Concept Homes is a family run, home development company located in Brandon, Manitoba. They offer a variety of floor plans and design options which are sure to suit the needs of every individual. Recently bdnmb.ca reached out to owner Joel Cardinal-Schultz to discuss why you should consider Concept Homes for your next house purchase.
How long have you been in the house-building business?
Concept Homes has entered its 4th year in Brandon, MB. I came from Saskatoon where my brother and I operated Selkirk Homes which was established about 18 years ago. I was part of Selkirk for 6 years before moving to Brandon.
Why focus on higher end homes when the real estate market people feel homes over 400k are hard to sell?
It’s not so much that we focus on higher end homes exactly. We have brought different styles of homes to Brandon, as well as a business model that really caters to our clients. With that, we also pay very close attention to detail and do the extra things when building 
homes so that our clients have a home they’re very proud of and lowers the risk for issues coming up down the road. The extra little things like spray foaming joist ends, using sump pumps/pits in every build, natural gas furnaces and hot water tanks and a 10 year warranty program go a long way with ensuring Concept Homes withstand the tests of our climate and the families living in our homes. With the quality and the before, during and after construction service we offer to our clients, it just seems that we naturally attract the higher end of the market. We are just as happy to offer the same quality and service to our lower priced houses/clients. We just finished a beautiful house in the 300k range in a core Brandon neighborhood and have 2 houses priced in the mid 300’s going up on 9thstreet as well.
Are you evolving with ideas and designs each year?
Absolutely we are. We (myself and brother Jeremy, still in Saskatoon) spend a lot of time sharing new ideas and floorplans back and forth that we’ve learned about reading articles, 
or going to Home Builder conferences. Driving through the new areas, it’s pretty easy to pick out the Concept Homes which usually have two storeys or triple car garages and larger trims and bold finishes, but it’s so much more than the exteriors. Once inside the house, our homes evolve with how families are evolving. Our latest show home is a 2-storey home, and it’s set up perfectly for growing families. The top floor has 4 bedrooms, a living room, and laundry, just to make for a convenient lifestyle. As well, with the triple car garage, we’ve added a rear garage door, so you can easily pull a boat, or ski-doo or anything you need into the backyard for storage or landscaping. We spend a lot of time updating our ideas, but we also can’t take all of the credit, we listen to our clients, make the changes they ask for, and 
that helps us evolve. Another example would be our houses going up at 1103 and 1105 9th street. It’s a growing trend for younger people to be wanting brand new homes, but not everyone can afford 400k+ homes, so we designed a 2-storey homes to fit on a 25’ lot. These are big homes with lots of living space and all the same features that our more expensive homes have, just placed on a skinnier lot. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a large kitchen with an island, upper level laundry room… but on top of that, we’ve also added a side entrance direct to the basement for those people who need a mortgage helper. The homes are set up to have a completely separate basement suite, a great way to help pay the mortgage.
What sets you apart from other builders?
I thought to answer this, I’d just reach out to past clients. Here are some feedback comments I’ve received recently.
“ Not only are Concept Homes’ products top of the line in terms of quality, craftsmanship and style, they also go above and beyond in customer service as well. Joel is personally by your side to answer questions and porvide guidance and expertise from the initial meeting, through the design and building phase, right up until move in day and well beyond! With Concept Homes you become part of a family and not just another number or sale for the book. Joel is very detail-orientated and always takes your needs and ideas into consideration. What you get is a truly one of a kind custom home that is perfect for your family, no matter what stage of life you are in!”
“The level of communication and the understanding of what clients are needing and wanting. Concept Homes goes above and beyond at making us feel like it is our dream house that we are building! We appreciate the time that Joel gives us and we can literally ask him questions at any time of day and he will respond to our inquiries in a very productive manner.”
“Words cannot express our gratitude for everything you did for us this past year. Thank you for making it a wonderful experience for us, for bringing our vision to life and letting us change our minds a million times without complaint. We love everything about our house and we “love coming home!”
How many homes a year could you comfortably build?
We would never want to sacrifice our quality or attention to detail by growing too big, but that being said, doing 6-10 homes a year is right in our wheel house, and I’d have no problem taking on as many as 12 houses a year.
A link to their website can be found here.
