Walk-in wardrobes, butler-style pantries, European appliances and even lifts - these are some of the emerging luxury features of homes which are redefining living in a residential land lease community.
Residents moving into land lease communities are increasingly looking to maintain or improve their standard of living, compared to their long-standing family homes.
As a result, they are looking for homes which deliver comfortable, modern and spacious living, including the ability to house guests (including grandkids and other family members) without sacrificing privacy.
At the same time, these residents want to capitalise on the financial benefits of land lease living, including being able to avoid stamp duty and potentially claim Commonwealth rental assistance.
The new home designs illustrate just how far the luxury end of the land lease community industry has come from its humble caravan park origins.
Downsizing.com.au has collected information about these home designs, as listed below:
Halcyon
Queensland-based Halcyon has luxury homes ranging from $750,000 to $1.2m.
These homes can be found at Vision by Halcyon (at Hope Island on the Gold Coast), Halcyon Greens (at Pimpama on the Gold Coast) and B by Halcyon (at Buderim on the Sunshine Coast).
These homes include features such as butlers’ pantries, study areas, four-car garages, large walk-in closets, Tesla power storage batteries and a library area. The kitchens feature high-end European kitchen appliances with top-end stone and cabinetry finishes.
Some of the two-storey homes even come with their own elevator, while at the same time meeting the Queensland Government’s requirements that they must be technically capable of being moved. Next week, Halcyon will be releasing ten homes with lifts at B by Halcyon, with prices starting at $750,000.
Halcyon managing director Dr Bevan Geissmann noted the changing aspirations of buyers, when commenting recently on the company’s newly unveiled 2020 home design range.
“A strong message (from buyers) was that they don’t want to sacrifice on space, luxury and comfort as they move into the next chapter of life," Dr Geissmann said.
“Our kitchens are larger, have more storage space and are designed with entertaining in mind, and there’s greater focus on the master bedroom as a personal sanctuary.”
A Halcyon spokeswoman said the company’s “high-end home stock moves very quickly and is often sold out before construction begins as it gives buyers with discerning tastes the opportunity to customise their dream home.”
Hometown
Hometown Australia is also recognising the increasing consumer demand for comfort, style and space, with the range of homes available at its Sunrise community at Port Stephens in NSW.
According to Hometown’s Joint Managing Director and CEO Kevin Tucker, this trend has been underway for 10-20 years.
“Originally, land lease communities would provide an old caravan and an annex, and that then evolved into a modular building, which then turned into a quality double-wide modular manufactured home,” Mr Tucker said.
“Now we are building relocatable homes on-site with bricks and mortar, that are akin to the standard homes built in regular residential neighbourhoods.”
For instance, the Windspray home design at Sunrise includes two bedrooms and a study, with the master bedroom having a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom.
The kitchen includes stone benchtops and a walk-in pantry, while there is also a double garage and a covered alfresco area with joining stacker doors.
Windspray homes, along with other homes at Sunrise, are priced from $479,000.They are constructed by MJH Multi, which is the commercial division of McDonald Jones Homes.
“Downsizers don’t want to feel as though they are comprising. They don’t want to maintain a yard, but they do want to enjoy areas they live in, including having open plan living areas and indoor and outdoor living aspects,” Mr Tucker said.
Lifestyle Communities
Victorian-based Lifestyle Communities is offering the Elliott Corner home design, for prices between $495,000-$534,000 at its newest communities at Plumpton (north-west Melbourne), Wollert (northern Melbourne), Mount Duneed (Geelong area) and Kaduna Park (south-eastern Melbourne).
The Elliott Corner home has three bedrooms which can accommodate double beds. The main bedroom has an ensuite bathroom (with a freestanding bath) and a walk-in wardrobe.
The kitchen includes a stone benchtop, island bench and stainless steel appliances, while the bathroom features a stone benchtop and double basins. The dwelling also has an alfresco area with a large wrap-around decking and a landscaped front garden.
“People are moving from large family homes on big blocks and are seeking a home with more internal space and less garden maintenance and upkeep,” said Richard Parker, Head of Sales at Lifestyle Communities. “Our homes with two bedrooms and a study are a popular choice, and it was a natural evolution to offer three bedrooms in our range of home designs.”
“Adding a bathtub was also a natural evolution to our designs.
“A lot of people also crave the modern comforts of having a walk-in-robe and ensuite bathroom.
“And a separate bathroom is ideal for guests, so homeowners get to keep their privacy in their inner sanctum.
“The continual evolution of our homes is driven from consensus feedback from our homeowners while also keeping an eye on latest emerging trends.”
Ingenia
The Latitude 107 home is a luxury offering at Ingenia Lifestyle’s Latitude One community, also in Port Stephens in NSW.
The home has three spacious bedrooms, ensuite and walk in robe to master bedroom, two bathrooms, modern kitchen with high quality appliances, open plan living with alfresco area, air conditioning and double garage with automatic panel lift door.
The Latitude 107 dwelling is priced between $620,000 to $655,000.
Ingenia Development Manager Daniel Collings said:”The demand for homes to date has exceeded our initial projections – we have sold more than 70 per cent of the 270 homes in the community in just over two years.”
“We are currently finalising plans to increase our offering, allowing us to provide a wider range of luxury homes.”
