Sarilia isn’t just a residential development; it’s a lifestyle choice. Here, residents enjoy the perfect blend of rural tranquility and modern conveniences in the nearby Town of Langham. Imagine waking up to the sound of birdsong, with the picturesque North Saskatchewan River as your backdrop. This is the everyday reality for those who call Sarilia home.
The decision to lower prices on select lots isn’t just about selling real estate; it’s about fostering a sense of community and belonging. Sarilia Country Estates isn’t just a collection of houses; it’s a vibrant, tight-knit community, where neighbours become friends and memories are made.
By reducing pricing on these lots, our aim is to welcome new residents who will contribute to the vibrancy and diversity of our community. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful retreat from the city or a place to raise a family surrounded by nature, Sarilia offers the perfect setting to create the life you’ve always envisioned.
With ample opportunities for four-season recreation, including hiking the river trails, fishing, kayaking, and wildlife spotting, Sarilia is a haven for outdoor and nature enthusiasts. Yet, it’s also conveniently located just a short drive from Saskatoon, ensuring easy access to urban amenities and services.
If you’ve been dreaming of a life where the pace is a little slower, the air a little fresher, and the sense of community a little stronger, now is the perfect time to make that dream a reality. Sarilia invites you to explore its reduced-price lots and discover the magic of river valley living.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to join a vibrant community where the beauty of nature meets the warmth of human connection. Come home to Sarilia Country Estates, where every day feels like a weekend getaway and neighbours are more like family.
The homeowners at Sarilia are a shining example of sustainable living. As we grapple with the effects of global warming, our community is embracing energy efficient systems, including the use of solar panels (of which, 20% of Sarilia homeowners have installed), and grey water systems.
We recently chatted with a few of these homeowners, to find out why they’ve incorporated these systems into their homes, and what savings they’ve found.
Part 1 of the series is our Q&A with Ronn Lepage and focuses on solar power. Part 2 will include further Q&As with Sarilia residents, and their experiences with solar and grey water systems.
What were your own personal reasons for installing solar panels when you built your home? We wanted to reduce our impact on the environment and save money.
What kind of savings have you seen as a result? What is the approximate payback period? We have not had to pay for electricity since we installed the system. We generate approximately 7000 kWh per year of energy and we use about 5,000 a year in our home. Our payback period was about 5 years. We are on an older program—SaskPower ‘banks’ our excess production. I have now purchased an Electric Vehicle and will be able to use up the excess.
What year were the panels installed? The panels were installed in June 2013 and SaskPower began accepting our energy in October 2013.
How has solar technology changed since then? I’m not on top of the changes in the industry like I used to be. The productivity of the panels has increased significantly and the cost of panels has dropped. Regulations on installation are more stringent and SaskPower/Government assistance has decreased.
What do you wish more people knew about solar power? Everyone with the capacity to install panels should do it—it is a very good return on investment, it is good for the environment and the self satisfaction of receiving SaskPower bills with zero net energy consumption is a very special feeling.
Do you have any advice for someone considering adding solar panels to their home? Work with a qualified Solar Electric installer. The small extra up-front cost will ensure a safe and reliable system. We got four quotes from different installers, and selected Rock Paper Sun. I am very impressed with the service. Rock Paper Sun installed our system over 10 years ago and they still (at no cost) monitor our system for anything unusual.
Whether you’re seeking panoramic river views, or the privacy of being nestled within a well-treed lot, Sarilia offers three categories of lots to choose from—each with their own unique characteristics and vantage points: River Front, River View, and River Ridge. There’s also one remaining acreage property for sale at Sarilia, the details of which you’ll find below.
Here’s a breakdown of each category, along with corresponding testimonials from Sarilia residents.
River Front
Our river front lots offer spectacular, uninterrupted views of the North Saskatchewan River valley—perfect for enjoying sunsets with a glass of wine on your deck. The natural prairie landscape keeps yard maintenance to a minimum. Most river front lots have direct access to the river. There are two remaining riverfront lots for sale—502 and 512 Saskatchewan Road.
“Our new house is surrounded by trees. Our deck is quite high and it’s almost like being in a treehouse now because it’s enveloped in trees—it’s like a jungle in the spring and summer. There are so many birds—we’ve had robins nesting on the deck this summer and the bird feeders are always busy! We have chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits too as well as the occasional deer.” — Patti, River Front property owner
River view
The name says it all—the higher elevation of our River View lots guarantees a panoramic view of the river valley. All of the River View properties back onto municipal green space. Small trees, native shrubs and wildflowers create a beautiful backdrop to build your new home. These gently sloped lots are ideal for a walk-out basement design.
