COMFORTS of HOME
Cressey Development Group’s Beverley offers luxury living without compromise
People love luxury single-family homes not just because of the square footage, but because of the things they contain — entranceways with adjacent powder rooms, full-sized kitchens with top-of-the-range appliances, laundry rooms that are bigger than a broom closet, living areas with comforting fireplaces and master bedrooms with enough room to swing the proverbial cat.
But then there are the downsides — the maintenance they require, the security issues that can crop up when you go on vacation, having to mow the lawn.
Beverley, Cressey’s forthcoming development in White Rock, is an effort to address these issues. It’s designed to combine the best bits of single-family life with the convenience of an apartment.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into creating what we think will be the perfect condo for a buyer downsizing from a single-family home,” said Jason Turcotte, vice-president of development at Cressey Development Group. “That is our target audience — people who no longer want the responsibility of a big house and are looking for a lock-andleave lifestyle without having to make a whole bunch of compromises.”
So all Beverley homes have what Turcotte called “a sense of arrival,” with a hallway that has a closet and a formal powder room by the entrance, something you would typically find in a single- family home. They include unexpectedly large laundry rooms with sinks, cabinets and laundry hampers. In the kitchens, there are appliance walls where the ovens, microwaves and refrigerators are taken out of the typical kitchen layout, leaving much more counter and storage space.
“When we first came up with this idea to expand the footprint of the kitchen about 10 years ago, it was a big hit and it became known as the Cressey kitchen,” Turcotte added. “We were even hearing that buyers of homes by other developers were asking whether they had Cressey kitchens.”
Turcotte said Cressey prides itself on building quality homes, and with more than 12,000 of them to its credit since the company was formed in 1969, there have been plenty of repeat customers.
One of these is Rob Johnston, who has owned two Cressey apartments in the past — in The Ellington and The Milano, both in downtown Vancouver. When he retired he bought a house in South Surrey and now, with his grandchildren grown up, he and his wife are moving into their third Cressey home.
“When we heard that Beverley was on the books and it was by Cressey, we jumped on it immediately given our positive experience in the past,” Johnston said. “We got hold of their sales team right away and we’re really excited to be moving into another Cressey building.”
Beverley will have a terraced roof with private south-facing decks to take full advantage of White Rock’s ocean views. There will also be a communal rooftop with two fire pits and barbecue areas, a kitchen and lounge as well as a park with a children’s play structure. Every home comes with two parking spaces and a large storage locker.
The building also features a lap pool, hot tub, steam room and sauna as well as a gym. There will be a full-time concierge service and a guest suite for out-of-town friends and relatives to stay.
“In pre- sales like this one, you have a display suite to look around but the thing buyers often don’t think about is what the rest of the building will look like,” Turcotte said. “We understand that you don’t just live in your suite — there are hallways and lobbies and amenities and communal areas too, and we go the extra mile in that regard.”
Continuing the luxury singlefamily theme, bathrooms will feature porcelain tile, marble or travertine flooring and, in the ensuites, heated flooring by Nuheat. You’ll also get undercabinet lighting that illuminates when you enter the room, ensuite showers that include seats for added comfort and free-standing soaker tubs.
There are fireplaces in the living areas and master bedrooms that will comfortably fit a kingsized bed, a piece of furniture and a chair in the corner. There are also full-sized gas fireplaces and double sliding doors that open onto decks with finished floors, creating a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Johnston said he is looking forward to being able to walk out the door and not worry about those maintenance and security concerns that come with owning a single- family home. He and his wife travel a lot and were looking for a place to come back to that they really wanted to live in.
“We bought a three-bedroom unit on the eighth floor with a beautiful view,” he said. “It will have everything we want in the location we want with all the amenities we need. It was an opportunity we couldn’t refuse.”
Prices at Beverley start at $609,900 and move-in dates are scheduled for the spring of 2017.