Desirable Keswick Landing offers affordable homes and diverse builder group

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Launched in late June, it could be a dream summer at Keswick Landing.

One of the newest southwest Edmonton communities, Keswick Landing is rolling out 225 lots in its first two phases. At full buildout, perhaps some five years from now, it is expected to include some 800 homes, a kindergarten to grade nine Catholic school and a grocery-anchored commercial centre.

This new development is being positioned as an affordable, reachable destination for home buyers, even though it is located near Keswick on the River, one of the pre-eminent southwest subdivisions.

“We’ve assembled the premiere home builders in Edmonton that specialize in moveup and starter homes,” said Chris Nicholas, president of Edmonton-based MLC Group, which is the land manager on this project from Allard Developments. “Despite the economy, we felt this is an opportune time to issue a new product in the southwest. We’re confident that it will be well-received despite market conditions. It has long been anticipated.”

And if the grand opening on June 22 was any indication, potential buyers, as well as those tempted by new show homes, were out en masse to take part in the event hosted by local blogger Linda Hoang. As part of the unveiling, there was a food crawl and a curated Instagram wall walk.

“We’re surprised by the initial reaction to the (grand opening) event,” said Dhruv Gupta, vice-president of Akash Homes, which is offering homes in Keswick Landing starting at $349,000. “There are a lot of people coming through.”

But positive reaction wasn’t just from the grand opening. Gupta said they have received a lot of phone calls at their office even prior to this, and all by people who are interested or want to move into the area. He said Keswick Landing’s drawing cards include its location, a diverse builder group and product type, and very competitive pricing.

“In these challenging times, everybody is dealing with excess (home) product,” said Gupta. “But there’s not a lot (of excess) in Keswick.”

Buyers Buying

Sometime this fall, Fawad Mehrzad and his wife will be one of the first residents in Keswick Landing.

“We chose Keswick Landing because of the range of options it provides,” said Mehrzad. “It offers affordable home options in a premiere community, and architectural flexibility to design a modern home.”

They purchased from Coventry Homes and landed at Keswick Landing after almost one year of house hunting.

“We knew we wanted a new home built to our specifications, therefore, my wife and I visited almost every new community around Edmonton to see if we could find what we’re looking for,” said Mehrzad. “Eventually, Keswick Landing won us over for several reasons. The community has plans for great amenities including multiple schools, parks and shops. It is also close to all available amenities in Currents of Windermere.”

Sealing the deal for the Mehrzads was being able to work with Coventry.

“We bought a two-storey, detached front-garage single-family home with a finished basement,” said Mehrzad. “What we love about the home is that Coventry Homes mixed and matched different models to design us a home that not only meets our needs, but also is beautiful.”

Game Changer

They flipped the floor plan.

Pacesetter Homes has come up with what is being called a first, and they’ve launched it at Keswick Landing: A rear-attached garage.

As opposed to having the attached garage in the front of the house, it’s now in the back. This gives the front elevation a whole new flush look, while the back now looks similar to what the front would have looked like.

“We’re the first in Edmonton to launch the rear-attached garage where the second level goes out over the garage,” said Alexis Cavanagh, area manager for Pacesetter Homes. “It’s unique and I think it’s going to be revolutionary.”

With the rear-attached garage, the whole house changes. As there is no longer a driveway out front, you have more parking directly in front of your house. Also, the front yard becomes more of a gathering space with a large veranda instead of a small porch, as illustrated in the show home. Out back, the backyard disappears, making the house attractive to those seeking a more maintenance-free lifestyle. Replacing the backyard is a small courtyard on one side of the home, which also provides an opportunity for additional window options and more light to enter the home.

Need To Know

Just 15 minutes to the airport and 20 minutes to downtown, Keswick Landing will include single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes.

There will be 19 acres of green space, including parks and constructed wetlands, and two main trail loops — the path to the north connects to One at Keswick and the path to the west connects to the Arbours of Keswick.

Builders include Akash, Coventry, Excel Homes, Jaya Homes, Jayman BUILT, Pacesetter, and Sterling Homes.