Shane Homes vs Cedarglen Homes

[nj2Type-S]

hey guys,

last week, my wife and i have started looking at different builders at a couple of communities. eventually, we've narrowed it down to cranston (phase 54 & 56). we've been to both shane homes and cedarglen showhomes. we haven't looked at the trico homes showhome, but i am not a fan of any of their floor plans.

between shane and cedarglen, which would you guys recommend? i know various threads have discussed each builder on its own, but between these two, which one would you recommend?

as far as the floor plan for each builder goes, we're still undecided which one we like better; i guess we can't go wrong with either in that regard.

[thinmyster]

We liked Cedarglen although we bought used in cranston. Our friends in Auburn bay got the same floor plan we originally wanted and so far they seem happy!

Jordan is pretty knowledgeable on the area and builders. We took him around when we went looking. Id suggest doing the same.

Ever considered used? There are a bunch of nice estate homes in the front of Cranston built in ~01. More established feel but the homes aren't "too old". They aren't much more than new builds.

[nj2Type-S]

hey dude, thanks for the response. we've looked at some used homes, but for the price that they were asking, we feel that we may be better off getting a house built. our budget is not high enough buy a house on the ridge, but there are a few lots within literally a minute's walk from it.

both showhomes were great as far as answering my questions and being professional. cedarglen seems to be a bit more flexible on their pricing, and schedule (we are definitely not rushing to move, since we currently live in a duplex). shane homes' showhome was the first one that we visited, though, so it sort of stuck with me lol.

i guess my question is with all the discounts cedarglen is offering (appliance credit, architecture credit, cabinetry credit, etc) and shane homes is not offering extra anything at ALL, does cedarglen tend to cut corners elsewhere? or are they just the better value?

[georgemagana]

Hey man, I built a house with Shane Homes and just took possesion 2 months ago. Which floor were you looking at?

We picked the Haworth and did a few modifications to it and we love the house.

Like you, I was not in a rush to move in and we set the date to be 9 months after we put the deposit on the house. Our house was pretty much ready at the 7 month mark and they never pushed us to move in quicker.

Overall, the building experience was good. A few mistakes on their design center but nothing major. Who ever you build with, make sure to take pictures of every single little thing you pick, include the part number on your pics as well. Who ever you go with, I would strongly recommend to be on top of construction process the entire time tho. I identified so many little things during the building process.

You should also check both companies design centers. Shanes homes was pretty good because they have samples for everything and good selection. A friend built with Market Street Homes by Baywest and their design center was a joke. They didnt even have real samples for some stuff so their "samples" were a black and white picture lol.

[nj2Type-S]

We’re looking at the Tofino II (Shane Homes) and the Huxley II (Cedarglen Homes) with some modifications. Which community did you build in? I’ve read that it doesn’t matter which company you build with, but which superintendent.

I am not familiar at all with how to build a house so I have no idea on what to look for during the design process. I can see myself picking out a couple of things after the house has been built, but I don’t know what to look for while they’re building it lol.

Fortuntely, the Tofino is the showhome in Cranston so I was able to see it first-hand. We saw the Huxley II as well in the riverstone showhome.

Did you guys get your basement developed as well? What about the rear deck? Would I be better off getting those things done after the house has been built?

Thanks!

[DeeK]

Having previously worked for both of these companies, I'd say they are about the same in terms of quality. As with all new homes these days, there will be mistakes. However, these two are among the best quality of the modern day mass homebuilding companies Calgary has to offer.

My experiences are that Cedarglen is a bit more modernized in their approach. Everything is listed on the website and can be tracked, everything has a report filed online. The downside of this is that you essentially become just a number in their system and because of that things can go overlooked or lack the attention they deserve.

Shane on the other hand prefers the oldschool method of dealing with things, always face to face, tours, phone calls, etc. Answers take longer to find, things are a bit slower to progress, but you avoid that "numbered" feeling.

I suggest picking sitting down with both of them and going over the costs, options, and floor plans with a fine toothed comb

[nobb]

Just signed off on a house with Cedarglen. Feel free to PM me if anyone is also building with them and wants to do a split for referral money :thumbsup:

I also built a lower spec Innovations home with Jayman last year and have found the process at Jayman to be better so far. Selection was better at Jayman, smoother process. The Cedarglen house is higher spec with more features that look good on paper but there are little things that I wasnt too happy with. Base appliances on this Cedarglen house is stainless steel but quite terrible compared to what was offered on the lower spec Jayman house. Even the base faucets on the Jayman house felt better. I liked how Jayman has one design center with great selection and everything can be done from there. With Cedarglen I had to book a million appointments with various outside suppliers and the process has been paperwork heavy with alot of back and forth. So far they have also made a few mistakes between what sales told me and what is actually provided...so I am also a little annoyed with that. It feels like I have to micromanage this build a little more to ensure everything is addressed properly and documented.

