Published in Kelowna Capital News
Sunday, February 28, 2010

Award winning design

Helping foster a unique lifestyle for Kelowna

The general manager of Kentland Homes, Stephen Wells, talks about the process for building your dream home.

By: Darcy Nyrose
CONTRIBUTOR

Tell us about Kentland Homes and what you have been building over the last few years?

Since 1996 Kentland Homes has been the leader in home building here in the Village of Kettle Valley. Building homes of exceptional quality, comfort, and curb appeal while providing the highest level of customer service is the fundamental mission of Kentland Homes. We have absolute confidence in our ability to build new homes that will surpass the expectations of our customers while remaining faithful to the Village of Kettle Valley’s award winning design plan.

Tell me about the homes and the community you are building in now.

The Village of Kettle Valley is an award-winning community unlike any other, a village specifically designed to foster a unique, experience-rich lifestyle. The unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of its residents is evident in the planning of each home, park and neighborhood. Stunning streetscapes, expansive parks, breathtaking views and a charming Town Centre reflect a standard of excellence rarely found in today’s residential developments.

What is your background and why did you go into homebuilding as a profession?

I have been in the building business for over 33 years. My father and grandfather where both in the building business along with numerous uncles and cousins so I come from a strong trade background. I have always been drawn to the more challenging builds and I like the design challenge and problem solving aspect of building. Taking pride in what you do, and taking some ones vision and putting it to paper and after constructing that vision is truly a rewarding experience.

What’s different or unique about Kentland and your approach to your business?

With over 55 years of design and building experience between its two key members, we can help take the stress of decision making by staging the decision process to suit your busy schedule. We truly believe that your building experience should be fun and at the same time rewarding. Designing a home from your ideas and watching them develop into a reality is very gratifying.

All our home plans are developed in house. Quick changes to floor plans and elevations can be made within days and sometimes hours without delaying progress and possibly adding unnecessary costs. Once your home is complete, we provide you with the highest level of customer service through your New Home warranty period.

How long have you been here and why did you choose the Okanagan as a place to live?

I am an American and have lived in Kelowna since 2005. I have been involved with The Village of Kettle Valley since 2000. During the period between 2000 and 2004 I had to travel back and forth to Kelowna from the States. I would always go home and tell my wife what a beautiful place the Okanagan Valley is, and if an opportunity to live there ever came about, we should take advantage of it and move there. In 2004 I was offered, by the land developers a position as their in-house home builder and here I am today.

Describe Kentland’s building process.

Kentland offers three options to our clients. 1) Buyers can purchase one of the homes offered in our standing inventory. Many buyers do not have the time or desire to build a new home. Work demands, time constraints and the overall inconvenience of having to uproot your family while the building process is taking place may better suite this type of buyers needs. 2) Kentland also has a nice inventory of pre-designed home plans that will fit on just about any of the available lots in the Village of Kettle Valley. If a buyer is under a time constraint and needs to be in a home in, say six months, we have the ability to match a pre-designed home plan to any of the available lots. If that particular plan is close in design to what a customer wants, but not quit, we have the ability to make changes in house to any of our home plans to meet our client’s requirements without losing build time. 3) Kentland Homes has developed building strategies and management procedures that cater to clients that want the “Custom Built Home” experience. We believe the most important process in designing a new home is the pre-planning stage. During our initial meetings, we try and get a true sense of what are clients are looking for in their home- most importantly, the wants and needs of their family members along with the lifestyle they want to live.

How do you match up the customers’ needs with a new home that meets them?

Pre-planning is very important. Asking lots of questions about the family, family needs, lifestyle and most importantly their budget is key in developing a home plan. Build time is also very important to our customers. Being organized and scheduling decision making around customers busy schedules helps to alleviate the pressure of decision making.

Do you have an example where you went over and above for your client?

I’m sure I could come up with a few stories where we have gone over and above to meet our customer needs. Kentland Homes takes pride in building homes that surpass customer expectations. If we can make a customer feel this way then we have done our job well.

What top 3 things should people be looking for when building a new home?

