Page 28 - Westman Business 2017

28 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2017

Sawatsky Group a trusted name in Western Canada

BRANDON’S BEST BUY HOMES HAS OFFERED HIGH-QUALITY HOMES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES

Best Buy Homes, Meadowbrook Village, the elements,” White said. “All the trades called a ‘mobile home.’ We’re so far beyond
and Classic Trailers in Brandon are all and building supplies are on site, so it keeps that right now that if people haven’t been
owned by the Sawatsky Group of Compa- the building costs lower. And we build all in them recently, they won’t believe the dif-
nies, which is a collection of firms special- of our homes to meet or exceed the provin- ference.”
izing in modular housing. cial building codes. We generally have about While the lack of a basement might seem
Sawatsky Group is a Western Canadian 20 show homes on our sales lot in Brandon, like a disadvantage to some people, it’s that
company, and has been in business for more ranging in size from about 900 square feet very thing that is appealing to many. With-
than 50 years. Its head office is in Win- to over 2,000. We have homes available for out a basement, it’s much easier to expand
nipeg, but it owns entities such as Best Buy immediate delivery and we also do custom- a home, White said. And high water tables
Homes, A-1 Homes, Commonwealth built homes.” in some areas can wreak havoc with under-
Homes, Alberta Custom Homes, Classic One of the most desirable features is the ground living space.
Trailers, and Pro Mobile Service as well as speed at which modular homes can be put And modular housing provides a won-
its own fleet of trucks. together and delivered. derful, affordable option for a number of
The company’s Brandon operation and “We move a home onto a customer’s site different demographics and situations.
showroom is located at 1120 Highland – they basically prepare a base pad, like a “We will quite often attract young fami-
Ave. gravel pad – and we move the home in,” lies or first-time home buyers,” White said.
Sawatsky Group strives to exceed its cus- White said. “Stairs are installed, and finish- “And sometimes people are putting a sec-
tomers’ expectations through quality prod- ing touches completed, and some of our ond home on a farm or in a rural area.”
ucts and outstanding customer service. customers are living in their homes the next While young families were initially envi-
day – some of them even the same day. And sioned as expected clientele, White said the
BEST BUY HOMES always – unless there’s a reason on their end company was happily surprised to discover
– they’re in within a few days at most.” that older people are also discovering the
With house prices skyrocketing or re- Melanie White is a sales professional at Best Buy
maining high across the country, if you’re Simplicity is another reason many people benefits of modular home living. Homes in Brandon.
looking for affordable housing, Best Buy are opting for modular homes these days. “We’re also attracting a lot of empty
Homes may have just the solution you The buildings are ideal for rural areas where nesters who are looking at pulling equity
need. tradespeople aren’t always readily available. from their existing home, retiring early, and likely to be able to create.
The company, which has been in Bran- And the cost – perhaps the most attractive travelling more,” White said. “One-level liv- “Because they’re manufactured homes,
don for 22 years, is a retail outlet for mod- feature – is a fraction of what a regular ing – it’s a little more simplified. When our and they’re built in a factory, we’re not lim-
ular homes. Best Buy Homes works with home can be. houses roll in, they’re completely finished ited to just homes – we build duplexes, tri-
four different factories, according to sales “We’re coming in, on our homes, any- inside, and the appliances are in there. So plexes, and four-plexes,” White said. “We’ve
professional Melanie White, and the bene- where from about $85 to $120 a square basically it’s hook up water, sewage and built commercial establishments, offices,
fits to manufactured homes are many. foot, depending on how customized it is, as electrical, and move in.” we’ve done hotels, we’ve done man-camps.
“Some of the significant advantages to compared to a stick-build home, which can And while houses are what the company We even did a fire college. It’s a little bit of
manufactured homes is that they’re all built be $250 to $300 a square foot,” White said. does most of, they’re not limited to just everything.”
inside a facility, so they’re never exposed to “So economically, they make a lot of sense. those sorts of constructions. Whatever a
They are not your typical what used to be customer can dream up, Best Buy Homes is » The Brandon Sun