a larger corner lot, a Carriage Style suite above the garage, and still be close to Calgary. With their current home nestled in a far NW community, they were quite used to commuting to Downtown and the South respectively for work, so the move will have very little impact on their commuting time overall. “Coming home to a view of the mountains after a long day at work is something we are very much looking forward to.”
Sheena explained how one of the major features of this community is the fact that it offers various home styles which can help to keep families together—such as having the flexibility of adding a secondary suite above the garage in the Carriage Homes. Another major feature is how unconventional the planning was overall compared to other communities.
“One of the main reasons for buying the house with a Carriage Suite, in addition to giving mom her own home again, is so that she can continue her independent living through her retirement years knowing that we are simply across the yard to help whenever she needs us. If health concerns arise, we would be able to bring in care if required without worrying about our dogs being an issue, and she maintains her privacy. Ultimately it will enable us to keep her out of a care home and with family, whereas our current home limits this at this time.”
The Rear-Laned Carriage Homes embrace a once very traditional style of home that immediately creates a feeling of home, family, and comfort. The family loved what the Poplar Collection of homes offered and immediately gravitated to the Broadview as their chosen builder with the Melrose floorplan. The last two homes they have lived in were Broadview, immediately creating a sense of trust and connection to help support them along this next journey. The sales team at Broadview went above and beyond to ensure that each family member felt like they had a say in achieving their wish list and overall needs.
“The sales manager has been amazing through the process with listening, taking ideas, and putting them into a plan that we hadn’t even considered. He listened to what our needs were, especially with the Carriage Suite. He has been an absolute rockstar, so responsive and attentive to our needs with everything.”
The family already feels a connection to the community even though they have yet to move in. By simply following the development on social media and watching updates overall, they have already enjoyed what close-knit ties exist between neighbours with various activities and get-togethers planned.
“I felt there was a strong sense of community simply by following their Facebook page. I see posts all the time about get-togethers, questions, buy and sells—even people who have reached out and mentioned they will be our neighbours. It is so different and welcoming from what we have right now.”
There is so much to offer with various interests and ages within and around Harmony. Mary and Sheena are looking forward to exploring the connected trails, while Jason is looking forward to a few rounds on the course in his downtime.
“I’m looking forward to being able to go out on the pathways. I am going to get another bike as I’ve not had one in a while and take the dogs out for walks. I also saw on one of the video’s they have an exercise class outdoors, and I would really like to try that.”
As their family changes and grows, they know this is the right community to support them for years to come. “We certainly know that one day we will have grand-kids, and the home we chose was with the intent that there would be enough room for everyone, with multiple activities to enjoy together.” Now with their Carriage Home well underway, they are excited for their possession date of October 2021!
