They were a family of three who moved from a distant state after the mother landed a vice president’s job at a pharmaceutical firm.
Back home, they lived on a large lot of nearly 2 acres, which demanded hundreds of hours a year in yard work. But with the new promotion, the family deliberately sought a smaller yard. They wanted freedom from foliage that required regular clipping and grass that needed watering and cutting.
So they settled happily in a high-density townhouse in a community where their postage-stamp lot was manicured by landscapers working for the local homeowners’ association. Still, they didn’t feel cramped, because the property featured a sweeping waterfront view.
“You can feel alone in the middle of a crowd,” says Sue Boehmler, the Coldwell Banker agent who sold the waterfront townhouse to the family two years ago.
There are still many Americans who want the elbow room that comes with having a traditional stand-alone abode set on private grounds large enough to play volleyball. Meanwhile, many other busy people are tiring of the need to devote their precious free time to yard work–or to supervising landscapers to do it.
“People’s lives move a lot faster today,” says Alan Fields, co-author with Denise Fields of “Your New House,” a book last published in 1997 by Windsor Peak Press.
Higher densities are a fact of life in many new-home communities, given the rising cost of land, Fields points out. This is true even where the overall area is not highly populated, yet building lots are becoming pricier.
Obviously, accepting a home in a higher density area often costs less. Yet even those who dream of one day becoming part of the landed gentry often must settle for a condo, a townhouse or a “zero lot line” home, which virtually adjoins another on one or both sides. This reality is especially true for many who are entering the home-buying market for the first time.
Art Godi, former president of the National Association of Realtors, tells the story of his 30-year-old son, a management consultant, who chose to live in a high-priced city neighborhood, but could afford only a townhouse there.
Godi’s son compromised by selecting an “end unit” townhouse, so that he could at least have windows on three sides of his property. He would have preferred to live in a home with no common walls and a larger yard, but not at the expense of a long commute.
By selecting well, you can move to a tightly woven community yet still get a light, bright and private home, real estate specialists say. Here are three pointers:
1. Consider a home with an inner courtyard.
Southern Europeans, Latin Americans and people in other cultures have long relished homes built around open-air courtyards.
Now an increasing number of builders across North America are designing homes that incorporate a central courtyard, by selecting either a floor plan that is shaped like a “U” or a square donut.
No matter what the climate outdoors, an open courtyard gives you an extra degree of privacy, sunlight and the potential for more rooms to enjoy year-round views of greenery.
But again, as Boehmler stresses, there are trade-offs involved. Given the same lot size, a home with an courtyard has less regular living space than one without that feature. That means you may have to accept a smaller kitchen or master suite, for instance.
2. Check out window views in a tightly packed community.
If you’re living in close proximity to your next-door neighbor, do you want him to be able to peer into your master suite every time your blinds are lifted? Likewise, would you like your neighbors to have an intimate look at the living activities in your family room, especially when company comes over and your neighbor is not invited?
Builders call communities where homes are packed as tightly as sardines “single-family, high-density” neighborhoods. And most builders are very sensitive to the need to position rooms so that residents aren’t constantly peering into each others’ living spaces, particularly their bedrooms and family rooms.
But don’t count on your builder. If you’re buying in a high-density neighborhood of stand-alone homes, be sure to consider the floor plan you’re choosing in relation to the houses on either side of you.
If you must give up some privacy to live in the neighborhood of your choice, you may well want to give it up in a more utilitarian room, such as your kitchen, or in a less used room, such as a formal dining room or living room, says Boehmler, who is affiliated with the Residential Sales Council, an educational organization of top-selling real estate agents.
3. Remember the trade-off between home size and free ground space. In many new-home communities, yards are shrinking because homes are gaining living space, says Fields, the author. That’s because many buyers are clamoring for more internal space, especially larger kitchens, family rooms and master suites.
“People are also coming up with new uses for their rooms,” he says. Buyers are seeking houses with extra bedrooms that can be converted to home offices, exercise rooms or hobby rooms. They also want more square footage for traditional bedrooms, such as a school-age child’s room where they can install a computer station for the youngster to do his homework. That means they need, say, a 144-square-foot child’s room, rather than the more traditional 100-square-foot space.
