Flex Space is the Muscle of Modern Home Plans

For most buyers, a new home – whether a townhome, duplex or single-family home – needs to wear many hats. As a result, creating plans that can easily meet the needs of a wide range of buyers is a “must” in today’s housing market, says Red Seal Homes executive Brian Hoffman.

“Designing a home with broad appeal requires flexibility – especially via the catch-all ‘flex space’,” Hoffman said. Northbrook, Ill.-based Red Seal Homes is currently offering sales at three Chicago-area communities, each featuring plans with at least one multifunctional area. So, whether the buyer is a single first-time owner, a growing family seeking a larger home, or downsizers looking to make a change, the floor plans can fit the bill for each.

Arbor Lane – Arlington Heights

At this community of 16 townhomes in Arlington Heights, each floor plan includes a lower-level flex room that could serve as anything from a place to work to a place to work out.

“This room, which we actually note as flex space on the plan, features garden-style windows, a storage space under the stairs and direct access to the garage,” Hoffman said. “Our buyers have used the room as a home office, den, guest space, toy room or even a man cave. The wide range of room setups is indicative of the variety of people attracted to townhome living.”

Hoffman also noted the importance of flex space in a townhome. “Because this housing style does tend to have a more conservative footprint, builders often don’t have as much wiggle room for extra features,” he said. “Once the living, eating and sleeping spaces are carved out, the remaining square footage needs to be somewhat of a blank canvas. That way, no matter who is looking at the home, they’ll be able to make the space their own.”

At Arbor Lane, which is more than 80 percent sold, remaining townhomes feature the 1,725-square-foot Crofton plan. Priced from $309,400, the plan features two bedrooms, 2½ baths, an attached two-car garage and private outdoor space. For more information, visit www.redsealhomes.com/arbor_lane/.

Willow Lake – Lake Forest

At this luxury, maintenance-free community of 52 semi-attached homes in Lake Forest, the wide range of buyers means versatile living space is essential, noted Hoffman.

“Buyers at Willow Lake each come with a personal vision for their home, so we need layouts that can accommodate different uses,” he said. “We start with open concepts, which are more flexible to begin with, and then add spaces that can be transformed into everything from an office to a playroom. One person’s home gym is another’s hobby room.”

Additionally, Hoffman noted each floor plan itself is also customizable. “We offer the opportunity for buyers to structurally alter these plans, even though they are duplexes,” he said. “It’s one more way we ensure each home is uniquely crafted to fit the buyer.”

Homes at Willow Lake range from 2,491 to more than 4,000 square feet and are priced from $800,000. For more information, visit www.rswillowlake.com.

Provenance – Northbrook

This master-planned community offers three different home types – one- or two-story Villas, two-story Terraces, and single-family homes called the Estates – each with versatile floor plans.

The maintenance-free Villas at Provenance start at roughly 1,800 square feet. Despite their more modest size, the homes are big on adaptable floor plan features, including a full, unfinished basement with the option to rough-in a bath. “This is the ultimate flex space because buyers can truly make it into whatever they need,” said Hoffman. He added that buyers also appreciate the first-floor nook, which is a great spot to set up a work space or crafting area, and the second-floor loft – each available in select floor plans. The Villas are priced from $599,900.

Like the Villas, the Terraces also include a full unfinished basement as well as second-floor lofts. The homes start around 2,000 square feet and are priced from $489,900.

“The Villas and the Terraces have extremely broad appeal at Provenance,” said Hoffman. “Buyers of all ages are interested in these homes not only because they are flexible, but also because they provide maintenance-free living, which is a big perk for any buyer.”

The Estates, the largest homes at Provenance, are also big on flex space. Priced from $909,900, the plans range in size from 2,948 to 4,362 square feet and have up to five bedrooms. In addition to the full unfinished basement featured in the attached Villas and Terraces, the Estates offer a loft in select plans, as well as multifunctional spaces on each home’s first level.

“One striking thing buyers may notice about our floor plans is most homes don’t have a room labeled as the ‘living room,’” said Hoffman. “We found that really limited how buyers saw the space. Instead, we use more adaptable labels, such as ‘study.’ So, although the room is placed where one would traditionally find a living room, it can be much more.”

Hoffman also said including double doors lets buyers have this space as open to or closed off from the rest of the home as they like.

For more information on Provenance, visit www.homesatprovenance.com. And to learn more about Red Seal Homes, visit www.redsealhomes.com.