Star Ready to Move Homes Winnipeg Experiences a Record in Fall Sales

Winnipeg, MB - Cottage-life has always been a big part of Canadian’s lives, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people than ever are looking to build a get-away home outside of the city.

Star Ready to Move Homes Winnipeg (Star RTM) has been building custom ready-to-move homes for the last 30 years, and with government restrictions and travel bans in place, the homebuilder has seen a strong trend towards the purchase of family cottages.

“The first half of the year, there was very little movement,” said Mark Kennedy, Vice-President, Star Building Materials Winnipeg. “But over the last few months, there has been a lot of traffic and a big push on cottages. People are looking to build summer homes, as they aren’t travelling or heading to the United States in the near future.”

The team at Star RTM has seen several clients who have sold their “snow bird” properties and invested in family cottages, with the intention of staying in Manitoba year-round.

“We experienced a record fall for sales,” said Jeff Meseman, Branch Manager, Star RTM. “We sold out of all our in-stock homes, as well as five of our display homes from our Show Home Neighbourhood.”

New home designs for 2020 include the Wind River, featuring a deck on the roof of the home, and a unique mini home series called the Chickadee, coming in at a compact 162 sq. ft.

Home renovations have also spiked across the board, and Star RTM has seen an increase in its garage sales.

“We have a brand new family of loft-style garages that have been very popular,” said Jeff. “People are looking for something different, and this series includes living space as well as storage on the second floor.”

Amidst the unpredictability and social distancing protocols, the staff at Star RTM have shown great resilience, enforcing the necessary safety precautions to accommodate customers coming in to the Show Home Neighbourhood.

Online inquiries have been strong, and the ability to communicate effectively has been critical for customer service. All design and drafting appointments have been moved online, and customers are now able to do a virtual 360 degree walkthrough of showhomes on the website.

 

“Our division has been very resilient during the ups and downs throughout the year, from the uncertainty at the beginning of the pandemic to the surge in business over the past four months,” said Jeff. “I know everyone is balancing so much, with school and children, aging parents, postponed weddings, and cancelled trips. The team has continued to excel and exceed expectations.”

Also in 2020, Star RTM completed a major renovation to its design centre and showroom area that included a new public washroom facility and a new kitchen and bathroom ensuite display.

The Star RTM team continues to adapt as circumstances evolve. The trends in homebuying during 2020 have been unpredictable, and yet, Star RTM is successfully meeting customers’ expectations and the current market’s demands.