“Obviously we are happy with the experience, we both work for them now,” says John, adding both have a background in customer service and sales, so signing on part-time with Cardel Homes wasn’t too much of a stretch.
Paula agrees, adding their experience makes them honest advisors to would-be buyers –and neighbours. “It’s such a nice service to be able to tell people what to put their money into, and what not to,” she says.

Their own move was spurred by a desire for more space than their 21-year-old 1,000-square-foot Deer Ridge bungalow afforded the couple and two sons Riley, 11, and Johnathan, 14. Both boys snowboard and Riley plays hockey, so the old house was bulging at the seams, says Paula.

While the boys at first viewed the move with hesitation – after seven years at the former address, moving meant leaving behind buddies – both seem to be settling in nicely.

“It’s a bit of a transition for them. They call it the retirement community,” jokes Paula, adding they’ve since made local pals they can ride bikes in Fish Creek Park with come summer, and a few C-Train stations are close by for getting around without parents.

“Bonus” space over the garage – which also boasts views of downtown – has become the hangout for the boys and their friends. “We’re going to develop it more up there, but right now it’s great for the kids to watch TV and have sleepovers,” says John.

Meanwhile, an unfinished basement held allure for Johnathan, who traded his second-floor bedroom for a little autonomy. “We just came home and he had moved his bed and everything down there – all by himself,” says Paula, adding fully developing the lower level for the teen is in the plans.

For Paula and John, nearly doubling living space meant new furniture – a leather couch to slink into in the great room next to the fire, an ottoman to match for setting down wine glasses without worry, and a round dining table that seats eight – was imperative to make the new house into a home. “Because it’s so large we didn’t have enough furniture to fill it,” says Paula.

Meanwhile, argon-filled windows help keep the place cool on sunny days, and prevent the leather and hardwood from fading under UV rays. “It was the best investment we made – in the summer it feels like it’s air-conditioned,” says John.

While the old place had a basement office, Paula and John, who both do contract work, appreciate now having a main-floor workspace with doors to shut out distractions.

Both resident chefs, the kitchen became a key ingredient in the design. Pouring elbow grease and money into the last place helped serve up more of what they wanted, but the culinary and entertaining areas were still not exactly to their taste.

“Choosing the model and lot was the easy part. It was the design that took the time,” says John, adding the home search ended with the decision to emulate one of the area’s show homes after just three weeks.

In the end, wish list items were pretty well met, including beefing up the great room and nook to accommodate frequent dinner guests, adding birch hardwood floors, raising the ceiling by a foot, and a kitchen revolving around handsome dark cabinets with open wine storage and an eating bar.

“We get really excited about food and wine,” says Paula, adding the couple entertains whenever they can, and the eating bar has become the hub.

Luckily, adding to the main floor footprint also expanded the upstairs, so the only thing left to add was a second sink to their private loo to make their master bedroom a retreat.

While the move to Evergreen was a conscious one, the area surprised the two, who made fast friends with neighbours. “I even take belly dancing with a couple of the ladies and we plan our weekends around each other,” says Paula.

John also gets to show off his barbecuing know-how and a landscaped backyard with a south-facing deck the resident handyman crafted himself.

Now settled in after eight months, Paula, John and the boys might just stick around. Once viewed as an investment, the new place is starting to feel like home, and friendships forged and money earned (John estimates the home has gone up $80K in value) will likely mean staying put.

“The next time we move will be to a retirement community,” jokes Paula.   NL