Whether downsizing from the sprawling single-family home or looking to expand on the space of a cramped condo, buyers in the metro area will find the new year brings a plethora of options for those moves in the form of townhouses.
New construction of two- and three-story plans are sprouting up around the city and suburbs to fill the niche somewhere between a single-family house with all its maintenance obligations and a condo or apartment that doesn’t provide quite enough in terms of space and luxury. At the same time, a townhouse offers the same feel of a house, with multi-levels of living and access to the outdoors.
“A townhouse lives very much like a house because it’s often wider than the typical condominium,” said Irene Hall, vice president of sales and marketing for Front Door Communities. “The added space often makes them much more luxurious. Part of that space is usually a small outdoor area — a terrace or patio — where it’s easy to live.”
Buyers have snapped up almost all of the townhouses at Front Door’s Providence community within walking distance of Roswell’s historic downtown and square. The company is currently working nearby on Goulding, a mix of 27 townhomes and 13 single-family properties, and is about to start building a similar project near downtown Woodstock in Cherokee County. Most of Front Door’s designs have almost 4,000 square feet, garages, terrace levels, gourmet kitchens and an array of interior features, such as four bedrooms, three baths, high ceilings, hardwood floors and space for an elevator.
Hall pointed out that many buyers often decide on a townhouse because the price points are generally lower than a single-family home. At Goulding, townhouses start in the $700,000s; single-family homes are at $900,000. But she’s also seeing more people interested in the convenience of having a property that’s relatively carefree.
“These are often people who have been looking for that maintenance-free lifestyle — someone who truly wants to be able to lock and leave,” she said. “At the same time, they still like being close to an urban area where they can walk to dinner or shopping.”
Being part of a walkable community is one of the chief attractions for several new townhouse communities. Traton Homes’ gated Lafayette Square puts homeowners close to Ga. 400 and the heart of Sandy Springs. In Buckhead, The Bluffs at Lenox by John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods features three-bedroom plans with up to 2,319 square feet of open floor plans, gourmet kitchens, private patios and spacious master suites. MODA Decatur, with 36 four-bedroom plans, and MODA Reynoldstown, with 46 two- and three-bedroom designs, put owners in the heart of the city.
“To be part of a walkable community like Decatur is quite special,” said David Tufts, president of the Marketing Directors, the firm selling the MODA townhouses.
More city townhouse options exist at the corner of North and Bonaventure avenues in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood where the new SkyHill townhomes offer a sought-after amenity: proximity to the Beltline as well as restaurants and retail at the Ponce City Market complex. Buyers will also find townhouses at 5th and Piedmont, where units feature rooftop decks in the heart of Midtown.
About the Author