Not saying Cedarglen is terrible, but that is just my experience so far. Cant comment on quality and warranty until the house has been built. Also looked at Shane Homes and they were great from a sales perspective but I ultimately went with Cedarglen as they gave me better pricing (discounts).

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by nj2Type-S
We’re looking at the Tofino II (Shane Homes) and the Huxley II (Cedarglen Homes) with some modifications. Which community did you build in? I’ve read that it doesn’t matter which company you build with, but which superintendent.



Just throwing this out there, any builder can build another builders floor plans. They'll just make a few minor drafting changes to the plans.

So if you find you like the Shane floor plan, but like Cedarglen as a builder, it won't be an issue. Or vice versa.

Home builders are constantly ripping off each others floor plans lol.

[nj2Type-S]

@ nobb: sounds good, man! I’ve got a friend who called dibs on the referral to shane homes, so you can be that “referred” me to cedarglen. Easy money lol.

That’s funny about builders ripping off each other’s floor plans. I like the Huxley II main floor from cedarglen with the Kootenay V’s 2nd floor from baywest. Haha! I wish I can just get the native file so I can modify it on autocad, msyself lol.

It seems like these guys are pretty much the same, overall. Like I said, though, it seems as though cedarglen is offering more discounts. When I talked to the sales rep, he was so willing to work on prices and scheduling. Shane was “firm” on everything and wasn’t budging on anything, at all.

That being said, I’m worried that the quality will suffer if I go with cedarglen because of the discounts they are able to offer me; they might cut corners on some items to make up the cost. What are your guys’ thoughts on that?

[Dj_DLX]

We just took possession of a Shane home at the beginning of July and picked them over cedarglen because at the time cedarglen was only doing spec homes in the area and we wanted to customize our floorplan.

The building process with Shane was great, since we lived near where our new home we stopped by frequently to check on the building and the site superintendent immediately took care of everything we pointed out, no matter how mundane the issue was. We also submitted about 50 change orders (many last minute or past deadlines) during the building process as we discovered things we wanted to change and they took care off all of them. We also got to deal with many of their suppliers directly to select some of the orme common items that normally get overlooked like the thermostats, window pane specs, garage door specs, garage door opener, etc.

Our area sales manager was also really helpful with recommending which upgrades to get and which to skip.

The only downside I can think of building with Shane was that the cabinet design appointment takes place at the same time as the exterior appointment, which was months before the interior appointment. So by the time we settled on what we wanted for the interior it was too late to modify the cabinets to match.

We went with the Tofino III floor plan so I think the Tofino II is a solid choice. 7 of the 8 Shane homes near my house are a Tofino variant, the last being a Claremont which requires a wider lot.

[nobb]

Originally posted by nj2Type-S

That being said, I’m worried that the quality will suffer if I go with cedarglen because of the discounts they are able to offer me; they might cut corners on some items to make up the cost. What are your guys’ thoughts on that?

I would also be curious to get some thoughts on how exactly "quality differs" between the various manufacturers. Specific examples would be great. Within the same area it seems all builders have roughly the same standards to keep competitive.

I had mentioned in my previous post how a lower spec Jayman house has better base appliances than a higher spec Cedarglen house, however Cedarglen was willing to give full credit back for appliances that I did not want from their supplier (Trail Appliances). I know not all builders do this. In the end I still went with Trail Appliances but I got them to pricematch a quote I had from futureshop for some better appliances at a 20% discount.

[nj2Type-S]

^that’s an awesome tip for appliances! Cost for delivery and installation is covered by trail appliances, right?

[nobb]

No they charged $18 per appliance for delivery...which was still cheaper than their typical rate. I believe they usually charge $100+ for a dishwasher install...but I didnt see that on my invoice for the new home so Ill just assume it's covered. I also shopped around at Coast Appliances and even they couldnt match Futureshop's price. I had initially planned on just buying appliances myself when a good deal comes around, but at 20% discount...that's like a boxing day deal :D

[Lex350]

When comparing the two builders, ask to see the standard spec sheet for both houses. Sometime one house seems a better deal until you see the spec sheets. Compare things like standard underlay, cabinets (construction and hardware) etc.....

