Size of TV house

[Russ_Boston]

Please elaborate on the choice with your thoughts on whether the decision was based on financial or other concerns (minimal landscaping, view site, fence etc.)

[Cajungirl]

Our choice was mostly about life size as opposed to house size. For us the size was perfect. Older home had beautiful landscape, gas in home for cooking, enclosed lanai with slide windows for breeze when you want it, and BOND PAID!!!

[punkpup]

Beause I have dogs who wouldn't respond to an electric fence we have no choice but to purchase a Courtyard Villa.

[another Linda]

We bought a 2/2 CYV with a larger CY because we liked the privacy. It is just perfect for a 2nd home. If we make this our primary house, I may want something larger -- not sure yet.

[Donna]

We bought a Patio Villa, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths..

We now realize it would be much too small for us to live in permanently, it is perfect as a second home...

I am currently looking for a Designer with 3 bedrooms...

[Bella]

We closed on a 3 bedroom CV in the village of Hadley last Friday...

In the end, the deciding factors were...

1. Price
2. Number of bedrooms

Square footage was not a driving factor for us.

We had no intentions of buying until next year, but this house was such a deal, we could not pass it up.

[SteveFromNY]

Purchased a Gardenia in 2005. I liked the cement block construction, the open living area, the layout of the bedrooms, and the entryway. Number of square feet wasn't a priority, although I did want something 1500 or above. Price was also a factor. The Williamsburg is a Premier version of the Gardenia (same design, just MUCH larger) and that was too much money.

[Donna]

Steve,
We love the Gardenia...

[jimt49]

To all who have either looked at or purchased a CV or patio villa. Were you shown the Spanish Springs or Vista Lago villas? If so did you even consider them. If not why? I am very close to making a decision to buy one and am interested in your feedback

Thanks
JimT

[villages07]

We knew we wanted about 2,000 sq ft, since we're full timers and had a large house back North to downsize from. Initially thought we wanted a Gardenia (based on paper floor plans) but liked the layout of the Lantana better...primarily that the other 2 bedrooms are good sized and we would have to share one of them as an office. Also, the standard lanai is bigger and deeper on the Lantana.

[njgranny]

I've looked at the Spanish Springs and Vista Lago Villas on-line and love them. They're too pricey for us, though. The only thing I would be sure about would be the guest bedroom being upstairs.

[Sailor17]

We looked at almost everything a few years ago and I really thought CYV was for us. W

[Sailor17]

oops......seems I sent my message before I finished.

We fell in love with a Lantana resale that was furnished. We will be snowbirding for awhile..
Sailors Wife

[Sidney Lanier]

We are snowbirds and will be for the foreseeable future, so our plan was a Patio Villa. However, we ended up with a Designer home in a private sale only because it cost only minimally more than the Patio Villa would have cost, the full bond had been paid, and as a huge added bonus we are two houses away from friends; he and I go back nearly a half century and our wives are good friends as well.

[graciegirl]

I would love to have all floor plans available in a notebook for comparison. When we come down next month, will we be given all of them? Also, Would love to see a good map of the villages, will we be given that?, on our come and let's see what you have to say visit. I have been there for a short 24 hour visit with friends. Compared to where we live, which is in a NICE part of Cincinnati, I find the houses expensive, and...not finished very well.

The people are all delightful and the weather is wonderful and I have made friends with one of the armidillos, He was playing guitar in the square.

I am just raving on to see if you are paying attention. :o

[Russ_Boston]

No offense but homes in the Ohio, Indiana, Upstate NY (and some other states) area are ridiculously inexpensive compared to the coasts. My friend owns a home near Carmel IN which would be (in today's market) 500K in MA but is less than 250K in Indiana. That same home may be $750 in SF or other areas of CAL. So it is tough to compare prices but you can compare quality. I found the designer homes that i toured to be very nice. Granted, I didn't have an inspector look at them since I wasn't buying yet but on first glance they were very nicely appointed for the money.

As far as maps go i got one of the $5 street maps of TV and it is fantastic, well worth the dough. You can get a map at the sales center. I know that some realtor web site lists all the current floor plans if you can find them on the main TV site. Maybe another TOTV can answer that one.

[Boomer]

I would love to have all floor plans available in a notebook for comparison. When we come down next month, will we be given all of them? Also, Would love to see a good map of the villages, will we be given that?, on our come and let's see what you have to say visit. I have been there for a short 24 hour visit with friends. Compared to where we live, which is in a NICE part of Cincinnati, I find the houses expensive, and...not finished very well.

The people are all delightful and the weather is wonderful and I have made friends with one of the armidillos, He was playing guitar in the square.

I am just raving on to see if you are paying attention. :o


Oh graciegirl,

Hear what I say.

"Skyline"
"Graeters"
"Pop" when others are talking about soda.
"Please" when others say, "Pardon me, I did not hear you." or "Huh?"
"Miami was a university before Florida was a state."

OK, got it?

See, I was paying attention.