“My friend came out here and said the view was just unreal, even from inside our house. Pretty much everybody says the view is just amazing from our house—from sitting in our living room, in our kitchen, or on our patio. We have a wraparound deck and everybody says the view is just spectacular.” — Tessa, River View property owner
River Ridge
For those seeking privacy, our affordable River Ridge lots are well-treed, allowing you to build your new home nestled within the mature trees and native vegetation. All our River Ridge lots offer great potential for a rear walk-out design.
A River Ridge property, nestled in the trees.
“Everyone says it’s so beautiful out here—being in nature. They notice how quiet it is. If you are somebody like me, who still drive into Saskatoon every day for work, but you like to be in nature, it’s just a good option. It has the convenience of being close to the city, but it’s also a nice getaway from it.” — Taylor, River Ridge property owner
Acreage Property
There is one remaining acreage property for sale at Sarilia—451 Saskatchewan Road. At 2.19 acres, it offers plenty of flexibility in your building site and architectural style. The lot backs onto a municipal park with easy access to the central trail system. The icing on the cake? This property has expansive, unparalleled river views. The perfect blank slate to build your dream home.
“The lot is fantastic. It’s about 2 acres. We are at the top of the hill with panoramic views. I didn’t want to be surrounded by trees—some people love that, and it feels like a cabin—but I wanted river views. We also back the nature preserve. The front yard is over an acre, where the kids can play. That was always the point—if we built, we needed room for the kids to run, but we still wanted to be in a community.” —Kelsee, acreage property owner
To learn more about our remaining properties for sale, visit our property map, or contact Vaughn today for a tour.
We met Taylor back in the fall of 2020, after she purchased a well-treed lot at Sarilia. As an architectural technologist, she was in the midst of planning her new build, a Humble Home, which she told us about in a previous blog post.
Fast forward to today: she’s settled into her beautiful new home, and she’s now the owner of a sweet golden retriever named Theo. “He’s five months old now. He loves it out here—running around the yard, he just gets so excited,” she says.
We recently caught up with Taylor to find out about how the build came together and what she thinks of her new life in the river valley.
Do you feel that the build of your new home went well overall? I would say so. It was my first time project managing a build on my own, so it was definitely a learning experience but it was really cool to purchase the land and do the design myself and be really involved in the whole construction process. It was a really good experience for me.
Can you tell me a about the layout of your home and how you designed it to fit your needs? It’s kind of funny because I think I went through about 19 different floor plans before I found one I was happy with. It was a process.
The house has three bedrooms and two baths. I have my own bedroom and I wanted a spare room for guests, and the third bedroom is used as my office. I have my own drafting company and I also work from home sometimes in my full-time job with Voce Developments. It’s nice to have that separate space.
It’s open concept. It has a big vaulted ceiling in my kitchen/living room area—lots of windows for natural light. It’s so nice in here during the day because all the sunlight comes in and brightens it up. It’s calm and cosy.
If you had to do it all over again, is there anything you’d do differently in regards to the design or build? I did all the painting myself, and next time I would definitely hire a painter! (Laughs)
Can you paint me a picture of what your lot looks like? I’m in the trees—my land was completely treed before I built. I have a view of the river bank on the other side.
Do you have a favourite room, or favourite feature in your new home? I have a couple of decks off of the house. My deck on the front is covered, and I have a deck on the other side of the house, so it’s perfect. Any time of day, I can have sun or shade. I can see myself spending lots of time out there this summer.
Back in 2020, you said it was more affordable to build a home like yours at Sarilia than to build or buy a new home in Saskatoon. Now that your home is complete, do you still feel that way? Yes, I would definitely say so. My house is just over 1,100 sq. Ft. To buy a similar house in Saskatoon, I can imagine it costing a lot more. I also saved a lot of money by managing the build myself. The lots out here are so affordable. If you can be smart with where you’re spending your money, and how you design your home, it’s definitely more affordable to build at Sarilia.
You’ve been settled in now since the fall. How does it feel to live in a home that you design and managed the build for? It’s honestly so rewarding. Just to come home and have that sense of accomplishment. Being out here is so beautiful, it’s so peaceful. The drive out really isn’t bad—the roads have been really good. Just coming out, being in the country, in nature—it’s awesome. You can watch the birds and hear the coyotes at night and it’s just so quiet.
