The people at Reid Built Homes are certainly trying to give buyers just that, with Westmere Gardens in Chestermere.

“I think it (Westmere Gardens) will be of real interest to families with two parents working. You’ve got your exterior maintenance looked after, so you can spend your weekend with your kids and you don’t have to worry about painting, or cutting the grass. You’ve got all the advantages, plus you’ve got water just down the road,” says George Lawrance, general sales manager with Reid Built Homes Calgary. “This is really the lifestyle I wish I could have lived when I was younger.”

While Westmere Gardens is technically a townhome community, with all the perks of condo living, the floor plans are nearly identical to single-home floor plans Reid Built already offers. Ranging in size from 1669 square feet to 2154 square feet these semi-detached homes are big on space. Each of the three plans boasts three bedrooms, two storeys, double car garage, an open main floor, two and a half baths and a four-piece master ensuite with soaker tub. The mid-sized, 2045 square foot Greenridge floor plan also includes a bonus room, while the 2054 square foot Springside floor plan includes a bonus room as well as a flex room. A number of the homes in the project will feature walkout basements with concrete pads, while buyers may also choose from flat and sunshine basements.

Inside, buyers will appreciate the standard five Frigidaire and Whirlpool appliances. Outside, Westmere Gardens will boast park spaces, gathering areas, full landscaping and underground irrigation, with a pond nearby. The homes are Craftsman style, with distinctive accents such as decorative louvers, shutters, brackets and cupolas.

While the homes are impressive, Dave Abbey, Reid Built’s Westmere area sales manager insists that Chestermere is the main draw. “It’s actually very close (to Calgary) – just four minutes from the outskirts of town,” he says. “It’s always been a little more upper scale, and it’s got a lake feel – and the amenities are definitely coming.”

Named Community of the Year at the 2000 SAM (Sales and Marketing) Awards, Westmere is family-friendly, with schools, parks and shopping in the community, as well as the lake, a recreation centre and a brand new library all in town. There are schools located within a five-minute walk of Westmere Gardens, not to mention a number of services right in Westmere. Chestermere’s 60-acre towne centre is home to a market and food store, gas bar, restaurant, pub, hair salon, women’s fitness club, and much more. Of course, many buyers in Westmere Gardens will consider it a major highlight to have the Lakeside Greens Golf Club directly across the road from their home.

Reid Built Homes, Master Builder, has been building in Alberta since 1982, and in Westmere since the community’s inception in 2000. A family-run company, Reid Built builds in Calgary and area, including Airdrie, Okotoks and Chestermere; as well as Edmonton and Red Deer. As Abbey points out, they employ some of the most experienced construction workers in the industry.

Homes in Westmere Gardens start in the $300,000s, with possessions beginning in 2007.  Buyers can visit the Reid Built show home in Westmere to get an idea of what Westmere Gardens has to offer, and to find out more about the project.  CL

Show home hours are 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Thursday and noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays.