High-end builder HN Homes has found a way to offer a budget-friendly home that doesn’t sacrifice quality finishes, style or comfort, by recently introducing its Urban Towns to Riverside South.
These freehold, three-storey, back-to-back towns include many of the features buyers have come to expect in an HN home, yet they’re at a price point that’s within reach of first-time buyers, downsizers, those moving up from a condo and others.
“Our marketplace is changing,” says HN president George Georgaras. “When designing this new product, we focused on what would meet the needs of today’s buyers. With the Urban Towns, you get the quality and value we’re known for at a more affordable price.”
“We wanted to introduce a home that speaks to affordability issues, that takes into account the economics of construction and that appeals to a buyer who might not be able to get into the market — with the type of home they want — otherwise. It’s important for us to offer a home that is very well built, but more affordable.”
There are three floor plans to choose from, including one for a corner lot. All come with two bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, garage, basement, covered balcony, plenty of storage and 1,480 to 1,594 square feet. The corner lot floor plan also allows for a home office on the ground floor. Pricing starts at $589,800.
Like all of HN’s homes, the Urban Towns are designed by Simmonds Architecture, with interior selections created by Vogt Design. Exteriors are contemporary in design, using a soothing palette of soft earth tones and a mix of brick and fibre cement board (HN does not use vinyl), with upgraded shingles.
Inside, features include many that you’d find in an HN single-family home or townhome, such as nine-foot ceilings on the main living level, air conditioning, stone counters, smooth ceilings, soft-close cabinets, upgraded insulation and wall construction, Wi-Fi hub, Wi-Fi garage door opener and plenty of basement storage space. And, for the first time, HN is including appliances with the homes.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike most other back-to-back towns, these homes are not condos, which means no condo fees.
HN has been careful about maintaining unique features and finishes so that “the overall look will still feel very HN,” says sales & marketing manager Vasi Jackson. “There are some new features we’ve introduced to make the homes affordable, but the Urban Towns still provide great value and will make purchasers proud of their homes.”
To help buyers, Leonhard Vogt of Vogt Design has created a trio of design packages to choose from, each with options for upgrading specific rooms to luxury finishes.
“Each palette demonstrates a distinctive interior look and feel,” says Jackson. Buyers can choose from cool minimalist greys, high-contrast neutrals or airy Scandinavian simplicity.
“We’re letting buyers choose à la carte if they want to only upgrade their ensuite, or only upgrade their kitchen,” she adds. “We’ve created packaged upgrade pricing that’s attractive so people feel they can take the space and make it extra special without breaking the bank, and they don’t have to figure out themselves how to put it all together because Leonhard has already co-ordinated the upgraded options with our standard packages.”
But Georgaras feels that “buyers likely won’t feel they have to upgrade because the included specifications are above and beyond.”
HN has also worked with kitchen cabinet supplier Deslaurier Custom Cabinets to ensure maximum flexibility to customize cabinet features and accessories depending on buyer preferences, making it a simple matter to opt for, say, pot drawers or a garbage bin pullout within the existing kitchen layouts.
Living in Riverside South
Urban Towns are being offered at HN’s Riverside South community, which is an established neighbourhood of almost 20,000 residents along the Rideau River just east of Barrhaven and south of the Ottawa International Airport. Launched in 1997, there are about 7,000 homes that have been built so far.
The O-Train extension is almost ready to start servicing the neighbourhood, with testing now underway. It connects Riverside South to the airport, South Keys, Carleton University, Dow’s Lake and Bayview Station on the LRT line.
“The train is going to change all of Riverside South,” says Georgaras, “and our Urban Towns will be just a 15-minute walk to the train, which will then take you downtown.”
The train will come into what will be the future town centre of Riverside South, which will include a community library, sports field, parks, a central square and a ton of commercial and retail space, adds Jackson. “It’s going to be a really great pedestrian-friendly hub for the community and bring more of an urban feel.”
Already there are a lot of amenities in the area and several schools in place or being built, representing all school boards and both elementary and secondary levels.
“It’s an exciting time for Riverside South,” says Georgaras.
Urban Towns are now under construction, with the first closing dates next summer.
To find out more, visit hnhomes.com or call 613-425-0880.
This article was created by All Things Home on behalf of HN Homes.