Have you met many of your neighbours at Sarilia? There’s a ladies night that goes on here, so I went to that and met lots of women there. Everybody is so awesome. They’re so nice out here.
I was here for Halloween and there were lots of trick-or-treaters coming to my door. One of the ladies made a map for Sarilia with all the houses handing out candy. And then everybody comes around—it was really cool. There’s such a sense of community here.
Even taking my dog for a walk, you see someone on the road and everyone stops and says hi.
Were there any learning curves that came with moving to the country? For the first couple of months, it was just monitoring septic and water usage. (Sarilia homes use septic and cistern systems). I don’t use that much water—every couple of days I look at the water levels.
There is someone who delivers the water, and he can do emergency runs if you need it, but typically he makes the rounds every two weeks. He’ll send an email in advance, asking how much water we need. It’s really easy.
What kind of winter activities do you plan to partake in at Sarilia? There’s been talk about having a bonfire out here. I’d like to go cross-country skiing. The trails are just down the road. Just going out for walks and being in nature.
What about summer activities? Sarilia has its own beach, so I would like to go there this spring and summer. I paddle board and I fish, so I think being down by the river is just ideal for me.
What do your friends and family say when they visit your new home for the first time? Everybody says it’s so beautiful out here—being in nature. They notice how quiet it is, and say how gorgeous it is.
Now that you’ve lived at Sarilia for four months, what kind of person do you think would enjoy living here in the river valley? If you are somebody, like me, who still drives into Saskatoon every day for work, but you like to be in nature, it’s just a good option. It has the convenience of being close to the city, but it’s also a nice getaway from it.
How one Sarilia family designed their new home with the planet in mind
Having recently moved to Sarilia from Saskatoon, Kelly, Andrew and their 4-year-old son, Logan, have successfully settled into their new home. Their new bungalow was designed to tread lightly on the planet, while taking advantage of the sweeping river views outside.
We recently chatted with the family to get to know them, to learn how they’ve incorporated environmentally friendly features into their new home, and how they’ll continue reducing their footprint with their future plans.
“It’s really important to become more self-sustainable,” says Kelly, “as we face the challenges of climate change as a society.”
Can you both tell me a little bit about yourselves?
Kelly: I was born in Saskatoon, but I actually grew up in the States and lived in China and Australia. I ended up back here to do my Masters, and I have a background in conservation biology.
My hobbies are anything to do with nature—I’m a big plant nerd, I love hiking and cooking and going on adventures with Logan and Andrew. That’s what drew us out to Sarilia— being in nature.
I also grew up near the Beaver Creek Conservation Area in Corman Park (from ages 3-10). I really enjoyed being able to run free, and just being on the prairies. When we went out to Sarilia for the first time, we just fell in love with the space even though it was the middle of winter. It definitely felt a lot like where I grew up as a child.
Andrew: I was born and raised in Saskatoon. I’ve always wanted to live in a smaller space, out of the city but not something terribly far away. We really loved the idea of being outside Saskatoon and being immersed in nature.
What do you do for fun?
Logan: Trick-or-treating and Paw Patrol.
Kelly: In the winter, we love to snow shoe. We definitely want to take up canoeing and kayaking. And as Logan gets older, he can do that too.
Andrew: We’ve been out on the river ridge trails—it’s a nice, accessible park. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get back into some outdoor sports this summer. I want to get to that middle island (in the North Saskatchewan River). I’ve only fished a few times as a kid but it’ll be nice to have that river access, and that will probably be of interest.
Kelly & Andrew’s house has an R-value of 41.
What was it that attracted you to Sarilia?
Kelly: Originally we were looking around where I grew up (near Beavercreek) but the lots were very expensive. Andrew had seen Sarilia on Reddit of all places.
Andrew: We noticed it was north of Langham and decided to go for a drive.
Kelly: So, we drove out there, and it was just so beautiful. We just fell in love with it. It was so peaceful. I went from living in the country to living in really big cities and I remember when we were standing out there, Andrew said, “there is no noise.”
We lived in Saskatoon at the time. It wasn’t like this 10 years ago, but now, you’re constantly hearing noises in the city.
One thing I missed was seeing the night sky in full, or seeing storms coming through. It’s just something that you don’t get unless you live in the country. And so we started researching Sarilia a bit more after we drove out there and we saw how affordable it was.
Andrew: There are tons of young families at Sarilia and that was what really sealed the deal for us. With Logan, there are lots of people our age who have kids—so we are all in that same stage of life together, and I think that’s great to have that kind of community of people.
