Living in one’s dream home at Ayala Westgrove Heights

The term "dream home" has become a paradox in today’s world, considering the spiraling values of houses and lots, worsened by the inconsistent downturn of the peso. As such, dream houses remain as such – owners can only afford to dream about them.

Erwin Meer though, thinks otherwise. He claims to have found, and is now actually residing in his own dream house. In fact, he is not relishing the experience on a day to day basis, as if it were a surreal dream. His picture-perfect home stands on an equally utopian location – the suburbs south of Metro Manila. Erwin recently completed his dream home in Ayala Westgrove Heights, a high-end residential development characterized by abundant greenery, rolling terrain and surrounded by thousands of mango trees, situated in Silang, Cavite.

The site of Westgrove Heights is perfect for Erwin and his family: "Manila is so saturated and polluted already. It’s not conducive anymore as a place to bring up a family. Since the metropolis is now expanding particularly southward, it’s but proper to consider living in these areas now.

Erwin is presently connected with the electronics industry. His workplace in Alabang is only minutes away from his home in Westgrove Heights, which is also one reason why he believes the site is perfect.

Together with his young wife Diane, both 38 years old, they are starting a young family, including four little children – all boys – aged three to 11. "We previously stayed in a townhouse in Merville, Parañaque. Imagine having to take care of four active, playful boys in a smaller house, in an environment where you have to be always cautious about their safety. Here, at Phase 4, we feel very much secured."

With education as one of the top considerations by homeowners with children, Westgrove residents will have a varied choice of reputable institutions where they can enroll their kids, such as De La Salle, Canlubang, St. Scholastica’s College and Don Bosco. Currently, Erwin’s three kids are studying at San Agustin, but he said they will be transferring to La Salle Canlubang in time for the next school year.

In the meantime, his kids are allowed to play around their 380-sqm FA, house, or even in the clubhouse of Kidsgrove located just a block away from their abode. The four kids wake up every morning and go directly to the clubhouse in their pajamas, to enjoy its swimming and wet playground amenities. The Kidsgrove Center has an interactive wet play area, dry play area, swimming pool, junior-sized basketball court, multi-purpose rink boardwalks – all exciting treats for young dwellers of Westgrove Heights.

Since there are not many residents and moving vehicles in Phase 4 of the subdivision, the couple feels secure about the safety of their kids. In fact, Erwin was one of the first homeowners to finish construction of their house in Phase 4, for which they were recently awarded by Ayala a cool P1,000,000 incentive.

"The bonus was a one-of-a-kind incentive, and it was actually one of the come-on’s to convince me to complete the construction of the house immediately. We’ve also seen how Ayala cares for its community, by coming up with events to foster camaraderie among homeowners. That’s how I found this place," he related.

Marcial Meer, Erwin’s father, was the one who advised his son to buy a lot in Westgrove Heights, after his daughter also bought a property in Phase 1 a few years ago. "Last March, as one of the lot owners, we were invited to participate in a luau event at the clubhouse, and from there, we looked around and found a new phase of the property that they were opening. I instantly fell in love with the place, because of the cool weather and the impressive amenities. By April, I’ve bought my own lot already," Erwin said.

The family then hired Crisanto dela Rosa as architect and design consultant, and in five months, the dream home they have always wanted was finally realized. They were even able to spend last year’s holidays in their new two-story, six-bedroom home. Utilities are provided already, including deep well-treated water, satellite TV, Glove Lines, and electricity, all of which are found underground.