Construction moves forward in Fairmont

Homeowners build equity at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort with DIY options.

These houses are designed to be flexible to your needs. — Photo courtesy Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

Following a successful sales season in 2009, construction is moving forward on home sites at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Fairmont Hot Springs Resort launched its Mountainside Ridge home sites in June of last year with amenity-based incentives including golf, ski and hot springs passes. Now they are continuing to offer value for buyers with a variety of home building options.

“We’re working to take the uncertainty out of building a vacation home by working with local builders to give homeowners the flexibility to choose the option that meets their needs,” said Dan Oliver, resort property specialist at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. “Our strategic partnerships allow owners at Fairmont Hot Springs to either build the luxury home of their dreams, or build on a budget and even put in their own sweat equity.”

Customizable options

One of the innovative options being offered by Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is custom homes from Timko Developments. These custom homes are designed with homeowners before they are built at an Alberta plant, then the stick frame walls are transported to Fairmont Hot Springs for final construction.

“Due to our manufacturing process, construction time is reduced significantly compared to other options in the Columbia Valley,” Ron Davidson, Columbia Valley project manager for Timko, says. “Home buyers also have the option to finish their homes themselves after we complete the exterior construction.”

A fully constructed 1,500 sq. ft., three-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage-style home from Timko starts at $350,000. But if buyers want to finish the interior of the home themselves, the exterior and framing of the same home is only $155,000. Construction time for a fully finished Timko Home is four to six months, but the exterior shell can be completed in only two months.

“Homes from Timko are very flexible and homeowners can choose anything from a complete home, to a shell, and everything in between to meet their budgets,” Oliver said. “This gives homeowners the chance to save money in areas where they may have the ability to do the work themselves, or simply stretch the time line as funds allow. Home site prices at Mountainside Ridge start at $114,900 for 1/3-acre home sites and there is a flexible construction schedule, allowing owners to break ground up to five years after purchase.

Supportive partnerships

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is also working with Ski Home, a custom home builder based in Invermere, B.C. to provide complete design and construction services for home buyers to make their dream home a reality. Construction has begun on a 2,400 sq. ft., three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary mountain style bungalow at Mountainside Ridge that is setting a new architectural tone for the Columbia Valley.

The home has finishings with bamboo flooring, maple cabinets, stone and timber exterior and a steel roof. Fairmont Hot Springs Resort offers 45 holes of golf with Mountainside, an 18-hole par 72 CPGA, the stunning 18-hole Riverside golf course set on the majestic Columbia River with the rugged Rocky Mountains as its backdrop and Creekside, a par 3, 9-hole golf course. Located In the heart of British Columbia's Columbia Valley, on Hwy 93/95, Fairmont Hot Springs is one hour north of Cranbrook, B.C. and three hours west of Calgary.