Can you tell me about your new home?
Kelly: It’s a bungalow with a vaulted ceiling. There are large windows in the front and there’s an overhanging roof over the deck—that’s the part that looks out over the river. And we have a walkout basement. We really wanted to have those big windows to bring in a lot of natural light and expand the view as much as possible—because it’s quite an amazing view that we managed to get.
I understand it was built in an energy efficient way. Can you tell me about that?
Andrew: The house is built with ICE (Insulated Composite Envelope) panels. They are made of styrofoam and steel. We really liked the concept of a very tight, well-insulated house. It’s pre-engineered, so it’s typically a faster build because the walls are pre-cut, and basically it’s like a LEGO set, to put it all together. It will really reduce the cost of heating.
For the roof, we decided to go with metal instead of shingles.
Kelly: Metal roofs are a lot better for insulation and deflecting the sun—and it’s able to support solar as well.
Were there other environmentally friendly features that were important to you?
Andrew: We really wanted to do solar and we’re still planning to do that. It’s just that to build green off the bat, it’s not at a viable stage yet (cost-wise). There are a lot of incentives in terms of retrofitting, but there’s not a lot when it comes to building green upfront.
We’re not going to water the grass—we are going to keep it natural Prairie. It’s so much nicer than having to worry about that in the city. We’ll also try to improve the land with some trees.
For our long term plans, the garage will be retrofitted to support an electric vehicle, to take into account the rising gas prices and the commute between the city and home—it is a way of offsetting that.
Kelly: We’re also incorporating a lot of native species into our landscaping. We’re trying to restore the Prairie that we dug up when the house was built. Hopefully planting more native species will help increase the biodiversity.
As we face the challenges of climate change as society, we need to become more self-sustainable—for example, growing your own food and maybe having a home that’s not completely off the grid but is capable of doing that in the future.
A lot of what we do personally and professionally, we do to make the world a better place, for not just our son, but generations in front of us—at least we try to.
For more information on ICE panels—a new, technologically advanced building envelope developed in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, visit their website: https://gsbp.ca/blog/what-are-ice-panels
Proactive, pragmatic, and detail-driven, Karen Flasch has been earning accolades from both her clients and the Sarilia community. Over the past year, she’s steadfastly managed a successful build here at Sarilia—in a way that minimized disruption to the neighbours.
Karen Flasch outside her new build at Sarilia
When construction material prices skyrocketed and shipment delays became the new normal, Karen stockpiled materials for her client’s build in her own garage, in order to keep her project on time and on budget. “It was fully loaded up to the ceiling,” says Karen, with a laugh.
We’ve heard nothing but good things about her through the grapevine, so we decided to reach out and learn more about Karen, her company, and the home she’s building for her client here in the river valley.
Tell me about your business. I am a co-owner of Flasch Contracting. My son and I operate this business together. His name is Colton Flasch. I have been in the construction industry with an incorporated company for the last 16 years. So I’ve been a woman in this industry for quite a few years.
Karen’s son, Colton Flasch
Tell me about yourself, and Colton. I enjoy spending time with my children and granddaughter. I love to travel and am looking forward to hopefully doing that again.
When Colton isn’t working, he is a professional curler who trains very hard. He has won several provincial titles, two Canadian titles (one at junior level), and a one-time silver at world’s in 2019. In the summer, you will find Colton on a golf course in his off time.
Can you describe the lot that you’re building on at Sarilia? It’s a riverfront lot. My customer, Nickie, decided to buy two lots and we parcel-tied them together so she has a larger than average lot. The lot is perfectly set up for a walkout basement, so that’s what we chose to do.
What were Nickie’s priorities for her new house? She definitely wanted that view of the river, so the A-frame design, expansive windows, the loft, and the two decks helped us achieve that. It was all about the view, and the serenity and peacefulness of watching the river and the wildlife.
With two decks on either side of the house, “Nickie is going to have a really nice birds’ eye view of the river,” says Karen.
Sarilia residents have been very impressed by how clean you keep the job site. Is that always a priority, and how to you keep neighbours happy during a build? As a general contractor, my priority is to communicate a lot with my subcontractors to make sure everybody is on the same page with the timeframe.
Even if we’ve had to temporarily store lumber somewhere while we’re waiting for the bin to be dumped, we make sure there’s nothing laying around (either materials or garbage), and that we’re parked in the right spot.
