west on the village walk: Development ‘brings affordability back to first-time home buyers’
LAURA STONE
Province
West on the Village Walk, a four-storey, 60-unit building, is one of the first new buildings in Cloverdale in 20 years, says developer Rob Wall. Photograph by: Les Bazso, The Province
The kitchens feature stainless steel appliances, granite counters and generous cooking space for a condo
The suites have nine-foot ceilings and electric fireplaces. Perks include free internet and cable for a year
It took Carole Whitton exactly two-and-a-half weeks from the time she toured the West on the Village Walk condominiums in Cloverdale, to the day she moved in.
Blame the maple shaker kitchen cabinets.
“The kitchen was gorgeous,” Whitton recalled on moving day, as she ushered in boxes with husband Peter and grown son Cooper, who will be sharing the one-bedroom apartment when his parents are away at their country home. There was also the matter of the flat-top stove, and what Whitton perceived as a generous cooking space for a condo. “It’s just head and shoulders above where we were living,” she said about her former abode, a nearby townhouse. “It’s the little things that are just so much better.”
Grooved closet doors and stainless steel appliances rounded out the list of details that impressed Whitton.
The West development has so far sold 42 of its 60 units — 17 of them pre-sale. The reason for the quick sales, said Royal LePage realtor Jamie Schreder, appears to be a combination of increased consumer demand and low interest rates of under four per cent.
“It brings affordability back to first-time homebuyers,” said Schreder.
The most expensive of West’s remaining 18 condos is $257,000, and starting price is $197,900 — a pittance in homeowner terms. The priciest corner units in the four-storey building, all of which sold first, were $339,000.
The suites range from 673 to 1,051 square feet. There’s also a 1,200-square-foot amenities room, with sofas, a card table, and a full kitchen.
Another perk for buyers is a built-in wireless modem from Telus and a free year of Internet and cable. And with electric fireplaces, granite countertops and nine-foot ceilings, the condos at West on the Village Walk also represent a rarity in Cloverdale.
“It’s one of the first new buildings in Cloverdale for probably the last 20 years,” said Rob Wall, developer and president of Wallmark Homes.
But it won’t be the last. The City of Surrey recently approved a $15-million overhaul of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, including a new recreation centre, and a mall is scheduled to be built in the near future.
“Cloverdale is a city in re-development, definitely,” said Wall. But they’re still trying to keep the quaint, community feel, he said, as evidenced by the development’s brick exterior and ornate woodwork.
The condo residents come from a variety of backgrounds, said Schreder. Young, old, singles and couples: they’ve all bought into West on the Village Walk, including a set of grandparents on one floor, and their grandsons on another.
The little things, it turns out, are appreciated by everyone.
“The hallways are very nice,” said Cooper, pointing to the swirling chocolate brown rug, as he helped his mother move in. “They even have wagon-wheel chandeliers.”
THE FACTS
What: West on the Village Walk, 60 Condominiums
Where: 17712 57A Avenue, Cloverdale.
Developer: Wallmark Homes
Builder: Wallmark Homes
Sizes: One to two bedrooms, from 673 sq. ft.
Prices: Starting at $197,900
Open: Presentation centre and show home open at 17712 57A Avenue., 12 to 5 p.m., except Friday.
More info: www.liveatwest.ca
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