When someone is considering building a home with a builder, the three key things that a customer should be looking for in a builder is 1) How do they get along with their builder of choice. If you are butting heads with your builder from the get go, then mostly likely that will continue through the entire build process which in turn will end in a bad experience. 2) Reputation of a builder. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from a builder. Ask for a list of customers he has built for in the past five years. Call the customers and ask them how their build experience was with that particular builder and if they felt they got what they bargained for. If the builder that you are considering has a home that is completed and one under construction, go and look them over to see the type of quality he/she builds into the structure and finished product.

What type of home plans are popular and why?

Open floor plans are, and have always been, the most popular floor plans here in the Okanagan. I think the difference now, is builders are dealing with a much more educated consumer. When I say educated, I mean educated in the products that are available to them. Being creative with those products to help them build a unique brand of home that suits them and the way they live.

What new home features are popular today in the Okanagan?

New home features that are popular here in the Okanagan- anything that has to do with lifestyle. Open floor plans with vaulted ceiling and lots of glass that take advantage of view corridors and natural light. Whole house audio systems, dedicated theater rooms, wine cellars etc. Green features are also important to customers. Energy efficient windows and doors, high efficiency HVAC systems and hot water tanks and Gray water recycle system along with solar systems are some of the items that buyers are enquiring about.

What are the latest industry trends you are seeing in home building and what do you see as emerging trends for the future?

Green built homes that include High efficiency mechanical products to heat and cool your home. Products that help recycle or are built from recycled products. Every day there are new products being developed that will help with the day to day needs of families to help ensure that we have a sustainable future.

How has the building industry changed in the last year?

With the housing market dropping off so much, it has really become a buyers’ market. Buyers know there are deals out there and are willing to wait and spend the time finding them. It is also a good time to build a new home. Sub-trades and suppliers have become much more aggressive with their pricing, land developers are willing to give better pricing on lots and home builders have been forced to lower their margins in an effort to stay competitive in the market.

What have been some new innovations in the building industry in the past couple of years?

BC in general has been developing at a higher rate than most of Canada. Lifestyle is what most people find so attractive about the Okanagan. One of the ways that builders are trying to attract new customers is to become more innovative with the products they incorporate in their homes. We have been seeing a need for larger garages with three or more bays in order to store recreational toys. People are also looking for long lasting low maintenance products for the exterior of their home. It used to be that most homes were either cladded with stucco or some type of wood siding. Today there is a wide variety of attractive, long lasting and low maintenance products such as Cultured stone, Composite siding, acrylic stuccos that come in a variety of colors and textures. These types of product if used properly can add a lot of curb appeal to a home. And in most cases, that is what will attract a potential buyer to a home in the first place.

Have construction costs really come down over the last 12 months?

We are seeing construction cost going down right across the board. The key is to be persistent about asking for what you want to pay. Let suppliers and trades know that they are not the only ones quoting the work and the materials to construct. I am in the process of completing a home that cost me 438K last year to build. Today, I am anticipating that the same home will cost under 400K to build.

In your mind, what are the top reasons to choose Kentland Homes as a builder?

When you build or buy a new home with Kentland Homes, you can be assured that you are getting a home of exceptional quality, comfort, and curb appeal. We strive to provide our customers with the highest level of customer service and we have absolute confidence in our ability to build new homes that will surpass the expectations of our customers while remaining faithful to the Village of Kettle Valley’s award winning design plan.

Are you a CHBA member?

Yes, Kentland has been a member of the CHBA since 2006 and before that we were under Kettle Valley as their home builder.

Do you have any finished homes or show homes available for people to see and how can they see them?

We have three homes complete and for sale. For more information you can visit our website at www.kentlandhomes.com or visit us at our show home at 5498 Mountainside Drive, Kelowna, in the Village of Kettle Valley. Hours are Saturday – Thursday from 12:00 – 5:00 pm, closed Fridays.

What do you like to do when you’re not building?

When I am not building, I very much like to spend time in my own home with my wife, relaxing, entertaining or creating new projects around the house to keep busy. I also like to travel around BC and take in all this province has to offer.