[nj2Type-S]

hey guys,

thanks again for all the input. i may be going back and forth here, but from a pure investment point of view, would you guys build in cranston or riverstone? costs are almost the same and we can't decide on which community. lol. anybody here from riverstone?

[flipstah]

Originally posted by nj2Type-S
hey guys,

thanks again for all the input. i may be going back and forth here, but from a pure investment point of view, would you guys build in cranston or riverstone? costs are almost the same and we can't decide on which community. lol. anybody here from riverstone?

Isn't Riverstone in Cranston?

[JamMan23]

Originally posted by nj2Type-S
hey guys,

thanks again for all the input. i may be going back and forth here, but from a pure investment point of view, would you guys build in cranston or riverstone? costs are almost the same and we can't decide on which community. lol. anybody here from riverstone?

Technically it's the same community, different area. Riverstone is obviously a more "upscale" area, it's also more secluded and closer to nature, thats a beautiful valley IMO.

That being said, it's not within walking distance of shops and such. It's a little further from Deerfoot. It depends what you want.

[visualk]

I am looking at shane homes...For those that built with shane homes how did you find dealing with visions for structured wiring? Did you add a home theatre package or additional wiring?

Also any tips on dealing with Shane homes on negotiating for upgrades/options? Or general tips.

[JamMan23]

Originally posted by visualk
I am looking at shane homes...For those that built with shane homes how did you find dealing with visions for structured wiring? Did you add a home theatre package or additional wiring?

Also any tips on dealing with Shane homes on negotiating for upgrades/options? Or general tips.

Here is a price list I received from Visions in May of this year:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8iAuv3fmhb_UnNyRi1qblJBaGtVWUxZZVVqMWhZWVNNa2hV/edit?usp=sharing

[chongkee_]

Originally posted by visualk
I am looking at shane homes...For those that built with shane homes how did you find dealing with visions for structured wiring? Did you add a home theatre package or additional wiring?

Also any tips on dealing with Shane homes on negotiating for upgrades/options? Or general tips.

I'm currently building with Shane homes and I take possession this October.

Depending on the community it might be hard since they're selling lots quick in some areas. Just price a house out and let them know that you're serious about purchasing one. After that just be blunt about it and ask them if there's deals on upgrades that they can do to help with your decision.

My experience with Visions was pretty good. I didn't get the home theatre package but I got them to rough in the wiring for the speakers. I also had ceiling speakers added to the main floor.
They weren't pushy at all about anything.

[Dj_DLX]

Originally posted by chongkee_


I'm currently building with Shane homes and I take possession this October.

Depending on the community it might be hard since they're selling lots quick in some areas. Just price a house out and let them know that you're serious about purchasing one. After that just be blunt about it and ask them if there's deals on upgrades that they can do to help with your decision.

My experience with Visions was pretty good. I didn't get the home theatre package but I got them to rough in the wiring for the speakers. I also had ceiling speakers added to the main floor.
They weren't pushy at all about anything.

Matt at Visions was pretty patient my endless questions and emails. He also suggested I go with cat 5e instead of cat 6 to keep costs down.

[nobb]

Any tips on what else to consider for low voltage wiring or good upgrades? Eg. Is Cat 6 even necessary? Other things to consider for future expandability? I noticed Cedarglen gave a ton of coax connections everywhere which I have no idea what they would be used for. Multi channel low level audio perhaps.

[Dj_DLX]

Originally posted by nobb
Any tips on what else to consider for low voltage wiring or good upgrades? Eg. Is Cat 6 even necessary? Other things to consider for future expandability? I noticed Cedarglen gave a ton of coax connections everywhere which I have no idea what they would be used for. Multi channel low level audio perhaps.

I think it depends on how long you plan on living in the house for and your home automation ambitions. Cat 5e supports gigabit so it's good enough for now but who knows how networking is going to be a few years down the road, maybe even the 10 gigabit limit of Cat 6 won't be enough. My friend is specing out a office for his company and he's planning to go with Cat 7 to future proof as much as possible.

Although I didn't think about it much at the time, home automation systems could benefit from a ton of pre-wire. So that might be something to think about.

[nj2Type-S]

Originally posted by flipstah


Isn't Riverstone in Cranston?

sorry. i meant upper cranston or in the riverstone area of cranston.

we're sort of leaning towards riverstone, so i guess shane homes is out.

