Sandstone Alternatives in Kelowna: 7 Communities Worth Comparing

Short answer: Sandstone is one of the better-known low-maintenance communities in Kelowna, but it is far from the only option. Depending on whether you care most about price, strata fees, location, amenities or future resale, several other detached strata communities are worth comparing before you decide.

Sandstone is probably the low-maintenance Kelowna community I get asked about most.

I understand why.

You get a detached home, a manageable yard, strata maintenance, gated entry and a good collection of amenities.

But there is one problem with starting and ending your search at Sandstone.

There are roughly two dozen Kelowna communities offering some version of the same lifestyle.

The differences can be bigger than most buyers expect.

Price.

Monthly strata fees.

What those fees actually pay for.

And something I think gets overlooked far too often: how easy the home may be to sell again later.

I recently compared 24 detached strata, patio home and townhome communities across Kelowna using MLS sold records rather than current asking prices.

So instead of asking whether Sandstone is a good community, I think there is a better question:

What else can you buy for similar money, and what are you gaining or giving up?

First, let's use Sandstone as the benchmark

Sandstone is located at 1201 Cameron Avenue.

Most of the homes were built between 1989 and 1992, with typical sizes ranging from about 1,380 to 1,750 square feet.

In the data I reviewed:

• Sold prices ranged from about $505,000 to $885,000
• The median sale price was about $720,000
• The strata fee was approximately $498 per month
• Homes took about 42 days to sell on average
• Amenities include gated entry, clubhouse, fitness centre, hot tub and RV parking

That gives us something useful to compare the alternatives against.

How 7 Sandstone alternatives compare

These figures come from the same MLS sold-data comparison used in my Kelowna Low Maintenance Home Guide.

The point is not that one community wins.

The interesting part is how different the trade-offs become once you put the numbers beside each other.

Sandhaven: similar area, lower cost

If someone likes Sandstone but wants to spend less, Sandhaven is one of the first places I would compare.

It sits directly across Cameron Avenue.

The median sale price in my analysis was approximately $668,000, compared with $720,000 at Sandstone.

The monthly strata fee was also about $195 lower.

That does not automatically make Sandhaven the better choice.

Sandstone offers a larger recreation package, and the condition of individual homes matters.

But it raises a useful question:

Are you paying for amenities you actually want, or simply choosing the community you already know?

Sandpointe: higher purchase price, lower monthly fee

Sandpointe on Yates Road goes the other direction.

Its median sale price was approximately $795,000, so you are spending more upfront.

But the monthly strata fee was around $331, compared with roughly $498 at Sandstone.

Sandpointe also offers a substantial recreation package, including indoor and outdoor pools.

That is why I would be careful comparing these homes based only on purchase price.

One costs more to buy.

The other may cost more each month.

Your answer may depend on how long you plan to own the home and how much value you place on the amenities.

Sandalwood: the resale number caught my attention

Sandalwood is also on Yates Road.

Its median sale price was approximately $764,000, with monthly fees around $335.

But the number that caught my attention was the average selling time.

29 days.

Sandstone averaged about 42 days in the same analysis.

That does not mean every Sandalwood home will sell in 29 days.

Price, condition and the market at the time will always matter.

But resale liquidity is something I think buyers should consider before they buy, not just when it is finally time to sell.

That is three of the 24 communities I compared. If you would rather see them all side by side — price, strata fee, what the fee actually buys and average days on market — I will send you the full guide.

Summerfield Green: one of the more interesting combinations

Summerfield Green had one of the combinations I found most interesting.

The median sale price was approximately $711,000.

The monthly fee was around $251.

Average time to sell was 28 days.

That puts its median sale price close to Sandstone while the monthly fee is substantially lower.

The trade-off is amenities.

If having a pool, fitness area and larger recreation package matters to you, paying a higher monthly fee may be reasonable.

If you rarely use those things, a lower-fee community may make more sense.

Country View Estates: a lower-price detached option

Country View Estates is in Ellison.

Its median sale price was approximately $659,000, with monthly strata fees around $239.

Now the decision becomes less about the house and more about location.

If you specifically want the central location around Cameron Avenue, this may not be your answer.

