After five years in their first home --  with a standard ‘big builder’ plan -- Jason and Amanda now knew through experience exactly what they wanted. And didn’t want. 

“We wanted a walk-out, a larger laundry room, extra bedrooms to accommodate visiting family members, a proper entertainment area this time, a larger garage to fit Jason’s tools, and really contemporary design elements,” outlines Amanda.

Armed with a checklist of must-haves, a desire for upgrades, and the ability to customize, the professional couple investigated several builders, but grew increasingly frustrated by the restrictions they faced when inquiring about modifications. This ranged from minor fixes being denied to having to pay significant upfront fees simply for the right to change something.

“We had heard of Baywest and knew its “Red Pen,” meant freedom. We just didn’t know to what extent,” says Jason. “What we soon discovered was there was almost nothing we couldn’t change.” 

Between this flexibility and the knowledgeable customer service experience at the showhome, they knew Baywest was the builder for them.

After their Baywest Home Planning Specialist had guided them to a floorplan that would best accommodate the changes they wanted, the couple were given dozens of blank floorplan sheets to experiment with different ideas. 

“At first I was scared of my choices. With the Baywest coaching, however, it worked out perfectly.  Jodi proactively made suggestions and recommendations. He knew, if we moved this wall or beam, that there would be structural implications, and he would then make another option available to us,” says Amanda. 

“When we got our official blueprints with all the changes, we saw some more fixes, and got a second set of blueprints for no extra charge.  It wasn’t – ‘here are the blueprints….this is what we’re building.’ We got to catch some of our mistakes,” explains Jason. 

Now that Jason and Amanda had their perfect layout, they indulged in their dream upgrades including hardwood, granite, modern glass lighting, and more, all custom selected.

“We preferred Baywest’s boutique approach of having us go to each specialty store, rather than sit in a massive design centre.  We could ask each expert at every shop for their personal insight, and had access to more inventory,” says Jason. 

The couple were also impressed by the customer service throughout construction, receiving a call from the construction manager than one of their choices for a bulkhead wasn’t going to look quite right, giving them the opportunity to change mid-construction. A fixture that was incorrectly billed from the store, also got immediately handled by management. 

“There was great follow up with any issues. It’s hard to stay mad when it’s dealt with so quickly,” says Jason. 

What advice do they have for clients considering Baywest? 

“People shy away from ‘custom’ because it sounds expensive. But that doesn’t need to be the case,” advises Jason. 

“Sometimes the Red Pen seems daunting because it is so MUCH power! But, you don’t have to move walls. It can be as simple as some extra light switches, or changing where the dining room light fixture is going to be positioned in the ceiling,” says Amanda. 

“The Baywest plans are really nice,” adds Jason. “That’s the thing. But it comforts you to know you can change things if you want.”

“There is nothing we regret in our Baywest Home,” claims Amanda. “We’ll be here a long time.”