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It’s been virtually three years since Henco and Marche Cronje bought all the things and jumped on a aircraft to Canada from South Africa. They arrived in Calgary with their two grownup kids, who on the time have been aged 17 and 20, and their three fur-babies — Smudge, Shadow and Noekie — with solely 4 suitcases between all of them.
“It was an enormous step coming right here. We’d by no means been to Canada earlier than, so we actually didn’t know what to anticipate,” says Marche.
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Henco, a software program engineer, had been recruited by a know-how firm.
“It was a very good alternative for us,” says Henco, noting that the household didn’t even suppose twice about accepting the provide.
“We’d been in our house in South Africa for 26 years, and we noticed it as a chance to eliminate all of our junk,” he says with fun.
The couple initially rented a bungalow by the river in Cochrane’s West Valley neighborhood. Avid runners, bikers, swimmers and hikers, they instantly fell in love with Cochrane’s life-style.
“We love the character, the river, the snow and all the things that comes with that, in addition to the city feeling,” says Marche, who works in early childhood training. The couple additionally enjoys the accessibility. Each of them work downtown; Henco rides his bike and Marche walks.
“It’s a improbable strategy to dwell,” she says.
After two years, the household utilized for everlasting Canadian residency and that spurred on a seek for a extra everlasting house, one which they owned.
“It’s at all times good to place your cash into your personal funding, as a substitute of paying for another person’s,” says Henco.
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They started trying six months after they utilized for residency in June of 2023, figuring out that they wished to remain in Cochrane.
“We have been actually open for something — a brand new construct or a resale house. However location was essential; we wished to be near the river and to the sports activities recreation centre,” says Marche, noting that in addition they didn’t need to lose the power to stroll and cycle to work.
They employed an actual property agent and checked out a couple of resale houses, however rapidly ascertained that by the point they did renovations on them to replace them, they might be transferring past their price range.
That led them to Greystone, the brand new 150-acre city riverside neighborhood located on the previous Burnco gravel pit, positioned inside a brief stroll of downtown Cochrane.
Greystone will pivot round a central amenity pond with strolling paths right down to the river, in addition to a 10-acre Central Park boasting 20 pickleball courts, two baseball diamonds and a basketball courtroom. Jefferson Plaza, a memorial tribute area to Jeff Burns — the previous president of Burnswest Properties Ltd., the developer behind the neighborhood, who died in 2021 — overlooks the pond, as does Ocgrow Place, a retail and business area brimming with eating places, cafes and thrilling retail. The Co-op grocery retailer, touted to be the biggest in Western Canada with a standalone gasoline bar and liquor retailer, wraps round to the south.
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They toured via a couple of duplex-style present houses and instantly resonated with The Sydney, a 1,376-square-foot, two-storey, three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom laned duplex design by Douglas Properties, a multi-award-winning Calgary-based builder. The Sydney was a finalist in the very best new house duplex class $350,000 to $375,000 within the 2023 BILD Alberta Awards.
The house has an old-world really feel with a captivating full-length entrance veranda. The household, though they moved in throughout a snow storm in February of this yr, already enjoys sitting out and absorbing the sunshine.
“With the cats, we additionally actually wanted a house with a yard and Douglas Properties had this large, comfy yard. Plus, the open-concept design is simply lovely,” says Marche, who enjoys cooking and baking.
“The bungalow we rented didn’t have a sensible kitchen. There was no counter area — it was a nightmare. So coming into this place, it’s received all of this counter area and cabinets and an enormous island. It’s improbable. Now we are able to all be within the kitchen collectively cooking and never be in one another’s means,” she says.
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Their daughter, who’s now 23 and beginning a educating job, has settled in properly to one of many secondary bedrooms and as their son has returned to South Africa, the third bed room will grow to be a visitor room/workplace area for Henco, who sometimes works from house. The upstairs additionally gives an alternate workspace — a big built-in desk on the high of the steps is each useful and exquisite.
The couple additionally appreciated the truth that the entire finishes have been excessive finish — quartz counter tops, wide-planked engineered hardwood on the primary flooring, nine-foot ceilings and a Napoleon electrical hearth within the nice room and that each sq. inch of the house was nicely thought-out with “nice use of area.”
“The one factor that we did was improve the home equipment and add a double automotive storage to the again — Douglas Properties might be constructing it this summer season,” says Henco.
The unfinished 700-sq.-ft. decrease stage has one egress window and plumbing roughed-in. Ending it will likely be a future undertaking for Henco, who’s trying ahead to constructing the area, whereas Marche, an avid gardener, is chomping on the bit to start planting and designing their backyard.
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As a result of Douglas Properties is a spec house builder — homes are already underneath building when the papers are signed — the move-in time is often quite a bit shorter than a pre-sale house, says Derk Patton, Douglas Properties’ Greystone space gross sales supervisor.
For the Cronjes, who bought when their house was on the framing stage, the move-in timing was fast, lower than six months.
All in all, the couple is thrilled with the construct course of and their new house.
“All of it went very easily and the timing for possession was spot on,” says Henco.
THE DETAILS
HOME DESIGN: The Sydney, a 1,376-sq.-ft., two-storey, three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom rear-laned, duplex-style house with a full-length old-world entrance veranda.
BUILDER: Douglas Properties.
COMMUNITY: Greystone of Cochrane, in Cochrane.
DEVELOPER: Burnswest Properties Ltd.
PRICE: The Sydney in Greystone begins at $499,900 together with lot and GST.
SHOW HOME: The present house is positioned at 500 River Ave., Cochrane, and is open Monday via Thursday from 2 to eight p.m. and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from midday to five p.m.
INFORMATION: douglashomes.web
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