Our process takes the stress out of home buying

• What do you need from your new home to suit your lifestyle?
• Will it meet your short- and long-term needs?
• How much longevity and flexibility do you desire in a home?

• Determine what type of home you want to build.
• Think about how much space you need – both indoors and out.
  • Do you require more square footage in your home, or less?
  • Do you need a smaller yard that will allow for less maintenance, or a larger yard that will let you stretch your legs?
• Think about the type of home you want – do you want a duplex or are you looking for a single-family home with more space and privacy?
• Think about what you need in your current life-stage and your future. Do you have kids? Will you have kids in the next few years? Do you have any pets, and what do they need?
• Think about your non-negotiables. Do you need 3 bedrooms? Basement development? Spice kitchen? Every family is different, so you must find a builder that can work with your needs.

• Where do you want to live?
  • Think about which area of the city you want to live in.
  • Do you want to be close to friends, family, work, recreation, hobbies, etc.?
  • Do you need to have easy access to local amenities and transportation?

• Who do you want to build with?
  • Take this time to research different builders within the communities you want to live.
  • Research product offering, price points, features and benefits of building with each builder.
  • Identify who is the right fit for you, your price point and your needs.

• Figure out what you can you afford.
  • Decide how much you want to – and can – spend. Think about opportunities to negotiate or compromise on during the buying process.
  • Identify what can you pre-qualify for.

• Take some time to drive through each of the communities you are interested in.
  • While you are there, look at the variety of home types in the community, architectural themes and designs.
  • Take a look at what local amenities are available including shopping, recreation, parks and green spaces.
  • Consider connectivity within the community and to places outside of the community that you will habitually need to travel to.
  • As you drive through these communities, picture yourself living there. Is this a place where you can live your life to the fullest? Does this community provide you and your family shelter? Would you be happy there?

• Once you’ve decided on a community, it’s time to visit show homes
  • You can either drop in during your free time or explore our build and price tool on our website from the comfort of your own couch.
  • We suggest that you tour multiple builders within your chosen product type.
  • Once you’ve chosen a builder, speak with a salesperson about next steps.

• Once you are confident in your decision, it’s time to finalize your new home purchase, which includes us creating the contract and purchase agreement, and you signing the paperwork.
  • You can do this in a show home or right from your current home!

• At this point in time, you will enter the conditions period.
  • Typical conditions include:
    • Financing of your new home. This means that if financing is not possible, you get your lot deposit back.
    • The house fitting on the lot and architectural approval. If the builder cannot provide this for your new home, you get your deposit back. However, WestCreek Homes designs all our homes to fit on the lot and pass Architecturals.
• Next, you will meet with your bank or a mortgage broker and finalize your mortgage terms, down payment and payment options.
  • All scenarios are refundable at this time.
  • If you waive your conditions, you do not get your deposit back.
• Once you’ve waived the conditions, you’ll place a deposit on your home. With WestCreek Homes, you can do this with confidence knowing you have gone through all the steps and understand the process ahead of you.
• This finalizes the purchase agreement.

• Your dedicated salesperson will remain your key point of contact throughout the entire building process.

We want you to know what is happening during every single part of the home building process, and we’ve made that easy for you with our Customer Journey Guide binder, and online client portals. We will provide 10 photos of your home through the building process. The next steps in the process outline a general timeline (subject to change) of what you can expect and when.

• Once all your paperwork is done, your new home is sent to our construction manager the next business day to screen for any efficiencies and details our design team should be aware of prior to starting the design of your home.
• A detailed summary is sent to our designer that same day to begin planning the design for your home.
  • Any extras and changes from the sales addendum are accounted for during design and incorporated into your plans.
• As part of this design phase, you will see the following:
  • Your personal design drawings will fit to “your” lot.

• You have a meeting to discuss minor revisions (one round).
• Final discussion on any changes or features.
• We will always advise on what that additional cost will be before we make any changes.

• Our designer will complete all final changes and send your new home plans for review
• At this point in the process, you will meet with our area sales team and go through the plans in detail and sign off so we can begin construction.
• There will be no changes to pricing unless you request to make changes, such as upgrades to finishings, tile, hardwood or appliances.
  • We will not charge for small revisions within a price bracket, however for larger revisions, you can expect a design charge dependent on the scope of changes requested
• As a final step, you will sign off on the plan.

• Your specific floor plans are built.
  • This process takes 5 days to complete.
  • Once the first set of plans are completed, they are sent back to our construction manager for review. If there are any revisions needed, the plans are sent back to design for changes.
  • Once all departments have conducted a thorough review, an internal meeting is scheduled to review as a group, finalize and sign-off.
  • The floor plans will then be released to you for review.

