Viceroy and Comfort Homes have office on Athlone in Woodstock

Comfort Homes is a sensible option for new construction

By Mark Schadenberg

Woodstock certainly has its share of quality local home builders.
If you're looking for any information on home construction in Woodstock, contact me anytime.

About three years ago, a model home was built along the 401 (great visibility for commuters) at 560 Athlone Avenue by Viceroy (www.viceroy.com). The picture of that house is included here and is quite attractive with a smart, functional and unique layout.

It would appear that the folks promoting the Viceroy name have now branched out somewhat and you can study them at www.comforthomes.ca.

Comfort Homes and Ted Rumsey (picture from London Free Press) – twice this spring – received significant free promotion as his company was featured in The Homes pullout section of the London Free Press (see the link) and they were also highlighted prominently at the London Spring Home and Garden Show.

On the day I stopped into the Woodstock sales office, my conversation with Rumsey was soon interrupted by a walk-in prospect.

The concept for Comfort Homes is certainly not new as there was a so-called Alcan factory in Woodstock about 40 years ago building houses that essentially featured a finished house dropped on top of a poured foundation. These homes are still scattered around the city – mostly though on Alice, Sunset, Short, Kipling and Keats.

Comfort Homes’ website states: “Our homes meet or exceed all new Canadian building and energy codes. Every high quality modular home we build comes standard with the latest in energy-saving technology and features. Saving you money for years to come”

Various models and plans can be researched, including several 2-storey options, and Rumsey explained both in the Free Press story and to me on my visit that the overall construction costs per square foot can be reduced through the Comfort Homes (1-888-600-9336; dial locally 533-0885) building plans.

I would think this building system could be applied best in a rural setting – perhaps part of a cluster of homes on a country road or where a farmer perhaps wants to rebuild a modest house and replace the 150-year-old drafty farm house.

The following is an example as noted in the LFP story as its obvious that wiring and furnace installation must be done at the building site.

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THE BOTTOM LINE

A breakdown of estimated complete costs for the Ashton, including roof detail and porch:

• Modules delivered to lot in southern Ontario $99,849
• Crane onto foundation; completed siding, roofing and interior trim $20,000
• Front porch and gable roof detail $3,500
• Full eight-foot high poured concrete foundation $17,000
• On-site completion of mechanicals: $7,500

Total: $147,849

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After looking through the website, it's easy to see that a true market exists for this company in southern Ontario.

Mark Schadenberg

Royal LePage Triland

Woodstock, Ont

(519) 537-1553