September 24, 2012

New look for Surrey’s Fleetwood

Many years ago, Anthem Properties saw the potential for a new-home project on six acres in Surrey’s Fleetwood neighbourhood, back when the site was a truck park. At that time, it was also a neighbourhood in transition, one that was evolving from a hub of light industry to a more concentrated family community.

By the time the first phase of Anthem’s Rockwoods town house project is complete, the developer will have completed 43 units with a 3,500 square-foot amenity building.

“We saw the great potential here, and we’re looking to complement the neighbourhood,” says Robert Marchand, Anthem Properties’ director of sales and marketing.

And it’s a community that seems to be ready made for family living.

Two blocks from Rockwoods’ site — just off the Fraser Highway — stands Surrey Sport and Leisure Centre’s aquatic complex and a three-rink arena.

There are 25 parks in the Fleetwood area alone, so many the city of Surrey has sectioned them off to specialties, such as “Freedom Dog Park” and “Evergreen Tot Park.”

So it was natural for Anthem Properties to consider the area as a prime spot in which to build homes designed, not for investors, but for “the end user”— specifically, families looking to spend many years in the neighbourhood.

“People coming here are looking for an investment in their future,” Marchand says. “It’s not necessarily just an investment economically, but also something of value for their future and that of their family.”

The exteriors of the nearly completed homes are crafted of stone and cedar for a contemporary West Coast look. Careful landscaping between each homeowner’s garage distinguishes and softens the back areas.

Indoors, first-floor entrances are fitted with Whirlpool appliances, including large over-the-range microwave that comes standard, Grohe sink fixtures and deep double-tub sinks. A granite-topped kitchen island is long enough to house installed cabinets and an open space for breakfast stools.

Though the four-bedroom homes are equipped with a full-sized bedroom on the first floor, other homes boast first-floor dens that are spacious enough for a room for a bed, dresser and desk, with a coat closet and small bathroom adjacent.

Marchand points out the large windows and storage niches — details that make a huge difference in the ambience of each home.

“If people look at an 1,188-square-feet two-bedroom and den [home], which is one of our plans, they find it doesn’t feel like it. [It feels much bigger] because of the little touches we’ve made to open up the space.”

The four-bedroom show home boasts the widest kitchen, dining and living room area of all the units. And it’s family ready with three bedrooms upstairs and one on the first floor, with a total of three full bathrooms in the home.

The top bedroom floors in all units share space with full bathrooms and a laundry closet with a full-sized washer and dryer and space for shelving. Bathrooms are also equipped with Grohe fixtures and a dual-flush Duravit toilet, deep, soft-closing drawers in the ensuite and shared bathrooms.

The Facts

Project: Rockwoods

What: 166 town houses total (Phase 1: 43 town houses)

Where: 8473 163rd Street,Surrey

Residence size: 1,189 sq. ft – 1,490 sq. ft

Prices: From $299,900

Developer: Anthem Properties

Sales centre:1 – 8473 163rd Street

Hours:Sun — Thurs, noon — 5 p.m.

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