New-Home Community Features That Are Reeling In Buyers

New-home buyers are looking for more than just a new-home; they want a community that reflects their desired lifestyle, and specific amenities and housing types have been shown to attract today’s buyers more than others. According to a recent blog post from Greenwood Village, Colo.-based architecture firm KGA Studio Architects, buyers are gravitating toward master planned communities that offer both diversity and connection.

Specifically, implementing build-to-rent and affordable for-sale homes can help retain buyers. Additionally, amenities that foster a sense of community—such as agrihoods, clubhouses with event programming, and other third spaces—are attracting buyers at higher rates.

MPCs have a unique opportunity to create social spaces for residents that are convenient and easy to access. Often referred to as the third place, a term created by sociologist Ray Oldenburg to describe a space outside of the home (the first place) and work (second place). The third place can be any place that feels comfortable and where a homeowner can feel a sense of belonging – a place where they can become a regular and “everybody knows their name.”

Coffee shops, cafes, parks, and recreation centers are a few examples of physical locations where people can meet and get away from the social silos of home and work life. For master-planned communities, a centralized community town center with a selection of gathering, dining, and shopping spots is ideal. Large pedestrian pathways, trails, and bike paths can make the center walkable and accessible to all residential neighborhoods.