Aside from stockpiling materials in your own garage, how did you manage the challenges of building during the pandemic? Luckily, I have very good subcontractors who have been very proactive. As an example, my plumber said he wanted to order the furnace and ducting early on in the project. I’m very happy he suggested that, because it saved our customer a ton of money, and if we hadn’t ordered early we would probably still be waiting now.
Would you consider building at Sarilia again? Absolutely. We know what is expected out there. Gwen (the developer) is good at communicating and letting us know what we need to do. And the inspector from the RM of Laird has been super helpful.
I just want to make sure we do the best job possible, and that we are following the architectural design standards, out of respect for the beautiful grasslands and the river. It’s an honour to be able to work out there. There aren’t many places like that anymore. It’s a beautiful spot, so to be part of it is exciting.
Nickie will have a panoramic view of the North Saskatchewan River from her home.
We’re thrilled to welcome Kelsee, Gavin and their five kids to Sarilia this January. Having lived in Warman since they were married ten years ago, the couple weren’t even considering moving to a new neighbourhood, until Kelsee—an avid runner—was inspired by a beautiful river view she saw on one of her frequent runs.
“I had done a few runs close to Swift Current at Beaver Flats and that area has a river view,” she says. “So, when we were talking about updating our current house or building new, we decided the only way we would move is if we could get that river view.”
They found that vibrant river vista here at Sarilia and we couldn’t be happier to have this energetic family as new neighbours.
We recently chatted with Kelsee to learn more about her family, their new home, and their plans for their new life in the river valley.
Tell me a little bit about yourself, and your husband Gavin. I was a teacher, but since having kids, I have done personal training out of my home. I also have a degree in music—and I do balloon animals. Basically, if there’s something weird out there for a hobby, I do it. My husband is an engineer.
Gavin is quite active—he does slow-pitch and curling and he likes to play rec hockey. I used to be a long-distance runner. We like to go hiking and we’re so excited that the River Ridge trails are close to Sarilia. We went out there last winter and we were just amazed by how great they were. We have lots of family close by, so we like to hang out with them. We’re quite social.
Gavin is from Osler and I’m from North Battleford, so neither of us went very far from home.
Can you tell me about the lot you purchased here at Sarilia? The lot is fantastic. It’s about 2 acres. We are at the top of the hill with panoramic views. I didn’t want to be surrounded by trees—some people love that, and it feels like a cabin—but I wanted river views. We also back the nature preserve.
The front yard is over an acre, where the kids can play. That was always the point—if we built, we needed room for the kids to run, but we still wanted to be in a community. On a larger acreage, I’d be driving my kids to see their friends, whereas here, they can just walk down the hill.
What are your plans for the yard? We were hoping to put in a zip line. And maybe a BMX track on the hill.
Tell me about your new home. We’ve built a big white farmhouse style with two-storeys and a walkout basement. It’s got a covered porch and covered deck. We’ve got an oversized three-car garage so that I have space for my gym in there.
How old are your kids? Our oldest, Bradley, is 8, and Mark is 7. Felix just turned 5, and we have a 4-year-old, Moe, and an 1-year-old, Deuce.
What did your kids think about the move to Sarilia? We told them about the zip line, so they’re excited about that. Our new home isn’t a lot bigger than our Warman house, but it looks a lot bigger because we put the garage beside it, not in front of it. And so they think we’re moving into a mansion (laughs).
You decided to work with Westbury Homes on the construction of your new home. What made you choose them for your builder? We sent an email out to several builders after we found this lot. We gave them our budget and must-haves, and asked, ‘Can we afford to do this?’ And lots of builders gave a very generic response.
Ben at Westbury got back to us and was so down-to-earth. He said the budget would work and showed us some projects they had done and gave us a rough price per square foot. He did so much research. He had already contacted Gwen (Sarilia’s developer) before responding to our email, to find out about building at Sarilia.
He was just great from the beginning and his wife, Jenn, is a designer and they work together. I have a definite style but could not put it together on my own, and Jenn is so great because she gives me a couple of options and I can’t go wrong either way.
What are you most looking forward to about your new life at Sarilia? I am looking forward to it being quiet—not seeing cars coming and going all the time. I’m just going to become one of those slow-moving coffee drinkers.
What do you think Gavin is looking forward to? I think he’s looking forward to the quiet too. Just kind of sitting, looking at the view, and knowing we don’t have to worry about the kids running into traffic or anything like that.
