B.C. family builds dream home in Wedderburn

Although their move from British Columbia to Alberta was initially peppered with obstacles, Rose and Joshua Malamas are now settled into their new home and couldn’t be happier.

The couple, originally from Langley on the West Coast, had been considering a move to Alberta for a few years, spurred on by the low cost of real estate (they wanted to build their dream home) and also lured by the prominence of excellent schools for their six-year-old son, Josh.   So, in the spring of 2022, they ventured to Calgary on a reconnaissance mission to explore the area and the housing market. While visiting, they fell in love with Okotoks, drawn especially to the community’s friendliness and easy accessibility to both Calgary and Lethbridge, where they have family.

“It really felt like Langley used to — a place with that small-town feel, where people talk to you. And yet, it still has everything, all of the stores and everywhere you go here there is landscape. It’s very beautiful,” says Rose Malamas.

Rose and Joshua were intrigued by the community of Wedderburn, and gravitated towards a pretty and functional home design by Sterling Homes, tshe Berkshire 2.

“Wedderburn is close to some great schools and the neighbourhood is full of young families and lots of kids,” says Rose.

Nicole O’Dell, area sales manager for Sterling Homes in Wedderburn, notes that living in Wedderburn offers plenty of advantages.

“Wedderburn is really the gateway into Okotoks. It’s on the north side of town, so it’s close for people to get into and out of Calgary, and locally, it’s tied in to all of the walking paths and trails that are already in Okotoks, so you can leave your car at home and walk downtown to all of the festivals and the coffee shops and stores.”

Certainly picturesque, Okotoks offers plenty of outdoor living including access to 110 parks, 72 playgrounds, 36 sports fields and 94 kilometres of walking, hiking and biking trails. Events and festivals are bountiful and the town’s historic core brims with coffee shops, antique shops, pubs and boutique-type stores. There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the town’s beautiful surroundings.

But it wasn’t just about the community; being able to build their dream home was of utmost importance to the family. With almost 2,500 square feet of living space, the two-storey, front-attached Berkshire 2 model by Sterling offered everything they needed: four bedrooms, a large great room, a functional kitchen with an oversized island, an upstairs bonus room, the option for a three-car garage and main floor flex room and a walk-out basement that they could develop at their leisure.

The couple has a six-year-old son, Joshua, and an English bulldog, so a home that provided plenty of space, as well as private areas was essential. Rose also has a 20-year-old daughter and an 18-year-son who have opted to stay in B.C., but she wanted to ensure that there was plenty of space and extra bedrooms in case they changed their minds and decided to head westwards.

After their initial fact-finding trip in 2022, the couple returned back to B.C., mulled over the move and pulled the trigger in the spring of 2023, signing the paperwork on a Berkshire 2 model on a 40-foot lot that was under construction in Wedderburn.

During this time, Joshua received a job offer from a Calgary company. The only challenge? His company wanted him to start immediately. It was a bit of a shock, but the family rose to the occasion.

Although the family had prepared for their move by selling their properties in Langley, they had been staying with relatives and didn’t yet have a place to live in Alberta. After all, they had just signed the papers and their home in Wedderburn wasn’t scheduled for completion until the end of September 2023.

“We weren’t planning on Josh having to stay. I must have messaged 100 people who were offering rentals, all the way from Airdrie to High River. I was offering $500 over asking and rent up front for six months. No one would rent to us because it was short-term and we had a dog,” recalls Rose.

Just in the nick of time, the couple found a vacant townhome for sale in Okotoks and purchased it with a June 1 possession date. The family lived in the townhome, out of boxes for four months until the new build home was ready at the end of September.

“I never thought that we would have to buy a second home in order to get our dream home,” says Rose with a laugh. “It was all such a nightmare.”

But she notes that there has been a silver lining. Now that the family has moved into their newly built Sterling home in Wedderburn, the townhome has become a revenue property for them.

“There was a lot to overcome to get here. I thought that I would miss B.C., but this is now home,” says Rose. “There are 10 boys on our street, all of them around Joshua’s age. It’s really friendly. I love my new home. It’s all worked out quite well.”

THE DETAILS

HOME: The Berkshire 2, a two-storey, front-attached, 2,456-square-foot, four-bedroom home with several pre-planned options, including a spice kitchen and a three-car garage, depending on lot size. Exterior elevations include Craftsman, Tudor and Farmhouse.

BUILDER: Sterling Homes

COMMUNITY: Wedderburn, Okotoks

DEVELOPER: Anthem

PRICE: The Berkshire 2 starts at $722,000 including lot, landscaping and GST.

SHOW HOME:   Although there isn’t currently a Berkshire 2 show home, Sterling Homes is showcasing a recently unveiled new single-family show home design in Wedderburn — the Emerald — which will give buyers an idea of Sterling’s designs.

LOCATION AND HOURS: The show home is located at 4 Emerson Cres. in Wedderburn, Okotoks. It is open Monday to Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m., and weekend and holidays from noon to 5 p.m.  

INFORMATION: sterlingcalgary.com ; wedderburnokotoks.com