“Just a feeling,” he says.

However, following his instinct is just the beginning in choosing the right area for building homes, Savic confesses. Liking an area, what it offers in services and the convenience of its location are also factors that influence his decision. The Lackner Woods community and the Idlewood community are examples of areas that fit all these requirements. Located in southeastern Kitchener, the communities are near Chicopee Ski Hill and have convenient access to Cambridge and Guelph, as well as nearby schools and shopping plazas.

In fast-growing Waterloo, Savic’s beautiful, custom-built homes are going up in such desirable neighborhoods as Eastbridge and the three phases of Laurel Creek Village.

However, Savic is keenly aware that prospective homebuyers require more than a convenient location for their future homes; they also want to add custom touches to their residence. For this reason Savic offers flexibility in housing designs. The result is the development of communities with architectural harmony and uniqueness, rather than rows of houses resembling the fabrication of cookie-cutter sameness.

Hard work, perseverance and faith in a new country Bob Savic was born and educated in his hometown of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A family man, married with three children, Savic talks quietly about his move to Canada.

“It is a difficult decision to leave your motherland,” he says. “It’s where you were born, where you lived. It isn’t easy to leave behind a life as you know it.”

Although he had relatives in Canada to aid him and his family in their change, this did not protect Savic from having to deal with the challenges faced by immigrants. Finding work, purchasing a house and establishing a credit rating in order to obtain necessities, such as insurance and a car, were all things Savic needed to accomplish when he first came to Canada.

In order to achieve these things and begin his new life, Savic worked for almost five years as a machinist. At the same time he worked hard to improve his English and kept his eye out for opportunities in construction. During the last two years of his full-time job as a machinist, Savic worked part-time in the construction industry as well. His engineering degree gave him a valuable advantage as he learned Canadian procedures and familiarized himself with local building methods and materials.

“It was very hard,” he recalls of that busy period working long hours.

In 1998 Bob Savic bought lots in the Chicopee area, recruited the trades people he needed and started building.

The stakes were high, but in the end his first project in Canada paid off: the homes sold. It marked the evolution of a typical Canadian success story.

Savic launched his new company, Savic Homes. Its logo proudly incorporates a red Canadian maple leaf. www.savichomes.com

Even so, he used his international expertise to enhance his perspective. Savic found there are both similarities and differences when comparing residential construction in Canada and Europe.

In Europe, for example, there’s more use of reinforced concrete in houses. Some homes have basements, while heating is usually provided by the use of hot water in radiators, or through under-floor pipes.

Member of Waterloo Region Home Builders Association

Savic’s brother, Ljubo, oversees most of the projects, working full-time on-site to address questions or authorize changes that may be requested by the customer.

In every finely crafted Savic home, the customer is offered a wide range of styles, designs, features and amenities. Gorgeous designs are available -whether for a bungalow or for a two or more storey or split-level house. Customers have the option of choosing a breathtaking executive home, a spacious semi-detached or an elegant townhouse.

Buyers can select every feature of their home, including the dining room, family room, recreation room, main floor laundry, fireplace, built-in dishwasher, ensuite bath and central vacuum system - just to list a few.

While a choice of architectural designs is available, the customer sometimes wishes to present their own idea. Savic listens carefully to individual preferences and applies them creatively into the overall design of the home.

Once a design is chosen, a date can be set for construction and completion. Savic Homes prides itself on meeting every closing date.

A well-established warranty program Although the Ontario’s New Home Warranty Plan is always mentioned by builders, and information about it can be accessed at www.tarion.com Savic Homes goes a step further, spelling it out in simple terms on the company’s website.

Savic Homes is registered with Tarion, a requirement for all builders who construct and sell homes in Ontario.

Savic has raised the bar in terms of quality home construction by consistently exceeding industry standards. This is because he goes that extra mile to find exemplary trades people.

There is absolutely no compromise on the standards he expects from masons and carpenters, electricians, plumbers and roofers, drywallers, flooring specialists, window installers and others.

His high expectations for quality workmanship down to the last detail benefit everyone – workers, customers and builder alike. Good teamwork is key, Savic says. He is proud that he has been able to build a good working relationship with his regular trades people who respond by meeting his expectations.

Behind this achievement is a simple philosophy.

“It’s mutual respect,” he says. “It takes time to choose the right trades. But they have to make a living too. I tell them, put yourself in the position of the home buyer.” “Our goal is to do it right, right from the beginning,” Savic says. “It pays off. The after-sales service is good. And if the customer is happy, we are happy.”