What about your kids? Digging holes. It’s very specific. In fact, when the excavating was done for the basement, my kids almost peed themselves because of the big dirt piles. They asked if the piles were staying. But there are enough hills and dirt that I’m sure they’ll build like gophers.
Do you think your family will get into canoeing or kayaking on the river this summer? We went to camp last summer and the kids were all kayaking and canoeing, so we thought, ‘Sarilia will be a good fit for them.’ We didn’t want a riverfront lot because I was a bit concerned about the kids and the water, so we have access to the water without it being too close. We own a camper, so (buying) a kayak is probably the next step.
Do you remember what your first impression of Sarilia was? It was gorgeous. Not all of the lots have river views, but there is definitely a type of lot for every person. Some people really like that closed-in cabin feeling and there are lots of those kind of properties that are tucked into the trees.
The lot we ended up getting was my favourite part of Sarilia. When we first visited, I parked my car at a lookout point, and I was like, “oh this is the million-dollar view.” But it wasn’t for sale (it was marked for future development).
But, after chatting with Gwen about the type of lot we were looking for to build a home and raise our kids, she decided to sell it to us.
What kinds of activities will you do as a family this winter? I can see us getting into those river trails (at River Ridge). They have snowshoeing out there, so I could see us doing a lot of that. We could easily get into the cross-country skiing there too. Although arming my kids with spiky poles is concerning (laughs), maybe I’ll just pull them on their skis.
Is there anything else you’d like to share? We’ve very excited to meet everybody. It seems like the residents do a really great job of building community and hosting events and we love stuff like that. It will be a really nice change for us.
We had family photos taken recently and the photographer mentioned that there are several other new families here so that’s exciting. We won’t feel like the only new people.
Chelsey, Dustin and their two children are some of Sarilia’s newest transplants—having moved here from an acreage near Hepburn this fall. Although Chelsey says they loved having “a lot of space for our 4-year-old to run around,” the downside was a feeling of isolation. “The closest neighbour was actually my husband’s cousin and they were about a mile away,” she says.
When the couple learned they were expecting their second child, they considered making an addition to their two-bedroom home. But financially, it didn’t make sense, so they started searching for a larger home. They began by looking at houses in several small Saskatchewan cities and towns, but eventually ended up right here at Sarilia. We recently chatted with Chelsey (and her son Thatcher!) to get to know this vibrant young family and why they decided to relocate to the river valley.
Tell me a little about yourself and your family.
Thatcher is four, and Lachlan is three months. My husband, Dustin, works for Acadia Paving. He is a heavy duty mechanic and he’s the shop foreman there. I’m a stay-at-home mom as of right now. That might change.
What are some of your hobbies?
My husband’s hobby is easy: cars—anything automotive. And fishing.
For me, it’s camping—we do a lot of camping in the summer. We typically go to Sask Landing. This summer was the first year we got our own trailer so we went out to Martins Lake for September long. We want to do more exploring around the province.
What was it that you enjoyed about acreage living, and what were the challenges?
We enjoyed the space—having a yard for a bonfire and my son loves soccer, so space to kick the ball around. Although I enjoyed not having neighbours right beside us, on the other side, it felt secluded and I didn’t really enjoy that. Not having a community was probably the only downside.
What kind of selection criteria did you have for your new home?
We were just looking for a larger house, with four bedrooms and a garage. That was pretty much our only criteria. In the long run, that probably made it harder for us because we didn’t have a specific location in mind. We were looking in Warman, Martensville, Waldheim, Osler—we were looking everywhere.
How did you find Sarilia?
My sister, who lives in Swift Current, sent me a listing for a different house at Sarilia, but it didn’t have a garage. Then I just started looking at other houses in the area and found the one that we bought. We knew about Sarilia, but in all honesty, we didn’t think it would ever be in our price range so we didn’t even consider looking out here.
Do you have any plans for meeting your neighbours once you’re settled in?
We have a dog, so we’ve been walking him, and people are out on their decks and they say hello, so we’ve been chatting with people that way. I’m also hoping, with Halloween coming up, that will be another way we get to meet people.
Tell me about your dog.
Our dog is a big, old man. We got him from someone who lived in Warman so he was a city dog and then we converted him to acreage living. Now that he’s older he’s going to be more of an indoor dog. His name is Rocky and he’s a Burmese Collie.
Thatcher, what do you like most about your new home?
Thatcher: The paint.
Chelsey: What about your bedroom? What’s in the window of your bedroom?
Thatcher: The moon!
Chelsey: The previous owners left a moon decal on the window, so it’s perfect for him.
