TRENDING | WHY BUY A DUPLEX
Coventry Homes
THE ENDURING VERSATILITY OF THE
DUPLEX by PEPPER RODRIGUEZ
Side-by-side home, a semidetached home, paired home, a twin home. It seems the duplex has as many names as the ability it has in making homeownership dreams come true. A duplex is a single structure featuring two residences, each with its own private entrance and one shared wall. Each home is individually owned, and unlike townhomes, have no condo fees. It’s twice the nice at half the price. Sound transfer used to be the biggest knock against duplexes, but that is largely in the past as the advances in sound attenuation technology and floorplan designs work to limit the creaks and cracks. Many builders now put staircases against these shared walls and away from living rooms and bedrooms to further lessen the chances of sound transfer. Duplexes continue to be a bestseller for homebuilders as they are
seen as an attractive alternative to condos or townhomes, and many are readily available in Edmonton’s best communities. We spoke with a few homebuilders to find out just exactly what the attraction is to this home. Duplexes also offer a unique versatility for homeowning, as buyers are beginning to realize they can live next to friends and relatives in a paired home. How perfect would it be to buy a duplex where adult children can live in one home and get their aging parents to live next door? DREAM DUPLEX
Robin Nasserdeen, Director of Sales at Coventry Homes, has always believed in the duplex. He says it is the perfect bookend to the homeowning cycle. “It’s the perfect first home for buyers who have grown out of their apartments, and also for those
looking to scale down their living space but not their lifestyle,” he tells Edmonton New Home + Condo Guide. Duplexes have been a consistent best-seller for Coventry, Nasserdeen says, and that their models – all with front attached garages – offer unique opportunities for homebuyers as they provide more convenience. “You don’t have condo fees, and you only have to share a wall with one neighbour, it’s an ideal home for first-time homebuyers, young families, and downsizers and everyone in between,” he adds. “The challenge has been getting land in the city to build duplexes affordably, but they have been very popular in our communities outside the city, like Spruce Grove, St. Albert and Ardrossan.” Ranging in price from the low $300,000s to the low $400,000s, Coventry Homes’ duplexes offer nexthome.ca 21