[JamMan23]

Originally posted by Dj_DLX


I think it depends on how long you plan on living in the house for and your home automation ambitions. Cat 5e supports gigabit so it's good enough for now but who knows how networking is going to be a few years down the road, maybe even the 10 gigabit limit of Cat 6 won't be enough. My friend is specing out a office for his company and he's planning to go with Cat 7 to future proof as much as possible.

Although I didn't think about it much at the time, home automation systems could benefit from a ton of pre-wire. So that might be something to think about.

Right now most people get probably around 50 Mbps Internet, meaning they max out at about 5% utilization on a 1 gigabit line. I think we are a long ways away from needing 10 gigabit in a residential setting.

With advances in wireless technology, I don't know why people get so hung up about in-house wiring. Just build a good wireless network for the same price, that is future proofing. Who knows what connections will be needed in 20 years? It's like building a Betamax player into the wall.

[georgemagana]

Originally posted by nobb
Just signed off on a house with Cedarglen. Feel free to PM me if anyone is also building with them and wants to do a split for referral money :thumbsup:

I also built a lower spec Innovations home with Jayman last year and have found the process at Jayman to be better so far. Selection was better at Jayman, smoother process. The Cedarglen house is higher spec with more features that look good on paper but there are little things that I wasnt too happy with. Base appliances on this Cedarglen house is stainless steel but quite terrible compared to what was offered on the lower spec Jayman house. Even the base faucets on the Jayman house felt better. I liked how Jayman has one design center with great selection and everything can be done from there. With Cedarglen I had to book a million appointments with various outside suppliers and the process has been paperwork heavy with alot of back and forth. So far they have also made a few mistakes between what sales told me and what is actually provided...so I am also a little annoyed with that. It feels like I have to micromanage this build a little more to ensure everything is addressed properly and documented.

Not saying Cedarglen is terrible, but that is just my experience so far. Cant comment on quality and warranty until the house has been built. Also looked at Shane Homes and they were great from a sales perspective but I ultimately went with Cedarglen as they gave me better pricing (discounts).

This sounds like a major pain! Im glad Shane Homes does everything at the same design centre in a few appointments.

OP, ask to see whats standard on both companies. From what I heard from my area manager, most people end up spending around 20k on upgrades average so take that into account.


Matt at Visions was great as well

[Dj_DLX]

Originally posted by JamMan23


Right now most people get probably around 50 Mbps Internet, meaning they max out at about 5% utilization on a 1 gigabit line. I think we are a long ways away from needing 10 gigabit in a residential setting.

With advances in wireless technology, I don't know why people get so hung up about in-house wiring. Just build a good wireless network for the same price, that is future proofing. Who knows what connections will be needed in 20 years? It's like building a Betamax player into the wall.

You max out at 5% for internet utilization but you could easily max out gigabit if you run a central storage server or even a simple NAS.

[benyl]

I have 4 runs to every room in my house. 2 Cat 6 and 2 Cat6a. The Cat6a was to "future proof" in case I need to push 4K video down the line. I don't think Cat 7 was even out when I built my house.

Visions was "ok."

[JamMan23]

Originally posted by Dj_DLX


You max out at 5% for internet utilization but you could easily max out gigabit if you run a central storage server or even a simple NAS.

I guess, a good quality video will stream at like 10 Mbps max, copying files over the local network may be a little faster, but the hard drive would probably still be a limiter.

A regular HDD might max out at like 200 MB/s write speed, so around 1.6 Gb/s. You wouldn't really notice the difference (1 Gb/s vs 1.6 Gb/s), the only way you might see a different is with a Sold-State drive.

[nj2Type-S]

hey guys,

thanks again for all your input. from your experience, is it generally better to get a rear deck built by another company, and not the builder? if so, could you please recommend a few companies?

just from a quick online search, i found these guys: http://calgaryvinyldecking.com

anybody on here have experience with them?

thanks!

[schurchill39]

I can not comment on either builder's home quality but haven lived in Cranston for a little over a year now I can definitely comment as to how they carry themselves in the community.

Shane Homes is an absolute shit show when it comes to keeping their construction sites clean. They just finished a house across from their show home in the spring and throughout the whole build process either their garbage bin was half on the street half on the sidewalk. Wood, screws and scrap was left everywhere with little to no effort to clean up. When I went and talked to the show home people they seemed to "turn off" as soon as they realized I wasn't in to buy a house. There are Shane Home trucks that always drive 60-70 kmph down Cranford drive with little to no care often times on cell phones.

