Choosing a new semi-detached home near Laval-sur-le-Lac also means deciding how far you want to shape it to your own taste.

In Laval-sur-le-Lac, that question carries extra weight: the neighbourhood was built house by house, according to each owner's taste. This guide explains how to customize a new home near Laval-sur-le-Lac in the BÉAcité project, in Sainte-Julie: the starting models, the options on offer, the timeline, and what remains governed by rules.

In Laval-sur-le-Lac, houses built one at a time

The typo-morphological study the City of Laval published in 2020 says it plainly: the area shows many architectural variations because, as it developed, buyers seem to have favoured building one-of-a-kind designs to suit their own taste. The study sets this apart from developer-led projects where only a limited number of models are offered to future residents.

You can read the result in the streets: residences and villas built from the 1930s to the 2000s in very different styles — the neo-eclectic house, the “manoir millénaire”, the modern house — and even an Arts & Crafts house among the noteworthy buildings the study lists. If you've lived in that setting, the idea of a home chosen from a handful of models may feel unfamiliar.

BÉAcité: defined models, plus options

Let's be candid: BÉAcité is exactly the kind of project the study describes, led by a builder, with a set number of models. You don't design a house from a blank page there. The Vilamo neighbourhood, where the project stands, also has architectural standards that govern how its houses look; that framework is what gives the neighbourhood its overall character.

Within that framework, though, the room for choice is real. It covers the model, several layout options and the interior finishes.

Three models to start from

Semi-detached bungalow: single-level living with 1,006 sq ft on the main floor, a 1,006 sq ft basement and a 294 sq ft garage; 2,306 sq ft in all.
Duo cottage: 2,018 sq ft of living space on two levels (858 sq ft on the main floor, 1,160 sq ft upstairs), an 858 sq ft basement and a 292 sq ft garage.
Urbain model: 1,622 sq ft of living space (652 sq ft on the main floor, 970 sq ft upstairs), a 652 sq ft basement and a 260 sq ft garage.

The basic inclusions, for their part, come standard: a quartz kitchen counter, large windows in every room, 9-foot ceilings on the main floor, central forced-air gas heating, central air conditioning, a single garage with a double driveway, a garden-level backyard and complete landscaping. Note that the 20 homes still entirely open to customization are cottages and bungalows.

Customize a new home near Laval-sur-le-Lac: which options are on offer?

Here are the options the project documents. Whether each is available for a given model and lot is confirmed with the sales director:

The mezzanine: on the Duo cottage, it adds 338 sq ft, for 2,356 sq ft of living space. To see one, photos of 405 Geoffrion Street show a mezzanine set up as an office under a high ceiling.
The rooftop terrace: an option to confirm depending on the model; 405 has one.
A cathedral ceiling over the dining room: it adds volume to the room where you entertain.
Interior finishes: several choices are part of the standard features. Photos of BÉAcité homes show a wide range: a white kitchen or dark wood cabinets, a stained wood staircase or a floating staircase with glass railings.
The backyard: a pool and a spa are possible, and several lots have no neighbours behind.

The timeline: finished, in four months, or yours to shape

Customization comes in three time frames. If you want to move in right away, four turnkey homes are for sale: 405, 408, 423 and 435 Geoffrion Street; their choices have been made, but you can tour them and judge the finishes up close. Several customizable homes can be ready in about four months, with some of the decisions left to you. And 20 homes are still entirely open to customization.

The right time frame depends on your situation: selling your current house, for example, or how much time you want to spend on choices. If you're still torn between this project and work on your own house, our article on whether to renovate in Laval-sur-le-Lac or buy new tackles the question head-on.

Preparing your choices with the team

At Maisons Pépin, guidance is part of the method. Janick Brochu, project director and designer, accompanies clients from the first idea to the finished house; Maxime Dépatie, concept designer and engineer, keeps project management simple; Eddy Guessous, sales director, listens to what you're looking for. The company makes a point of respecting its clients' ideas, deadlines and personality.

To arrive prepared:

study the floor plans of the models and note the rooms that matter most to you;
tour the turnkey homes to see the finishes for real, in daylight;
list the options that interest you and ask, for each one, whether it's offered on the model and lot you have in mind;
ask which decisions are still open for a home ready in about four months.

The house isn't everything: to weigh the setting too, see our article on living in Sainte-Julie or Laval-sur-le-Lac, which compares the two neighbourhoods point by point.

Conclusion

To customize a new home near Laval-sur-le-Lac at BÉAcité is not to have a one-of-a-kind villa built like those in the neighbourhood: it's to choose a defined model, then its options — mezzanine, rooftop terrace, cathedral ceiling — and its finishes, within Vilamo's architectural standards. Depending on your timeline, the home can be already finished, ready in about four months or entirely yours to shape. To see the choices up close, stop by the sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street on a weekday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., or set up an appointment for an evening, a Saturday or a Sunday.

Customize a new home near Laval-sur-le-Lac: the options, and their limits