[notlongnow]

I am a wannabe, My parents have lived in TV for several years and love it. I visit almost every year and my wife and I love it to.

I am a residential architect and have designed thousand of homes over the last 30+ years and have owned my own firm for that whole time.
I mentioned my background only to let you know where I come from when I talk about the home designs in TV.

In general the homes are nice and can be decorated to make it fit almost any taste but seem to have a very similar look in the layout from house to house.
I am not trying to say they are not nice at all, I am saying it would be nice to see a little more variety when it comes to layout.
I was looking at all the plans and if they did not have names it would be hard to tell one from the other.

However there is one plan that stood out to me. That is the Grandview.
This plan does not fit the regular mold that TV has developed over the years.
The plan is too big for my taste for retiring in but it shows what you could do with many of the plans that are offered if they would just spend a little time redesigning them for variety sake.
For me I would not want to retire into a house that big, the Grandview, but would like the well thought out design style in a smaller home.
I don't know who designs them but I would love to be able to talk to them for just one afternoon and show them what I think they could do with very little effort.
I hope that when I retire, not far off now, there are more homes like the Grandview available but in a smaller series.

What do you who live there or are looking at buying a home right now think?

[laceylady]

I think you are going to hear that you are buying a "lifestyle" and you won"t spend much time in your home if you participate in all the things The Villages has to offer. Also, the Villages builds houses in 60 days. They have very large crews working on each house. In order to facilitate this, the houses are pretty similar in design. This model works foe this community that can't seem to build the houses fast enough. In other retirement communities near The Villages you can get more custom designed homes at lower prices even....but you do not get the Villages lifestyle.

I doubt the developer is going to change what works so well. Your comment reminds me of a comment make by a new employee in the Social Security program where I worked for 30 years. She wanted to sit down with the computer systems manager (of the entire program) and show him/her how they could improve their computer system. That was never going to happen....and I don't think you'll get your afternoon with the Villagers designers either. Not to say your ideas aren't good, but the "system" you are involved with is too big and successful to change.

[notlongnow]

Maybe you are right but you never know. They did not become successful by not listening.
Also interesting is not harder to build or take longer to build. Plus you do live in your house not just live in The Villages, so why can't your house be as interesting as the rest of The Villages is?
Just wishing, it would be fun and I am sure I could learn a thing or two from them.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by notlongnow

Maybe you are right but you never know. They did not become successful by not listening.
Also interesting is not harder to build or take longer to build. Plus you do live in your house not just live in The Villages, so why can't your house be as interesting as the rest of The Villages is?
Just wishing, it would be fun and I am sure I could learn a thing or two from them.

I have made the same observation about the sameness many times. Many of us have come from a variety of homes and many of those have been custom built. HOWEVER, they do allow some kicks and some changes to the models and believe me, they have the availability of all good information, all good resources, and all good choices.

The business model they are using works well for them. The lots are layed out to have a home of up to a 2000 square foot home built on them. Some a little bigger but not many. Premiers have bigger lots and I have seen quite a bit of customization done to them in the last year and a half.

We have built several homes before building here. This is the smoothest I have EVER seen the building process go and the most perfectly done. They have separate crews who do nothing but frame, do electric, plumbing, siding, roofing, tile, flooring, wall board, finish carpentry, painting, etc, each with their specialty. The builder in charge of your home, and there are several for each home series, he inspects each day several times and will see that things are done perfectly. He ordered the finished tile removed from our kitchen and redone and the stone replaced from our front porch. We watched it all happen, living in a rental and visiting sometimes several times a day.

Although the homes look similar on the outside. the people who occupy them individualize them inside and do it beautifully in many cases.

I think you will find it a tough sell to change the plans here. But I understand how you feel.....I felt that way at the beginning.

Ten percent of all homes in the U.S. built in recent economic downturn were bullt in The Villages.

I am a HUGE fan of the developer. Some day I hope to meet him and shake his hand.

P.S. There is an album posted of our old house in Cincy and our previous home here in TV. We have had two new homes here

Our house here is not as big or as individualized but we JUST LOVE it.

[jimbo2012]

Well I agree they are similar, but you would have a ball at a design meeting, you can change walls, roof lines, lanais almost anything so you can make it distinctive.

In other words U can change more than you may think.

[notlongnow]

Although the homes look similar on the outside. the people who occupy them individualize them inside and do it beautifully in many cases.

First I want to make sure that you know I am not making a general statement that the people that occupy the homes are boring or all the same, I am only speaking of the layout.
Also I know that the business model is unbelievably successful and what I have seen there is enough to draw my attention to it and like I said I am a wannabe, But......
The designer in me just sees that little bit just beyond the horizon that is in reach.

I was not aware that you could make wall changes at the design meeting, that is good to know.

All of this grew out of my searching the new home plans and when I came accross the Grandview plan it stuck out to me and got me wondering.

Now if you guys can figure out how to stop dogs from pooping, make pickleball quiet and bicycle riders ride stationary bikes at home the place will be perfect.

Just kidding


Anyway, it is fun just thinking, now I have to get back to work designing more dreams for the peeople here.

Thanks for responding.

P.S. Graciegirl, I looked at your photos and your home looked very nice in Cincy but that does not surprise me. After reading your posts over the last couple years I would be disappointed if you did not have a lot of flair. Looks like you brought that flair to TV
EB

[twiceis]

Hi Jimbo,

I think u live in Gilchrist, right? We have our design meeting April 10th & was encouraged when u replied that u can move walls, etc. My husband is used to "custom" & is trying to come to grips with "cookie-cutter". Can u shed any light on this.

Thanks,
Karin from Gilchrist

[jimbo2012]

Not Gilchrist but Fernandina next door.

Simple you can easily move, expand almost anything U can think of just think where the load bearing walls R.

about two weeks before your date submit the sketches for a rough acceptance to the design team thru your sales rep..