You cannot help but exhale an ooh-la-la after a visit to not one, not two, not three, but four homes valued at more than a million bucks each.
The occasion to visit so many prestigious homes was a result of a St. Albert Royal LePage open house showing last weekend. It's not often you get to see inside houses in this category, so the Gazette grabbed the opportunity and took the million-dollar tour.
So what do you get in a million-dollar home these days? Well, how about a two-tiered theatre room complete with a pull-down screen that rivals the IMAX? Or how about having two kitchen areas as part of one main-floor great room, including two sets of cabinets, fridges and lots of counter space? A wine cellar? An exercise room? How about a computerized system throughout the home to turn on your fireplace, dim the lights, or turn off the television in Junior's bedroom.
"You don't even have to be home to turn up the heat or shut off the lights. You could be in India," says realtor Don Cholak.
Room with a view
The four homes, all located in Sturgeon County in the area off Starkey Road, also have beautiful views. Some might say, million-dollar views.
There was a time when a million dollar home was a rare commodity but there are more of them these days. Last year six single-family homes listed for more than $1 million sold within St. Albert. They ranged in price from $1.009 to $1.575 million.
"There has been one sale over a million this year and currently there are three homes listed in St. Albert over a million," said Jon Hall, communications manager at Realtors Association of Edmonton.
Since the average house in St. Albert sells for about $430,000, these big beauties stand out.
In a year there are 30 or 40 houses listed at more than $1 million in the St. Albert area including Sturgeon County. Most take about 12 months to sell, says Cholak, who pointed out that the ceiling is the limit when it comes to upper-end homes.
"The homes on Riverstone Drive would average $1.4 million," he said.
This is one occasion when the word "unique" is appropriate because in this housing price range the homes have been custom built.
"I think that's the most interesting thing in this price range because they are so far away from the tract builders," said realtor Mike Kinsella. "When you walk into an estate home, you should almost get a feeling that it takes your breath away, at least a little."
First up on the tour was 67 Riverstone Dr., which has a country feel to it because of heavy wooden ceiling beams and hardwood flooring in the kitchen and great room area. Its special ooh-la-la feature is an enclosed courtyard. Even on a February morning, the sun reflects off the courtyard walls, making it warm and inviting. It's the kind of place that begs for a cup of coffee, a good book and perhaps a potted rose to add fragrance and extra beauty.
Every house on the tour has a large living room-dining area that's meant for executive-style entertaining. These large rooms could hold a lot of milling people, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Off the large great rooms are equally large decks, which look over some of the prettiest prairie in the St. Albert area.
Number 12 River Ridge Rd. features five large windows overlooking the Sturgeon River valley and the view is captivating. The home also features a butler's pantry with a cooking area, plus a large kitchen. Two kitchens. One room. Now that's worth an ooh-la-la!
Because the rooms are so large, these homes don't have a sense of cozy hominess on the main floor. What they have in place of coziness is stylish presence. In that way these main floor areas are somewhat reminiscent of the old-style parlour that Grandma used to have. The main floor in these homes is meant for show, and downstairs is where the real family living takes place. Somehow calling this area of the house a "basement" doesn't quite get it right. Who knew basements could be so gorgeous?
The show's the thing
The lower-level theatre rooms at 48 Riverstone Cl. and 17 River Ridge Rd. are exceptional.
Number 48 Riverstone features a built-in cabinet area for a large-screen television. Nearby there's space for a pool table and behind both these play areas is a beautiful bar.
Number 17 River Ridge features a tiered theatre room, complete with a screen, surround sound and a projector. This basement also has a walk-in wine cellar that can easily hold 30 bottles of wine. If you needed more space for your aged champagne, there's also a built-in wine fridge in the bar area. The exercise room and steam shower are located out of ear shot from the theatre room, so you could pound away on the treadmill without disturbing anyone else.
Of course every one of these homes has a beautiful en suite alongside a large bedroom that takes up almost half the main floor. Most have Cleopatra-style baths along with practical – but large – walk-in showers.
But the most ooh-la-la feature in all these homes may well be the garages, which have in-floor heating and enough space for every imaginable toy from snowmobiles to ATVs to bicycles. Number 17 River Ridge has a six-car garage, but if pressed, the owner could fit a small seventh car into the space.
Look around at all the extras from granite counters to espresso-stained maple cabinets, to cork flooring and to draperies that can be raised or lowered at the push of a motorized button, and you begin to see the personality in these homes as well as the reason for a plus-million dollar price tag.
"These houses are one-of-a-kind," said Cholak, "because everyone has built their dream home and everyone's dream looks different."
