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Morena West's bungalow villa suits couple's empty nest needs

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Wendy and Tim St. Louis found their “Goldilocks home” in Rockford Developments’ Morena West bungalow-villa condo project on the west edge of Calgary.

“Wendy was anxious to get into something new, fresh and modern, that had everything we wanted, without renos,” Tim says. They both wanted a home “that was not too large and not too small — kind of like Goldilocks,” he says. With the help of Rockford’s design consultants, they were able to customize their new Morena West home for a fit that was just right.

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They needed a home that suited their busy life — Tim is a senior vice-president for a construction company, with an active travel schedule, while Wendy is a project co-ordinator with a rival construction company. And, with two children going to university, they needed less space than they’d had in their previous 21-year-old southwest Calgary walkout.

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The old place, with its big backyard, was great when the kids were small, but less attractive when the backyard could no longer contain them, Wendy says.

“The backyard required all of this work but we hardly ever went out there,” she says.

They wanted a bungalow with little or no yardwork and they also wanted to stay in the southwest, close to favourite restaurants and amenities and with easy access to the TransCanada Highway for frequent jaunts to their cabin in British Columbia’s nearby Columbia Valley.

Tim says Morena West meets all their requirements and was among the most affordable new developments in the southwest. As a condo development, it eliminates unwanted yardwork and the lock-and-leave feature also fits well with their fondness for pleasure travel.

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Morena West is an enclave of 54 semi-attached bungalow villas — a group of 27 duplex-style buildings in which each home has its own double garage. Prices start at $690,000 plus GST and there’s an available $25,000 rebate on optional basement development. Condo fees are $285 per month. Situated on the western edge of the city, where Glenmore Trail crosses 69th Street S.W., it’s within an easy chip shot of Pinebrook, Glencoe and Elbow Springs golf courses.

Eighteen homes are built on a west-facing ridge that allows for walkout designs and what area sales manager Helena Kipp calls “panoramic” Rocky Mountain views.

The walkout model is known as the Robson, while the other 36 units are in the Columbia configuration that offers the same 1,471-square-foot main-floor layout as the Robson, but without the direct, basement-level exit to the landscaped condo grounds. As an alternative to the walkout, the Columbia has a larger deck off the main floor.

Kipp says nine Robson walkouts and 10 Columbia models are still available for purchase.

From the garage, owners enter their home through a mud room with a large coat closet and a washer/dryer setup. Guests enter the front door into a spacious foyer with contemporary 12 by 24-inch tile flooring and a closet for their outdoor garb.

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A wide corridor leads past the office/den into an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room area, with a door to the deck. The kitchen features a large island with a choice of stone or quartz counters, plus Kitchen Aid stainless steel appliances, a chimney-style range hood and built-in microwave.

The master bedroom suite runs parallel to the living area, with a walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom containing his-and-hers sinks, tub and separate shower. Another full bathroom and linen closet are tucked away near the stairs to the basement.

The basement can be left unfinished or developed in one- or two-bedroom configurations. Finished options include a 770-square-foot arrangement with a large entertainment room, bedroom, full bath and a large, unfinished storage area. A second option, with 1,130 square feet of developed space, includes another bedroom and a flex room in lieu of the storage area.

Buyers can choose from three colour palettes. Optional upgrades include a Kitchen Aid gas range, wine fridge and/or fibre-optic wiring.

Wendy and Tim St. Louis opted for the Columbia design, with its larger deck, and they say Rockford people made it easy to customize their home to their personal requirements.

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“They were really good at making suggestions that they thought would apply to our lifestyle,” Wendy says.

The St. Louis couple changed flooring to luxury vinyl planking throughout the main floor and basement and eliminated a tub in the downstairs bathroom, in favour of additional closet space. They also combined the adjoining closets in the front entry and den to form one larger closet with storage for off-season coats.

They took delivery of their home in April, and they say it’s proved to be everything they hoped it would be.

DETAILS

DEVELOPMENT: Morena West
DEVELOPER: Rockford Developments
PRICE RANGE: Starting at $690,000 plus GST
SALES CENTRE: Open  Monday to Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
LOCATION: 55 Sierra Morena Way S.W.
INFORMATION: liveatmorenawest.com

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