Why Golden? The Burton's had experienced the lure of the mountains as young adults, teaching paddling in Banff, before returning to Ontario to raise a family and fulfill their careers as teachers. When facing retirement they decided to join their daughter who had moved west to Golden, BC. A town of high class rivers, amazing winters and available land, investing in Golden and building a dream home were no-brainers for the Burtons.
WOOD, WOOD, AND MORE WOOD
Moving onto an acreage in Golden often means you have lots of wood to harvest on the property. It can be used for firewood, it can be sold to the local mill, or it can be used, as the Burtons did, to build your home. While there are limited cost savings in using your own wood, it's a neat story to tell and a cool feel for your home knowing you really did build local.
The home-harvested wood features include the entire timber frame structure and accents, the decking on the amazing wrap-around deck, and the burnt-wood ship-lap exterior finish.
RECREATION AS A PRIORITY
With a 360 degree wrap around deck, a home surrounded by nature, and the potential to build trails linking to crown land, recreation is a priority for the Burtons. They made sure their home had lots of space for gear storage, a few cords of fire wood and a hot tub with a great view!
For active retirees like the Burtons, Golden is a paradise. As they happily point out, it's surrounded by six national parks for hiking, world class rivers for paddling, hundreds of kilometres of mountain bike single track, and top-level winter recreation includes cross country and alpine skiing. Buying a home in Golden is as much an investment in your health as it is real estate.
SINGLE-LEVEL, OPEN CONCEPT INTERIOR FILLED WITH NATURAL LIGHT
The interior finish on this home maximizes space, natural light, and storage. This house is all in the details: extra wide window ledges, natural wood finish harvested from the property, and a first class pantry make this house a welcoming home after a day of outdoor play.
Little additions that the Burtons appreciate but didn't plan for at first include a small attic to maximize the secure, heated gear storage, extra wide-window ledges for lounging or decorations, and wiring the house so it can run off a generator in case of a power outage. They also put all of their electrical services to the home underground so their views are uninterrupted by modern necessities: a true cabin in the woods!
