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You see a space and there is an instant, magnetic bond. You can picture just where the furniture will go, how the room will be used and feel immediately at home.
The sunroom in Plan 2034, the last of four ranch-style townhouse models I visited at Traditions of Olympia Fields, hit me like that. I had walked through the other models and had carefully–rationally–studied the layouts, dutifully writing notes on the floor plans.
But when I saw the sunroom–objectivity went right out the window. I loved this sunny corner space, about a $7,500 upgrade, with access to a small patio.
But did I like the rest of the house as well?
The answer is yes and no. Plan 2034 certainly was my favorite of the four models, but I have, as they say, “issues” with these townhouses, one of which is that the houses appear from the outside to be mere appendages of the garages. More about that later.
This Olympia Fields subdivision is one of three active adult developments for 55 and older by Burnside Homes. The others are Traditions at Glen Flora in Waukegan and Traditions at Fitchie Creek in Elgin.
A family firm, Burnside has been building in Chicago since 1911 but, in recent years, it has decided to concentrate largely on the active adult market rather than build for all ages.
The south suburban project is the first glimpse of the company’s strategy and it is planned for 107 units. It will have 52 ranch-style townhouses, 23 houses and 24 duplexes, called club homes. About 25 residences have been sold and the first move-ins are planned for June.
Located on 30 acres at the intersection of Vollmer Road and Crawford Avenue, construction is well under way. There are several houses up as well as several townhouse buildings clustered around the clubhouse.
The 4,300-square-foot clubhouse is finished, open to visitors and is staffed with an activities director. It is prominantly situated at a corner of the property nearest the intersection and has a pool and bocce ball courts.
Browsers should be forewarned that despite the relatively small size of the development, there are 18 floor plans when the townhouses, detached houses and duplex plans are totaled; so shuffling through the sales information initially can be a tad confusing.
Once you have sorted out the floor plans you decide to examine and have disposed of the rest, the oversized packet of sales information (in deference to the aging eyes of the target buyers no doubt) is easy to read and to understand. One other nod to the target audience: the builder has teamed with a service that helps buyers find a qualified real estate agent to sell an existing home, select a moving and storage company and plan and organize the move for those who want or need it.
Almost half the homes in the development are townhouses, called “carriage” homes by the builder. Single-story and four to a building, the units are in a pinwheel configuration with the four garages in the middle and the living spaces at each corner.
To the builder’s credit, the four townhouse models show a logical step-up in amenities and luxury. Each floor plan is identified by number, which is also the square footage of the home.
For example, Plan 1753, the smallest of the models, has 1,753 square feet of living space. It has mostly standard amenities and a base price of $246,900.
The biggest of the models is Plan 2047, with a base price of $289,900 but, with about $75,000 in upgrades, the model’s price rises to $365,000 as shown.
All the townhouses have open floor plans and ample laundry/mud rooms. They do not have basements (though that is an option for the single family houses and duplexes in the development).
The townhouses have a second floor storage room, about 9 1/2 by 20 feet, where the water heater and furnace also are located. In addition, there is the option of adding a bonus space, roughly 13 1/2 by 11 feet, off the storage space which is over the garage. The cost of the additional bonus space is under $15,000. That could be a small separate room or part of an L-shaped getaway space, as is demonstrated in several models.
The wide, regular stairway (not one of those creaky pulldown affairs) to the second floor storage/bonus area is from the laundry room, which is adjacent to the garage. That indicates there has been some thoughtful attention to the matter of easily removing items from storage to hauling them away.
The wide, regular stairway to the storage area, to my mind, is a real plus. But I wonder if it will be a psychological barrier to some buyers who willingly go down steps into a basement (even though they must come up on the return), but not up steps to a storage area (even though the return trip is down).
At least one other shopper going through the models when I was there stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the stairway and said flatly, “I am never going up there.”
The man with her did ascend the steps to look around. The woman shopper, by the way, oohed and aahed about the roomy laundry and mud room.
The open spaces in the public living areas will serve owners well as they get older. There is plenty of room for Mom or a friend with a walker or wheelchair to move about the central space, though not all bathrooms looked that spacious.
Another nice touch for all ages: the bathroom counters are higher so residents will not have to bend so low.
I like the 9-foot ceilings throughout the homes. But while I was admiring the additional kitchen cabinet space the higher ceilings allow, another shopper observed, “Those top shelves are awfully high. Step-stools are no good for old people.” It is something to ponder.
To my mind, Plan 2034 works best, in part because of its orientation to the sun and the addition of the corner sunroom which replaces a den on the basic plan. The sunroom adds 6 more feet and additional windows to the room. The base price for this model is $281,900 but with upgrades as shown is about $357,000.
Visitors to this model step into a small foyer where a good-sized coat closet is opposite the front door. To the right of foyer is the central living area–the “lifestyle room,” 14 by 20 feet, which is open to the dining area, 12 by 10 1/5 feet, and kitchen, about 12 by 12 1/2 feet.
The area has a spacious and airy feel in part because windows on the east and southern walls allow plenty of light to reach beyond the living room into the interior dining room and kitchen.
Add the light streaming from the windows of a west-facing wall of the 16-by-14-foot sunroom off the living room and the core of this home is bright.
Would it work as well if the unit had a north and west exposure? I’m not sure.
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A tiny hallway off the dining area has a decent-sized storage closet on one wall and the doors to the small secondary bath and second bedroom.
This bedroom, about 9 1/2 by 11 1/2 feet, has a window on one wall with a sizable closet on the opposite wall so furniture arranging will be severely limited. Shown with a daybed, it could be a computer room or small home office.
The master suite, behind the second bedroom, is more spacious with a bedroom, 13 by nearly 16 feet, with optional patio, a large walk-in closet for two people and a bath with a large shower but only one sink and no window for natural ventilation or light.
Behind the kitchen is a sizable laundry mud room with a big pantry or walk-in closet (part of which might be annexed for a larger master bath on the opposite side of the wall) and plenty of room for additional shelving. The door to the garage is here, as is the stairway to the second floor. Upstairs, the bonus area in the model is shown as a family area with sofa, TV, poker table, desk and laptop computer.
There is room in some garages for a workbench or additional storage under the stairs.
I would prefer a bit more zeal on energy efficiency. I note the standard furnace is 80 percent efficient. If I am on a limited budget, I will want to stretch my utility dollar.
What doesn’t work for me is the units seem to lack a sense of arrival. It is easy enough to find the garages, less so the front doors.
Though care has been taken to recess the garage doors, which I applaud, these homes have been designed around garages and from the inside out.
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Traditions of Olympia Fields
Address: 3855 Vollmer Rd., Olympia Fields
Developer: Burnside Homes
Phone: 708-614-1000
Web: www.traditions55plus.com
Description: 107 attached and detached ranch homes for buyers 55 and older. Attached townhouses have one or two bedrooms, den, 1 1/2 or two baths in 1,414 to 2,047 square feet with attached two-car garages. Townhouse prices from $239,900 to $289,900; houses from $278,900 to $346,900; duplexes, $248,900 to $269,900. Prices as of April 29.
Assessments: $250 a month.
Amenities: 9-foot ceilings, extra wide interior doorways, ceramic tile in foyers, shower with integral seat, raised bath counters with cultured marble tops in full baths, central air, patio.
Neighborhood: Clubhouse community with swimming pool, bocce ball courts and on-site concierge/activities director, near St. James Hospital, Vollmer Walking Trail, retail, restaurants.