• The WestCreek Homes team will review each page of the floorplans for accuracy and to ensure that all items on the purchase agreement are accounted for.
  • Each page will be stamped as final plans and initialed.
• Once all the pages are approved, the plans will be sent back to your construction manager for a final check and are then sent to our estimating department.

• WestCreek Homes allocates 10 business days for estimating to prepare for engineering and permits required to start your new home.
• What happens during this time?
  • Our estimator prepares the job and sends the plans to our engineering teams for the proper structural design, construction layouts and energy modelling for your new home.

The details of your home are compiled on a summary check sheet and sent to our trade partners. This is to advise them of the new home purchase so they can start working on designs and start compiling information for your visit.

• Once we have all the proper engineering back, we are ready to apply for permits and start the construction of your home.
  • First, we register your new home with Travelers Canada for warranty and the Alberta Government.
  • Second, all documents are uploaded to the City of Calgary for permit review to ensure all building codes and bylaws are met.
  • Third, we schedule locates and stakeout of your new home.
• During this time, we plan and prepare for digging the foundation of your home.
  • Scheduling is prepared with our site supervisor who will notify our trades of the start date for stake out and excavation.
• Once the permit is received, the job is now ready to be sent to construction and your new home build will begin!

• After all municipal approvals have been obtained, we start with “stakeout”, which is the surveying process that lays out where the home will sit on your lot.
• This will be immediately followed by excavation, where our trades will physically dig the “hole” where your new home will live.
• At this same time, our geotechnical engineer will inspect the soil to ensure the foundation will be built on solid, structural ground.
• Before the excavator leaves, we will expose and connect the services, which include pipes for water and sewer, so that your future house will connect to the system installed by our development partner.

• Once excavation has been completed, we will start to build footings for your new house. These are the cornerstones of your home and the concrete foundations on which the house will sit.
• Once the concrete is hardened, which typically takes a couple of days, the foundation walls are built and reinforced with rebar steel as designed by our structural engineers.
• Once the concrete is cured, we strip the forms from the wall and begin installing services such as electrical, gas lines and phone/internet connectivity.
• Next, the house will have weeping tile installed around the perimeter of the foundation.
• Finally, your home will be “wrapped” with a waterproof membrane, ensuring moisture stays on the outside of your foundation.

• This step in the process should take about 30-45 days to complete
• At this time, you will receive a home selections guide from your dedicated sales manager. They will help guide you through the process of making selections for your new home.
• You will meet with our team of trusted and expert partners to select everything from appliances, cabinet designs, countertops, sinks, flooring and much more!
• All of our trade vendors have been sent your plans, upgrades and house details so they are prepared for your meeting and are up-to-date with your new home build. Watch these videos to learn more:

This part of the process can feel overwhelming at times, but we understand, and we are always here to help.

We’ll provide you with a detailed list of all our trade partners that you will need to visit – and in what order – making the process simple and in manageable steps. Below is an example of the timelines we provide to help keep you on track. If you are getting close to an end date, don’t worry, we still have time to help you get your choices completed.

By visiting our partners showrooms, you are given the opportunity to see all of their available products – more than you would see in a traditional design centre. You will work closely with designers who are experts in their fields, knowing the latest in design trends and styles, helping you make your dream come to life in your new home.

• The timelines we provide to you ensure that the construction of your home has no interruptions on ordering any materials.

This process can take as little as two weeks to over a month depending on your availability, wants and needs. There are approximately 8 meetings to attend and make selections during this phase. These are some pretty important decisions to make during this stage, so we encourage you to take your time!

At this time, your new house will receive its first inspection from the City of Calgary’s building inspectors. They will ensure that all relevant building codes are met prior to our WestCreek Homes team beginning to backfill your house. A WestCreek representative will be there for all inspections.

• During this step of the build process, your new main floor will begin to take form.
• Lumber will be delivered, and our framing teams will begin installation of the beams and joists which will support your main and upper floors.

• With the structural elements completed in week 7, you’ll begin to see your home take shape as the main floor walls are constructed. If you’ve built a bungalow model, you may see things move a bit quicker as there is only one floor.

• Once the main floor is complete in week 8, our teams will move to your second storey if you are building a two-storey home.

• During the last week of framing, you will see your home’s roof trusses go up, as well as installation of windows and doors.
• As part of this stage, we will seal around all windows, sills and doors with a waterproof membrane that keeps your home dry.