I know how you feel, but it will be OK. There are things that will be different. Just take your time. Really get a feel for the place and do get you hands on that $5.00 map and also get the AAA map that shows the surrounding area. You will also find that if you visit the neighborhood pools, the people you will meet are wonderfully friendly and will answer all kinds of questions.

We are planning to buy a patio villa before the end of the year. We will keep our home here - maybe to use as a storage bin or something. We plan to run up and down 75 so if you are doing the same thing, we can wave to each other while we are trying to outrun those Michiganders.

Just relax. Do your homework. And enjoy the journey.

Boomer

[pqrstar]

You can view floor plans online at
http://thevillages.com/homes/newlyConstructed/newlyconstructed.htm

Click on the series of homes you like from the listing at the left side.

Once you click on a specific home in that category, you can click on the link at the top that says "Floorplan."

You can also click on the link at the top of the specific home to see a virtual tour of a furnished model for that floor plan.

[SteveFromNY]

I would love to have all floor plans available in a notebook for comparison. When we come down next month, will we be given all of them? Also, Would love to see a good map of the villages, will we be given that?, on our come and let's see what you have to say visit. I have been there for a short 24 hour visit with friends. Compared to where we live, which is in a NICE part of Cincinnati, I find the houses expensive, and...not finished very well.

The people are all delightful and the weather is wonderful and I have made friends with one of the armidillos, He was playing guitar in the square.

I am just raving on to see if you are paying attention. :o


Gracie - if you go to www.thevillages.com (http://www.thevillages.com) and go to homes, then new homes, then click on a house, the floor plans are just another click away!

[DickY]

If you get the the free video tour package that is also on the above site the package contains the floor plans for all the houses.

[duffer4384]

We decided to purchase a Camellia designer in Hadley, we close April 7 and will move down fulltime in June. We felt that the size of this floorplan would be a good fit for us to live in fulltime.This home sits on a small interior lot with neighbors close by and that's OK with us. We have lived in the country our whole lives and feel that we no longer want to spend so much time maintaining a property. We chose Hadley because it is a new village and we didn't want to feel like the new kids on the block. We look forward to having new friends close by. Yes, the new pricing was a factor in deciding what to buy and when to buy it and we are happy with our decission and can't wait untill June.

[chuckinca]

oops......seems I sent my message before I finished.

We fell in love with a Lantana resale that was furnished. We will be snowbirding for awhile..
Sailors Wife



Sailor's Wife:

If you make a boo-boo and send a post before you are ready you can later modify it and make the correction to the original message.

Chuck

[zcaveman]

I find that a lot of people are unhappy with the one and a half car garage. It looks okay empty but once you get a car and a cart in it you have no room. I personally wanted a two car garage and am happy with the Amarillo.

[jmemc46]

I was back and fourth between patio villa and a courtyard villa,but I have giving it a lot of thought'' its all about the life style not the size of the house. So I am not wealthy so I think I am going to go for the best deal in town. Soon I hope

[Lil Dancer]

We had a patio villa, and as zcaveman mentioned, the small garage got to us. But on the plus side, it was very private and easy to take care of. We sold it for a gardenia. Love the floor plan and the extra bedroom. I like having block and stucco in an area where there are possible hurricanes. We purchased based partly on looks - we like the block and stucco look; size - we wanted 3 bedrooms; and cost - we got a designer but it was an entry level one, so wasn't as high priced as some of them can be.

[ConeyIsBabe]

I know what I want: a 3/2 with 2-car garage and CBS construction and hardwood floors withing walking distance to LSL or SS. I'll probably have to buy a house with carpeting and remove it all for the flooring. Of course, I want a good price but I won't settle for less than my "wants" ;D

[renielarson]

We have a patio villa and have come to the conclusion it is way too small for the 2 of us to live in full time. But...it's good for a rental and temporary housing until we move there full time.

I know what I want...it's just finding it:
3 bedrooms with closets
2 full baths
Indoor laundry room
Kitchen with pantry
Open kitchen
2 car garage with a golf cart extension

Does this home exist in The Villages?

[graciegirl]

Holy cow Boomer. You are from Ohio, I can certainly tell that, and further, you must have graduated from Columbus South High with me and Martha Washington.

To the rest of you. Thank you with all of my heart for all of your wonderful, I say WONDERFUL advice.

I think, I think, I think I'm gonna love it in TV. :) :joke: :#1:
GracieGirl.

[curlyq]

For the person wanting to see floor plans: check out www.Lylesellsfla.com He has excellent info on TV, has floor plans and cross-references, etc. Great site. He was also very helpful (although we ended up buying new) so I'd recommend him to anyone looking for a pre-owned home.

[beady]

We were looking for 3 bedrooms because we needed a shared office space, plus a guest room. Found it in a Juniper (Lantana in vinyl) with a large back yard and an enclosed expanded lanai. Probably more space than we originally expected but that's turned out to be a plus. Just had my daughter and 2 granddaughters for a week and it was so easy with all the extra space for toys and suitcases etc.