If your bigger priority is getting into a detached, lower-maintenance home for less money, it may deserve a look.

Same type of buyer problem.

Different solution.

Balmoral: what if you want something newer?

Many of Kelowna's established detached strata communities were built through the 1980s and 1990s.

Balmoral is newer.

Its homes were built mainly between 2003 and 2008.

The median sale price in my analysis was approximately $858,000, with monthly fees around $282.

You are paying more upfront.

But for someone who wants newer housing stock while keeping the lower-maintenance lifestyle, that may be a worthwhile trade.

This is especially important if you are comparing a renovated older home against a newer home that may require less updating.

Mallard's Landing: when Lower Mission matters

Mallard's Landing introduces another factor.

Location.

It is in the Lower Mission.

The median sale price was approximately $760,000, with monthly fees around $230 and an average selling time of about 33 days. It also offers a full recreation package.

For someone who strongly prefers the Lower Mission, comparing Mallard's Landing with Sandstone makes more sense than simply looking for the lowest purchase price.

Location may be worth more to you than saving $20,000 or $30,000.

That is a personal decision.

The important part is knowing what you are paying for.

A lower strata fee is not automatically better

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see buyers make with strata properties.

They sort the communities by monthly fee and assume the cheapest one is the best value.

It does not work that way.

Across the communities I studied, monthly fees ranged from about $138 to $735.

Much of that difference comes down to what the strata operates and maintains.

Pools cost money.

Clubhouses cost money.

Recreation facilities cost money.

The fee may also contribute toward items such as:

• contingency reserves
• management
• landscaping
• snow removal
• water
• sewer
• garbage
• insurance in some communities

Exactly what is included varies by strata.

I would rather understand what a $500 monthly fee is paying for than assume a $200 fee is automatically the better deal.

The resale number matters more than people think

This may be the part of the research I found most useful.

Several communities in the analysis averaged roughly 28 to 33 days to sell.

Others took much longer.

Two communities in the full comparison averaged close to or above 250 days on market.

That does not mean the slower-selling communities are automatically bad places to buy.

There may be perfectly good reasons to choose them.

But there is a difference between buying a home that fits your lifestyle and buying a home that could become difficult to sell later.

You should know that before you purchase it.

Not after.

So, is Sandstone the best low-maintenance community in Kelowna?

There is no single answer.

If you value Sandstone's central location, detached format and recreation amenities, it may fit very well.

If your biggest priority is a lower monthly fee, you may reach a different conclusion.

If you want newer construction, Balmoral becomes more interesting.

If Lower Mission matters, Mallard's Landing deserves a look.

If future resale liquidity is high on your list, communities such as Sandalwood and Summerfield Green become harder to ignore based on the numbers I reviewed.

That is why I built the comparison.

The goal is not to tell you which community is best.

It is to make sure you know what else exists before you make the decision.

Get the Kelowna Low Maintenance Home Guide

I put together a free guide comparing 24 detached strata, patio home and townhome communities across Kelowna.

It includes:

• recent MLS sold-price ranges
• median sale prices
• typical home sizes
• approximate strata fees
• average days to sell
• recreation and amenities
• lower-cost alternatives
• communities with slower resale
• what strata fees may include
• the documents I would review before writing an offer

The guide also explains what I would check in the Form B, strata minutes, depreciation report, contingency reserve, insurance and any pending special levy or lawsuit.

Want the full comparison?

I put all 24 communities side by side in a free guide — median sold prices, strata fees, what each fee actually buys, and average days on market.

Built from MLS sold records, not asking prices. Updated twice a year.

You can use it to narrow the list to three or four communities that actually fit your budget, preferred location and tolerance for monthly strata fees.

Methodology

The figures used in this article come from MLS sold records for the City of Kelowna over the most recent two-year period used for the September 2026 edition of the Kelowna Low Maintenance Home Guide. Prices, strata fees and bylaws change, so current information should always be confirmed on a specific property before making a decision.

About the Author

Mark Coons Personal Real Estate Corporation
Mark Coons, BBA, CE
REALTOR® | eXp Realty Kelowna
Team Lead, Selling Okanagan Group
Relocated to Kelowna in 2018

Phone: 778-946-6454
Email: [email protected]