What kind of activities do you want to do as a family this winter and next spring and summer?
We want to teach Thatcher how to skate. I know that in the past, the community here has made the little ice rinks so we’re excited to do that. We try—once a day—to walk up to the park at the top of the hill. And just a lot of fishing. My husband loves to fish so he and Thatcher are excited to go fishing down at the river.
Thatcher: I caught a fish.
Chelsey: Yes, you caught a fish at Petrofka.
You must be very good at fishing.
Thatcher: Yep!
Were you aware that there are a lot of young families at Sarilia before moving here?
We didn’t really know. We actually thought it was an older community. So we were definitely pleasantly surprised. To have our windows open and hear the kids playing outside—I like that.
What was your first impression of Sarilia?
It’s beautiful. You come over the hill and you see all the trees. We saw it at the end of August and the beginning of September, so just all the greenery starting to turn for fall—it’s just gorgeous. And just driving around, you drive by someone and they wave to you. Again, it’s that community feel.
Tell me about the river view you have from your new home.
It’s amazing. Especially the balcony off of the master bedroom. It’s beautiful. We can also see it from our kitchen window on the main floor.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
We are just really excited to meet people. The more walking around we do, I’m sure the more people we will meet.
In the last few months, we’ve had a lot of renewed interest in Sarilia from people looking to simplify their lives. They’re looking for a connection with nature and a strong community spirit. They’re seeking more space, cleaner air, less noise and less stress. The river view and water access are the icing on the cake.
We’re also fielding questions about whether now is a good time to build a new home. It turns out, lots of people are still buying and building their dream homes in and around Saskatoon. We recently chatted with Myles Li, a personal banker at Affinity Credit Union’s Langham advice centre, to get a sense of what’s going on in the real estate market locally, and if now is a good time to get a new mortgage.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a personal banker at Affinity Credit Union. I’ve been with Affinity Credit Union since 2016. I really enjoy reading and watching movies. I was born in China and immigrated to Canada in 2012 and I completed my bachelor’s degree in finance in 2015. I live with my wife and my 1.5-year-old son in Saskatoon.
What makes Affinity different from the big national banks?
Affinity is different from big banks because we’re a Saskatchewan-born co-operative financial institution owned by our members, for our members. We only operate in Saskatchewan, so you can be sure our advisors understand your local needs.
We believe people come before profits and are dedicated to looking out for your financial health by offering great products, competitive rates and genuine, professional advice.
Affinity exists because of and for our members. That’s why we’re committed to giving back to the communities we serve. We do this in a lot of different ways including sponsorships, donations and community funding. We see our involvement as more than just writing a cheque—it’s a partnership.
What is happening lately in banking when it comes to new mortgages? Is it a good time to buy a new home or property?
At this point, the housing market appears to be holding up quite well in Saskatchewan. Affinity is seeing a significant number of mortgage applications, including construction, in the local market at the present time. Mortgage rates are currently low, which makes it a very good time to consider purchasing a home, whether that’s buying an existing property or building new. Affinity Credit Union is very familiar with construction financing, including ready-to-move homes (RTMs), and we have the expertise to help make the entire process easy and uncomplicated.
What else are you seeing in the real estate market? Any trends?
We’ve seen an increase in numbers of home equity loan applications recently. I believe two main reasons are:
People have been spending more time at home because of COVID-19, and are finding that they’d like to make some upgrades to better enjoy their home time going forward; and
Mortgage interest rates are low. We’ve seen more home equity loans to consolidate other high interest rate debts as well, which can be a great strategy to pay down high interest debt and improve household cashflow. COVID-19 has impacted many people’s incomes and made it challenging for them to keep up with payments.
Are there any common themes or conversations you’re having with clients?
I talk with members a lot on how to save for retirement or down payments for purchasing a home, also about downsizing debts to build up net worth, etc.
I know Affinity is dedicated to supporting local charities—which charities does your advice centre currently support and how?
It’s about working together to make a difference and finding ways to improve life in our communities. For example, we recently provided $30,000 in funding to the Food Banks of Saskatchewan because we understand the growing and demanding need for them in our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We also contributed $20,000 to the Royal University Hospital Foundation’s COVID-19 Hospital Fund to help provide the resources its dedicated medical and support teams need to respond to COVID-19 now and into the future.
Aside from that, we’re involved in our communities’ local assets, such as rinks and centres, sports teams, as well as community events and organizations from literacy programs to environmental sustainability and more.