[graciegirl]

;) ;D :o :joke: Hugs to you CurlyQ! That link to all of the house plans is JUST what I had been looking for. I am just getting to LOVE the kind helpful attitude of all of you....Come on, tell me. Did you all grow up in the South end of Columbus OHIO? Hugs to each and all.
GracieGirl.

[samhass]

As I have said before, I think you should buy the largest house available in your price range.
I don't think you'll regret it.

[SteveFromNY]

As I have said before, I think you should buy the largest house available in your price range.
I don't think you'll regret it.


Sam - that's a good thought, but you may want to caveat it a little. Size and price range are only 2 of the factors. Some folks want room for a pool, others want a view, some want the privacy of a CYV. Those factors will also influence price, and availability of larger designs.

Personally, I wanted concrete, and an open kitchen plan. Size was a factor (I did get the biggest I could afford) but it was only after factoring in the floor plan and construction.

[JohnN]

what did you get, Steve?

[SteveFromNY]

what did you get, Steve?


We bought a Gardenia in 2005. It's in Liberty Park on a slightly larger than standard interior lot. Absolutely love it!

[dandj]

We are coming down to look in May, and I am interested in the comment about needing to buy a courtyard because pet couldn't handle electric fence, cv was only option. Is that true?

[SteveFromNY]

We are coming down to look in May, and I am interested in the comment about needing to buy a courtyard because pet couldn't handle electric fence, cv was only option. Is that true?


Certainly not the only option for having a pet. Plenty of folks in all kinds of houses have pets. A CYV is the only option if you want to let the pet free in the yard, as they are the only homes with fences.

[JohnN]

dandj
it's the only option for a fence
either a frame or CBS courtyard

[graciegirl]

Would anyone share how much a birdcage (extended lanai) might cost on average, without a pool. I guess that would include the cement under it. Can one have a birdcage with partly grass under it too? I read earlier here from several people that living outdoors is what many people enjoy about living in Florida and that made sense. Also, someone gave me a good link to Lyle Gant's realtor site that has even a MAP of the villages and the floor plans of all of the home. I thank that person again!! I printed all of the designer floor plans and found only three different ones for ranches. Is that all of the ranches there are to build? I prefer a designer, actually I prefer a Premier, but people in hell want icewater too. lol. Will they allow a "kick" or an extension on most homes if the lot allows? If anyone knows how much it has been lately per square foot to extend a home, would you share that information too??

What a great place this is to ask annoying questions!!

I throw myself on your kindness again. GracieGirl.

[Villages Kahuna]

It doesn't take too much research to determine that those ubiquitous birdcage enclosures so common over pools and enclosing patios around TV are both pretty sophisticated structures and not as cheap as they look. The aluminum and fibreglass-screened birdcages are designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph. The screening is designed to blow out with 75 mph winds, reducing the load on the remaining structure. The metal parts of birdcages are constructed of "prime" aluminum (not re-melted, re-formed aluminum). The price of such aluminum has increased pretty significantly in recent years.

I'm not in the aluminum business, but my research indicates that the birdcages we see around here will likely cost somewhere in the range of $20 per square foot to construct. The cost of the concrete deck would be in addition to that amount.

So, boiling it down to real numbers, a 25 by 40 foot birdcage enclosure--about the size that would cover the typical Villages pool--woud cost pretty close to $20,000 plus the cost of the concrete deck to build. While that sounds expensive, it's actually a pretty cheap way to add 1,000 square feet of living space to your house.

If someone has "better" numbers than these, I would be happy to cede to better or more accurate information.

[JohnN]

kahuna, your facts sound pretty straight,
I've read elsewhere that $25 per foot is a conservative estimate
concrete additional I think, and I also believe you can leave some dirt in there if you'd like

[SteveFromNY]

What benefit is there to scale in a birdcage? In other words, if I build a very large one will the unit cost drop? Will a small one be substantially higher?
I ask because I am thinking of adding a small birdcage to my lanai of only about 100 sq ft. I haven't priced it yet, but based on what I am hearing here, I could expect to pay between $2000 and $2500 for the frame and screen. What do you think?

[captain1202]

Brightspot01.....

You are describing a Lantana (block)/Juniper(vinyl). The laundry room is large enough for a little hobby center or pantry. Good size garage, huge (12x20) Lanai. Check it out. AND the bedrooms are larger than Gardenia in case you want a dual use office/bedroom.

[renielarson]

Thanks captain! You just saved me from having to do the research myself! I'll check it out.

[graciegirl]

Mr. Kahuna sir:

Thank you so much for an excellent and informative answer. You have no idea how that helps us form our want list.

I can't help but think you would be the dream salesman for the "birdcage" company and/or much wanted as a wordsmith anywhere. As the grandmother of a budding journalist I take my hat off to you. Would you share your vocation in your past life?

Thank you so much for the information, the math and the kindness!!

GracieGirl et al.

[Sailor17]

Brightspot01

This sounds like the house we just bought, which is the Juniper. Dh is there alone this week and I am coming down 4/7/08.


Phyllis