HAPPY HOMEOWNERS: ARLA & STEVE’S FAMILY COTTAGE

Having shared a multi-generational cottage for a lifetime, Arla and Steve’s entire family cherished the time spent up North together. But when shared between Arla’s parents, her sisters and their families, and their own rapidly-growing family, there simply wasn’t enough space to all enjoy their trips together.

But with such a large family, finding a resale cottage that would fit their needs was exceptionally difficult. So when the land right next door to their existing family cottage became available, building a cottage of their very own was the perfect opportunity. So Arla and Steve started their search for a builder they could trust.

“We only looked at builders with an excellent reputation, so the comparison was then down to other attributes. The first thing that caught our attention was the price guarantee. All the other builders we spoke to couldn’t even give us a ballpark price. Having a price guarantee allowed us to use our full budget towards building the house of our dreams, since we didn’t need a contingency budget.”

Starting their journey with Quality Homes was an exciting process, one that Arla and Steve leapt into with confidence. After reaching out in November of 2022, they officially signed their agreement only a month later after designing the perfect custom cottage for their family to enjoy forever.

A CUSTOM BUNGALOW COTTAGE, COMPLETE WITH FINISHED BASEMENT

In order to accommodate Arla and Steve, their three sons, two daughter-in-laws, and four grandchildren, a great deal of thought had to go into this design. The result was a completely custom cottage, with 5,200 sq.ft. of living space, a large deck, and 7 bedrooms—5 of which have a private ensuite bathroom including a shower, while the remaining 2 share. This is the perfect solution to please everyone, giving this large, loving family the privacy they deserve while sharing space.

On the main floor, a spacious main living area includes an open concept kitchen, dining, and living room with beautiful cathedral ceilings. A huge mudroom at the front has space for everyone to store their boots and coats, keeping the shared spaces tidy.

Downstairs, a home gym, sauna, and family room add to the cottage lifestyle, while three distinctive storage spaces (one for food, one for toys, and a third for everything else) make it as functional as possible for four-season living.

“Working with our Building Consultant, Dianne, was wonderful,” Arla explained, “We actually had fun designing the house together. We customized almost every detail of the house, so it was a huge project. We went through quite a few revisions and Dianne was patient and understanding. For example, we really wanted a water closet in our ensuite. Initially it seemed that there wasn’t room, but Dianne worked with the drawing, trying many configurations until we worked it out.”

Having taken so much time together to nail down the details, Quality Homes was able to bring their dreams to life with a home that could accommodate 11 people and their different wants and needs.

ARLA & STEVE’S DREAM DESIGN

Once their design had been finalized, Arla and Steve could move onto the next step in their homebuying journey: choosing the finishes for their family’s dream cottage.

Exterior Finishes:

• Vinyl Siding by Gentek (Colour: Midnight Surf)
• Exterior Door in Iron Ore
• Soffit, Fascia & Frieze Board by Gentek (Colour: White)
• Roof Shingles by Owens Corning (Colour: Onyx Black)

Kitchen/Living Room Finishes:

• Custom Cabinetry by Woodland Horizon
• Tile Backsplash by Centura (Masia Series)
• Kitchen Faucet by Moen (Colour: Matte Black)
• Vinyl Plank Flooring by Centura (Dura Quantum Series – Colour: Trail)

Bathroom Finishes:

• Custom Vanities by Stonewood Bath
• Primary Ensuite Shower Tile by Centura (York Series with Castle Wall grout)
• Brio Neo-Angle Showers by MAAX in secondary ensuites
• Vinyl Plank Flooring by Centura (Dura Fusion Series – Colour: Oyster Bay)

A HOME FOR GENERATIONS

With the support of the Quality Homes Team at every step of the process, Arla and Steve watched their home come to life. From transparency and honesty to advice and accommodations, Arla has expressed how much she valued the care and attention they were given throughout the process.

“We felt that we were always in capable hands and that Dan, our site administrator, was thinking not just about the house to complete, but also about the family who would live there. In one meeting he suggested reinforcing the stair landing because ‘when your grandchildren get a little older, they are going to jump on this’”.

It’s considerations like this that make all the difference when building homes. Because it’s not just about the style and quality of a home, it’s about supporting the lives that will be lived there. And in Arla and Steve’s case, there were many lives to consider! But it’s this level of professionalism and care that has given Quality Homes our stellar reputation.

We’re so grateful to Arla and Steve for trusting us to create a custom cottage for every generation to enjoy—and for taking the time to share their experiences with all of you! As a final word, Arla has shared some advice for those who are considering building a Quality Home of their very own:

“It is important to spend lots of time and effort in the design process and figure out the features that you want. I made lists of my top, middle and lower priorities, so I could ensure I got the most for our building budget. I would also recommend listening to the designer’s recommendations. There are several features in the house that we would not have thought of, if it weren’t for Dianne’s suggestions.”

Thank you, Arla and Steve! We hope that your family enjoys your new cottage for many years to come.