The lack of starter homes on the market is akin to having no Honda Civics or Ford Focuses. It’s like jumping right to Mad Max 2 without ever seeing the original. Or applying to become the CEO of a company straight out of college. The stepping-stone of a starter home is important as it feeds directly into the move-up market and the downsizing Baby Boomer market, so it's critical that builders start focusing more on the creation of starter homes.
But just because these starter homes are typically smaller and less expensive, that shouldn’t be taken as a synonym for unimaginative. While a starter home might not have a rooftop hot tub and a dedicated aromatherapy room, the don’t need to be built with cheap materials either.
For example, The New Hanover, The Independence, and The Marigold are all starter home designs meant to bring a bit of flair and some compelling design touches back to the starter home while still creating affordable value.
Marigold homes combine open floor plans with gated side courtyards and a two-car garage to bring some of the desired amenities of larger homes into this concentrated 1,635 square foot design.
The New Hanover is meant to resemble a contemporary farmhouse elevation and provides a guest room on the first floor for multi-generational living. The Independence is a starter home specifically designed with Millennials in mind. Its quality design is combined with the seven rules of cost control (standardization, stackability, specifications, simplification, systems, structure, and square footage) to create a starter home with as few compromises as possible.
To view more starter homes that do not sacrifice good design or affordability, click the link below.