Courtenay Chudy began her career with Warman Homes 16 years ago, starting as an architectural draftsperson, before making her way into sales. In 2016, she became the sales manager. The company has built three homes at Sarilia (two custom RTMs, and one custom site build), so we recently chatted with Courtenay to ask her about Warman Homes, their home-building process, building costs, and what makes building at Sarilia a little bit different from building in other communities.
Can you tell me a little bit about what Warman Homes does? We build site homes and RTM (ready-to-move) homes. Our site homes are stick-built on land and that could be in Warman, Martensville, Langham (which includes Sarilia), Dalmeny and Saskatoon.
Our RTM homes are built on our site here in Warman and then moved on to our customer’s foundation. We can move them anywhere in Saskatchewan, most places in Alberta and some locations in Manitoba.
The Carlyle model
Based on your customers who’ve moved to Sarilia, what would you say are the main demographics in the area? I’ve been to Sarilia many times and I think it’s so beautiful when I drive down there, so I don’t necessarily think it depends on your age. I think if you wanted to live somewhere with wide-open spaces and you wanted to have that beautiful river valley view, Sarilia would be the place you would want to be. You’re close enough to Saskatoon that you can still use all the amenities there, plus you have this beautiful landscape that you’re surrounded by when you go home.
How did building the custom stick-built home at Sarilia differ from building such a home in Warman or Saskatoon? Once we had the plans finalized, we sent them to Sarilia’s engineer to get the raft foundation stamped and sealed. Then we were ready to start building. We don’t typically build raft foundations with projects in other areas—we just build a regular concrete foundation. Because Sarilia doesn’t have water plumbed in, the customers had to install a water tank in their basement, and a septic system, so that was something we had to take into account for them. These clients also asked for a grey-water system. Other than that, the entire house was exactly the same as what we would normally build.
What is a raft foundation and why is it necessary at Sarilia? Raft foundations are a floating foundation. It’s exactly as it sounds—it’s a raft. They are typically used in areas where the soil is poor or variable—where the ground might be prone to more movement. So, if the ground is moving and you’re building a house on top of it, the house has to be able to move with the ground. As the foundation moves, the house moves with it. Obviously, building down in a river valley, it’s going to be prone to ground shift. Knowing all those variables, it makes perfect sense that they are enforcing a foundation specifically designed for that.
Sun-filled living room in The Carlyle
There’s a plan for The Kodiak RTM in the Sarilia Buyer’s Guide. If a customer wanted to build the Kodiak at Sarilia, what part of the process would Warman Homes handle, and what is the customer responsible for? If we are building the Kodiak specifically, it would be the main floor and the second floor. We would be building that on our yard in Warman—everything from the main floor joists up. Then, we finish it here and deliver it to a foundation that’s already completed at Sarilia and roll the house on.
The customer typically takes care of the rest, so they would hook up their sewer, water (septic and cistern for Sarilia), their mechanical system, their electrical, things like that—they have to hook up their utilities on-site. We typically don’t supply the furnace or the hot-water heater on an RTM. Things like that typically get done after.
So, the customer would hire another company to pour the foundation? Yes. But if we are building on site for them instead of an RTM, we take care of all that. We put in the foundation and then we stick build on top. We complete everything as a turn-key project.
Ensuite in The Carlyle
What has it been like to build within Sarilia’s design standards? As a home builder, we are always working with developer’s design standards no matter where we build. If we build in Rosewood in Saskatoon, we are working under Boychuk’s design standards. If we’re building in Warman—in Legends, Traditions or Southlands (subdivisions)—we’re working under KH Development’s design standards. Anywhere you build these days, unless it’s your own farmland, you have a design standard that you have to follow. So, to have to follow design standards is not new for us. But every developer has different standards.
The way I interpret Sarilia’s guidelines is they are concerned with how the house will look at the end, and the property as a whole—the out buildings, drainage and grading, etc. They also want you to think about how much you’re changing the natural property. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It takes more time…but we all kind of need to do our part to take care of mother nature.
What would it cost to build a Warman Home at Sarilia? We often have customers that come here and we have a base price that we tell them—kind of like our starting point. We like to look at their plan and what kind of finishes they want before we can give them a number.
There are a lot of variables so this is a hard question to answer but typically our RTM homes start around $105/square foot and our site homes start somewhere around $150-$160/square foot. Typically, we do a plan, review and discuss options you’re looking for before we decide on a base price. The price also depends on if we are building on land that we own, or if we are building on land that you own.
