Private rooftop patios give spacious Summit townhomes the ?wow? factor
Shawn Conner
The Vancouver Sun
Project: Summit
Project location: 14058 61 Ave., Surrey
Project size: 89 units with rooftop patios
Residence size: 1,770 — 2,046 square feet
Price: starting from $639,900
Developer: Hayer Builders Group
Architectural design: Focus Architecture
Interior design: Kleen Designs
Website: hayerlifestyle.com
Sales centre: 14058 61 Ave., Surrey
Contact: sales team; Phone: 778-591-6685
Hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs
Completion date: March 2017 onwards
A private rooftop patio is one thing. But a private rooftop patio with a hot tub?
“This is our ‘wow’ factor,” says sales manager Erin Vance of the Summit townhome development in Surrey.
Each of the 89 homes in Summit, a project from Hayer Builders Group, has its own rooftop patio, facing north with a view of the mountains. Vance calls the patios, which range from 250 to 327 square feet, “the ultimate entertainment space.”
Besides being structurally engineered to hold a hot tub — buyers will have to supply their own — the patios feature a gas connection for barbecuing and are wired for TV and audio. Six-foot-high privacy screens provide privacy and a storage room protects patio furniture and the like.
The rooftop deck isn’t the homes’ only notable feature. All three floor plans, which include three bedrooms, a flex room and 3.5 baths, are split level.
The development is built on a sloping hillside facing north, and the structure follows the contours of the ground. This means that levels are at different heights; for example, the family room, on the north side, is at a lower level than the kitchen, on the south. The result is a spacious family room with an 11-foot ceiling, and a kitchen that faces out and over the family room.
“They feel like single-family homes, with the different spaces and separations,” said Brandon Trent, senior project manager for Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing.
“I’ve even heard comments along the lines of, ‘Wow, this space is so big.’ You almost lose your sense of where you are in the home. It’s a home that keeps on going and going and going.”
In addition, each unit has either a south-facing ground-level patio off the kitchen or a front yard. The D plans, which are along the street, have a front door and yard. Both the C and C1 plans have walk-out rear yards, but the C plan is wider. The extra space in the C plan has been utilized for a larger flex space, walk-in pantry, a walk-in closet in the main bedroom and a master ensuite that includes a soaker tub/shower combination.
The townhomes went on sale in December. As of earlier this week, 25 had been sold.
“We’re getting a wide mix of people,” Trent said. “There are executive couples, young families, move-up buyers, and downsizers.”
They all have their own reasons for buying in, he says.
“For the people moving up, it’s more space. And they see an adult entertainment area. For downsizers, they are limiting the amount of yard work, but with the same amount of space. For executive couples, there’s enough room for entertaining.
“And it comes with all the conveniences a single-family home would: yard space, side-by-side car garage, a large enough dining room for a table to fit eight to 10 people. And then the bonus, the rooftop patio.”
Kitchens have quartz countertops, marble tiled backsplashes, soft-close cabinetry (in light or dark, the homes’ colour scheme options), undermount kitchen lighting, gas stove and concealed hood fan, and an island with built-in wine fridges, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Master bedroom ensuites have double sinks and quartz countertops and oversized porcelain floor tile.
Other features include double-wide garages, with extra storage space through a “bump-up” (heightened ceiling) near the back. Amenities include building lounge with kitchen and a viewing rooftop deck above the amenity building, as well as an outdoor playground area.
Summit is close to King George Highway, 15 minutes from the SkyTrain and border, and 45 from Vancouver. Nearby shopping meccas include Panorama Village and Southside Centre.
Buyer Rudi Ciccia, who bought a D plan, was the first to move into the development. Previously, he and his wife had been renting a townhome in the area.
“We took our time, did our research and waited for the right development to come around,” he said.
After seeing that Summit was going up, he and his wife researched further. “We found out who the builder is (Hayer), and the value of their name. That added more incentive to our drive to purchase.”
The location and the architectural design “were the first things we fell in love with,” he said. The exterior is West Coast modern, with flat planes and sharp horizontal lines.
Now, they love the kitchen, and the ensuite. “It feels like you’re staying at a resort,” he said.
The split-level layout is perfect for hosting, he says.
“It’s nice to have those 11-foot ceilings. Everything feels more open. Not to mention, you can wash dishes and look down and see what’s on TV or look straight ahead and see the mountains. Doing the dishes has never been better.”
Of course, the rooftop deck was a big part of the appeal.
“Everything is becoming more micro these days,” he said. “You don’t have that much of a yard. To be creative and have more space where you can relax, not to mention the spectacular view — that was a huge selling point.”
He’s not quite ready to install a hot tub, though.
“With time,” the 32-year-old said.
“Last year, we had the arrival of our first child, and we also got married, so there were a few expenses. As soon as we get caught up, we want that hot tub on the rooftop.”
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