• This step of the process starts with mechanical rough ins, such as plumbing and heating This is when we install all the components that deliver heat and water throughout your home.

• The final step of this stage happens before we close up the walls and involves wiring all the electrical in your new home, as well as any audio and/or visual needed. This includes power to outlets, lights, cable and ethernet lines.

• The purpose of this meeting is to walk through the house with our construction manager, prior to drywall and siding being applied, and more importantly your first official visit in your new home!
  • During this time, we will also have an inspection with the City of Calgary’s building inspector again to confirm that all our framing and mechanicals meet Safety bylaws and building codes.

• Once the house is inspected and verified by the City of Calgary, we start insulating your home. We place insulation in all the walls of the house, followed by a vapor barrier.

• Next is drywall, which is a (3) step process.
  • First, we start by boarding all the walls and ceiling.
  • Next, we send in our taping crews that seal all the joints and sand them for paint.
  • The final step is texture, which is the ceiling spray and finish you see in most homes.

• During this phase, we will complete exterior siding, which will include wrapping your house in a protective moisture resistant house wrap known as Tyvek and complete the exterior siding.

• During week 15, we will put a prime coat of paint on the walls in your new home. This first coat of paint creates a better surface for future paint colors and will better accept paint going forward.
• Also happening during this stage is the construction of all finished carpentry, including doors, built ins, baseboards, and window trims.

• During week 16 we will start installing cabinets (no countertops yet) and start working on interior railings for stairways. 

• With the house starting to take shape, we will schedule another site visit with you where we will walk through the home, update you on progress and answer any questions you might have.  

• Now that your home is taking shape, we would love to show you the progress of your new home
  • Before you take possession, we want to make sure you have everything you need to move into your new home. We’ll provide you with a detailed checklist to guide you through this stage, covering tasks like booking a moving company or renting a U-Haul, purchasing packing supplies, updating your mailing information, and more. You’ll also find helpful contact information for services like the Residents Association, local schools, and community sports teams.

• After having installed cabinets and building all the finished carpentry in your new home, it’s normal to have a few bumps and bruises on the interior of your home. We take this opportunity to do touch-ups and begin painting. 

• During week 32, all the countertops in your home will be installed.

• All the tiles in your new home, including floors, showers, backsplashes and fireplaces are installed. This always happens before flooring.

• All your new home’s carpeting, planking or hardwood flooring is installed during week 34 after all the tiling is complete.

With the finish line in sight, all thermostats, faucets, and sinks get installed, including all your beautiful new light fixtures. 

Our WestCreek Homes construction manager will go through the home and mark any areas that require a light touch up before the house is ready for you.  

• With possession one week away, the house is cleaned thoroughly from top to bottom. We will vacuum out the heat registers and furnace to capture any dust trapped during the construction process and our team makes sure everything in the house, including lighting, power and HVAC systems, are working perfectly.
• Next, the City of Calgary’s building inspectors will complete a final walk through of your home.

As a final step, all your home’s appliances will be delivered, inspected, installed and tested.

With possession date just a few days away, we will meet for a pre-occupancy orientation. During this meeting our construction team will demonstrate how certain components work, how to take care of your home and note any deficiencies that may need to be repaired before occupancy. This will take place 7 days before move-in.

• During the walk-through we will have some painters tape to mark these spots.

• Finally, we will complete your home purchase. At this stage, your lawyer and banking institution will have been in discussion with ours, and the only thing left to do is hand you the keys to your brand-new home.
• We’d be happy to take a photo of you and your family in your new home for our social media. If you’d like to share a testimonial, we’d greatly appreciate it! Please email our Marketing Manager, info@westcreekhomes.ca to coordinate.

• During this time, you will start to settle into, live, experience and fall more in love with your new home.
• Sometimes during these initial weeks following possession, questions and concerns do come up – all of which we are happy to address.
  • We encourage you to use your client portal to make any and all requests about your new home via our Ask WestCreek chat. Our sales manager and office are also happy to address any questions or concerns along the way as well.

• 60 days after you move in, we will check-in with you via email to make sure everything is going well, things are working properly and that you continue to be happy with your new home

• We strive for excellence at WestCreek Homes, and we love hearing our homeowners’ feedback on their home building experience with us.
• A few months after you move in, we will send you a short survey to fill out and provide us with your feedback.

• You will have a 6-month and 1-year warranty service check-in.

Thank you for taking this journey with WestCreek Homes. We hope you enjoy your home as much as we enjoyed building it.