Parade of Homes

8 Parade of Homes FALL 2016 HaPPY Hunting Cont'd from page 7 "People always plan their house for today, for what their life looks like now," he says. "you've got to think big picture and longer term than right now. But most people think right now and I think that's a huge mistake." When they built their own home 10 years ago, koop and his wife krista chose to have a main-floor mas- ter bedroom, with second-level bed- rooms for their now-grown kids. rather than have a soaring ceiling in the great room, they created usable space upstairs that they've since trans- formed into a fabulous home office. "We love the place, we love the design … it works for us perfectly. so far, we wouldn't change a thing." Maric Homes vice-president of operations Tanya Maric advises long-term thinking when you're setting budget priorities, as well. "The first thing they should be investing their money in is the size and the structure of the home," she says. "you can always add a deck later on, but you can't add to your foundation." If you have to make a tradeoff between floor- ing or countertops and a large bedroom, choose the bedroom. If you're concerned you don't have enough light, spend a little extra on larger windows. "Those sorts of things are harder to change af- ter the fact than the interior finishes," she says. Maric encourages clients to gain some knowl- edge of construction practices, and she says websites like Houzz and Pinterest can be helpful in making design choices, but there's a caveat. nano doors that open up an entire wall on a home in southern California won't cut it in Manitoba's climate. other features and practices posted on the Internet are not transferable or practical, so if you have ques- tions, talk to your builder, not siri. Artista Homes — 45 east Plains drive 'The first thing they should be investing their money in is the size and the structure of the he. You can always add a deck later on, but you can't add to your foundation.' Cont'd on page 24

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