Cedarglen is more reasonable to deal with as a member of the community. They keep their sites clean and anytime anyone of my neighbors had had issues they are pretty easy to deal with and make a good effort to try and rectify the issue if its reasonable.

The reason I bring this up is because you can tell a lot about a business (builder) by how they carry themselves in the communities that they are in. If they don't give a flying fuck about the community or the people in it then I would not expect them to care much about you before you hand over the cheque or after you take possession.

I have friends who bought Cedarglen homes and they are happy with them. All of their concerns were addressed within a timely fashion and their only comment was that they didn't ever seem to be in a rush to fix things (even though everything eventually did get fixed).

[nj2Type-S]

i am utterly unimpressed with trail appliances.

they are cedarglen's appliance supplier, though. do you guys have any experience about using another source (i.e. the brick, futureshop, etc) instead of the builder's supplier?

[G]

What was so bad about Trail?

[nj2Type-S]

from my personal opinion, i'm not too happy with the way they handled their price match guarantee. i'll leave it at that, but judging from the reviews on google, it doesn't seem like i'm the only one who is not satisfied.

another question, guys. we want to get an alarm system and a surround sound system placed im this house being built. should i get it done after the house is built, or just go with the installer contracted by the builder (wired by design)?

WBD is asking $200 to do an alarm rough-in, and $600 to install 4 rear speakers in the bonus room ceiling. i'm a TOTAL NOOB, so your input is highly appreciated!

[nobb]

Really? I got a quote from a competitor, went back to Trail, and got them to price match. The only benefit of sticking with Trail is that they have everything installed by the time you move in. Other retailers may have issues with holding your inventory until possession date. But you are right, Trail's pricing is nothing spectacular even if you are with a home builder.

For the rear speakers, you can always just get them to pre-wire, then shop around for in-ceiling speakers and install them yourself. It's pretty easy.

[avishal26]

why pre-wire a home-alarm system? Mine is all wireless and works better if you need to change location etc.

[nj2Type-S]

i'm not sure if i still want to go with the wireless route for the security system. not to mention, aren't wireless systems typpically more expensive?

[avishal26]

^ I don't think so - I only pay $36 monthly for my wireless system that is also monitored on wifi since I don't have a landline and I have a touchscreen control panel.

All the sensors were just stuck onto the doors and windows and paired up with the touch panel.

[nj2Type-S]

what about cables for a power source for the cameras and sensors?

[Lex350]

Originally posted by schurchill39
I can not comment on either builder's home quality but haven lived in Cranston for a little over a year now I can definitely comment as to how they carry themselves in the community.

Shane Homes is an absolute shit show when it comes to keeping their construction sites clean. They just finished a house across from their show home in the spring and throughout the whole build process either their garbage bin was half on the street half on the sidewalk. Wood, screws and scrap was left everywhere with little to no effort to clean up. When I went and talked to the show home people they seemed to "turn off" as soon as they realized I wasn't in to buy a house. There are Shane Home trucks that always drive 60-70 kmph down Cranford drive with little to no care often times on cell phones.

Cedarglen is more reasonable to deal with as a member of the community. They keep their sites clean and anytime anyone of my neighbors had had issues they are pretty easy to deal with and make a good effort to try and rectify the issue if its reasonable.

The reason I bring this up is because you can tell a lot about a business (builder) by how they carry themselves in the communities that they are in. If they don't give a flying fuck about the community or the people in it then I would not expect them to care much about you before you hand over the cheque or after you take possession.

I have friends who bought Cedarglen homes and they are happy with them. All of their concerns were addressed within a timely fashion and their only comment was that they didn't ever seem to be in a rush to fix things (even though everything eventually did get fixed).


This isn't so much the builder as much as it is the area supervisor. The same builder can be quite a bit different depending on the area. Some area supervisors are great while others are lazy f*cks.

[avishal26]

Originally posted by nj2Type-S
what about cables for a power source for the cameras and sensors?

The control panel is plugged in but all the sensors have batteries I guess.. because they are all remote. The control panel also has a rechargeable battery for backup

I have had the system for 2 years with no battery issues - maybe they are long life batteries. I think most alarm companies will come switch out the batteries for free. I am guessing they are more like watch batteries because the sensors are damn small.

I don't have any cameras so not sure how that would work.

[JudasJimmy]

I've purchased 3 new homes in the last 7 yrs. Cedarglen is hands down the best builder I've dealt with. Service is exceptional, quality is as good as the contractor. floor plans are modern and practical, build quality is exceptional. Repair work was done even after warranty expired.