Go for the ranch. Buy the two-story.
That is the tale of most home buyers who head out to a new-homes sales office in search of all-on-one-floor living, builders say.
Buyers arrive at a sales center looking for a ranch plan, but when they find out that for just a little bit more money they could buy a two-story home, they have second thoughts.
The reason? The one given most often is that a ranch-style house needs a bigger footprint for all that single-level living. A bigger footprint means a larger, more costly lot. Keep in mind that the cost of a foundation is the same whether one floor or three is built. The same is true for the roof overhead.
I am guessing the same psychology that propels us to buy a giant bag of chips, which is slightly more costly than the medium-size bag that we need, works for home buyers as well.
In recent years, the vast majority of model homes, outside of developments targeted for those 55 and older, have been two-story styles. Because ranch styles have been rarely shown in all-ages developments, many buyers were unaware that builders often do have such a floor plan.
But with Baby Boomers aging, many builders are rushing to add a ranch model to their lineups. And Kensington Homes, based in Naperville, is offering a sensible solution to the dilemma of having one floor or two.
Four of the builder’s five floor plans at the Villas at Southbury, Oswego, are two-bedroom, two-bath ranch-style houses with a guest suite on an optional second floor. The fifth plan is a two-story house.
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That’s right, the floor plans are basically ranches designed for buyers who plan to live all on one level. Those who want additional space can pay for a second floor with a guest suite, roughly an additional $22,500 to $32,800.
The builder is selling the same floor plans but showing three different models at Stonegate West in Aurora.
At 1,826 square feet, the Emerson has a base price just over $319,000. The floor plan is not unique. Other builders offer something similar, but this is the first time I recall seeing the second-floor option.
The main entrance is at the side of the residence. The door opens to a foyer with access to a secondary bedroom and bath at the left. The laundry room, with access to the garage, is opposite the main entrance.
To the right of the foyer is a formal dining area adjoining a great room, kitchen and breakfast room, all open to each other.
In the model, the dining room is divided from the living area by arches on two sides. They define the roughly 12-by-13 1/2-foot space to make it more formal.
The 11 1/2-by-11-foot kitchen is tucked in a corner of the great room and has counter space on three sides. A peninsula with a double sink and dishwasher is part of a breakfast bar that divides the work area from a casual dining space or breakfast room, about 11 by 10 feet, with sliding doors to the deck or patio outside.
The kitchen and the breakfast area are adjacent to the great room, about 14 by 16 feet. The optional fireplace gives the space a focal point.
The open public living area seems spacious, a feeling aided by ceilings that are 12 feet high without a second floor and 10 feet with one.
The master bedroom suite is adjacent to the great room. The bedroom, 14 by 16 feet, is at one corner of the house and has large windows looking out to the back yard. The door to the bath is on the wall opposite the windows. Beyond the bath is a large walk-in closet.
The stairs to the second floor and the basement are tucked between the foyer and the kitchen.
The second level is 541 square feet and includes an open loft, about 8 1/2 by 13 feet, with an overview of the great room and kitchen. Decorated as a home office in the model, it has doors to a third bedroom, 13 feet square, with a sizable walk-in closet. A roomy bathroom and a bonus room, or possibly a fourth bedroom, roughly 13 1/2 by 14 1/2 feet, is off the loft.
Cheryl Bonk, Kensington’s director of sales and marketing, said the Emerson plan, with the second floor, a sunroom, and numerous upgrades is priced at $425,000.
With or without the bells and whistles, this is a good floor plan. There is a minimum of wasted space because hallways are mostly eliminated. The public gathering space has considerable flexibility and is suitable for two people but could easily stretch to accommodate as many as 12 to 20.
It is appropriate for people of all ages and can accommodate a couple, single homeowner or a single parent with child.
The openness of the plan and the roomy bathrooms are especially good for middle-age and older buyers should they ever need mobility aids such as a walker.
I also like the fact that the bedrooms are on different sides of the house. The secondary bedroom just off the foyer at the front of the house is a private guest suite with a full bath and walk-in closet. It might also make a dandy home office.
Because I am sensitive to sound, I like the second floor loft a lot less, but as guest quarters and a place to put can’t-part-with-them furnishings, it works just fine.
This is a home with a front-load garage–not my favorite feature–but it is reasonably flush with the front facade and doesn’t jut out to grab the attention of passersby.
Kensington plans to build 107 homes at Southbury, a 350-acre master-planned development for more than 1,000 homes with a clubhouse and pool. The development is divided into several “neighborhoods,” each by a different builder.
The Villa floor plans were selected to appeal to the active adult, said Bonk. Kensington is finding the buyers are younger than anticipated.
“There are a good number who have bought here [who are] not yet near age 55,” she observed.
Early buyers are downsizing 45- to 55-years-olds, with grown children or a child in college. A few buyers want to be near children or grandchildren who are living elsewhere in Southbury, she said.
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The Villas at Southbury, Oswego
Base price range: $285,490 to $338,490
FACTS & FIGURES
Four ranch and one two-story floor plans with two to four bedrooms, two to three baths, two- and three-car garages.
Square feet: 1,545 to 2,527
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Monthly maintenance: $135 for lawn care, snow removal.
Quarterly fee: $114 for clubhouse, pool.
Builder: Kensington Homes
Web site: www.mykensingtonhome.com
AMENITIES
Ten- to 12-foot first floor ceilings, standard partial basements. Ceramic tile in foyer, master bath and powder room; vinyl flooring in kitchen/breakfast area and secondary baths. Kitchen island with breakfast bar, 42-inch upper kitchen cabinets, Whirlpool appliances, optional second floor on some plans.
Community: Part of a 107-home neighborhood in 1,000-home master-planned Southbury development.
GETTING THERE
Address: 846 Colchester Drive
Phone: 630-554-5803
Take Interstate Highway 88 west to Illinois Highway 59. Go south Highway 59 and continue to U.S. 34 (Ogden Avenue). Turn west to Douglas Road, then south on Douglas to Wolf’s Crossing. Go west on Wolf’s Crossing to Southbury Boulevard, to the sales center.
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