Mixed metals are trending right now. Gold and black fixtures in same room. Thank you for not showing other people without their permission. It’s very courteous. I LOVE your vlogs!
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Sometimes I am slow to appreciate new trends. I am not there on the mixed metal yet, but I won't be surprised if in a few years when trends change again I start to like the mixed metals and change our fixtures just in time to be out of style again lol! Thanks for watching!
We appreciate the amount of work it is to edit and respect other people’s privacy. Great job both of you! Lovely backsplash in the kitchen. Love the master bed away from the guest bedrooms. Not fans of the prison windows (long windows). I agree with Dave on the gold taps. Many, many thanks! 🇬🇧
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Thanks for watching!
Great camera and editing work showing the homes. Not to fast and not to slow. I loved how you showed the homes and area how they looked in July. Great touch! I’m really enjoying your channel!
I just closed on a Winslow in Citrus Grove a couple of weeks ago. An amazing home. The one thing I don't like much is no kitchen Pantry. Will need to get used to that.
There was a previous version of a Winslow that had a walk in pantry. I think it removed it when they readjusted the location of the laundry and increased the size of the foyer. Thanks for watching!
The gas homes have "tankless water heaters". They are not "on demand" or "instant". Those two items are always confused with tankless. The benefit of tankless is that you never run out of hot water nor are you heating and reheating water and storing it. They are great systems. They have them for electric, but the power draw makes them not so efficient. Also, the time to get the hot water from a tankless system to your taps is no different than a normal tanked system unless you are adding length to the lines. Sorry, just a pet peeve. Great video and great home but lots of space wasted on that huge foyer. Love your vids. Have a great Halloween.
Thank you! you may have noticed I was struggling for the term for it in the video. We love our tankless water heater but they are far from instant! The wide foyer is a change from the previous Winslow. I agree it can definitely be wasted space if you don't have anything to put there. The funny thing is Brenda and I liked it because we have lots of display items and a grandfather clock we would love to put there. Thanks for watching!
Thanks TJ for the reply. My pet peeve as well. If I was designing a home I would have two tankless on it. One to control one end of the house and another to control the other. This way the stagnate water in the lines could be pushed out much faster for the hot water to flow and cut down on overall water WASTE. And really, for the amount they likely get those tankless it would only add on a few hundred bucks to the consumer for one more on the home...
What is the R value of these out side walls? Looks like the precast has holes cut for outlets and switches? How about a shot of the wall out side framing and insulation? Do you have a as built video?
I am only an observer to the construction using my fire service and engineering background to piece together the information. I am just learning these precast concrete construction methods from a distance and looking at public plan documents. I do not know the R-value as compared to concrete block and stucco (CBS) construction. However, The typical wall section on the precast concrete construction plans call for 6 inch precast wall with architectural concrete in the exterior. The interior of the wall has 3/4" rigid insulation between 1x2 inch furring strips on 16 inch centers, then covered by 1/2 inch Gypsum Board. The exterior outlets and lamps as well as the exposed concrete wall in the garage are prewired into the wall as are the exterior water lines. I have only seen recessed areas for interior electrical boxes to partially set into the wall. The interior wiring on the precast is run between the sheetrock and the concrete wall in the void area made by the 1 inch furring strips where the sheetrock is attached. The interior wires in the CBS construction are run in the same way. On CBS construction the interior electrical boxes are also recessed into the block by chipping open an area of block. On CBS construction the exterior and garage wires are run in the voids of the concrete block.
I really enjoy your house tours. I do have a question though. In the back yard there’s a fence, who’s responsible for mowing and keeping that palm tree trimmed that’s beyond the fence? I don’t want any palm trees to have to maintain but I want a neighborhood full of them. I love just looking at them.
I really appreciate you for keeping the other open house visitors’ private during your videos! Is Brenda ready to start the “Open House Touring Club” yet??
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Brenda says an "Open House Touring Club" would be fun! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for showing the tilt wall system in the beginning, still not sure if there is any advantage over the cinder block construction but it looks like more homes are going to be built this way since they have the manufacturing plant just outside of the Villages. Great tour, I really like the layout and space in the Winslow model, seems to be larger than most of the Courtyard models and this is my first choice of home models when I come down in 2 weeks to tour the homes in Hammock at Fenney.
The sales agent that was there said the Winslow courtyard villa has the highest demand. It seems to me the square footage has increased in the Winslow recently. Over 2000 square feet of air conditioned space in a Villa with a 2 car garage is very big. Many designer homes are much less square footage! Thanks for watching!
Question. I zoomed in and saw what I think are the electrical outlet and switch boxes are recessed in the concrete wall...correct? So does that mean that the sheetrock goes directly on top of the concrete wall? No insulation between sheetrock and concrete wall? There's no need for studs in this type of framing, correct? Thanks
All of the exterior electrical conduit is precast into the concrete (for porch lights and exterior outlets etc.). On the interior I have only noticed the recess areas in the 2 or 3 locations for gang switches. On our concrete block home they punched a hole in the block in those areas so the box could partially recess inside the block. On both the concrete block and precast concrete the interior wall has 1 inch "furring" strips mounted on 16 inch centers (I assume 16") directly onto the block or concrete. The sheetrock is screwed into the furring strip. That is pretty standard for any wall that is not wood. The electrical goes in the void between the concrete block(or precast concrete wall) and the sheetrock. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the house tour, you guys do a fantastic job. Pretty home. I would rather have a pool vs the pond view, and a home that is about 200K less. Prices are so high lately.
I agree prices have gone up significantly all around the country. Our home we sold in Virginia has gone up a huge amount also.. Wish we sold that house for what it is worth today! And..... we love our pool! Thanks for watching!
Beautiful home, love the ceramic tile wood look floors. Is that Meggison or the turnpike nearby? Wonder if tilt wall would help keep the home and garage cooler. Enjoyed the tour, thanks for posting.
This is actually well north of both Meggison and the turnpike. It is near the intersection of route 44 and Morse Boulevard. good question of the garage. I have no idea! Thanks for watching!
Thank you! Prices are definitely up. 2.5 years ago we built a 2300 square foot Laurel oak with a large pool on a waterfront lot with a view of the golf course behind the pond for less than $600,000.
yes, we are trying to figure out a way to fit a room in the video frame without a wide angle lens, but have not found a good solution yet. When going in a small area with a wide angle it causes distortion of the lines close to the lens, but you can see the entire room. That is part of the reason we don't do many open houses. Thanks for watching!
Are you both real estate agents, too? 😂 The Villages should hire you both! Wanted to see the tilt wall construction. Very nice. Way overpriced $$$$$. Thank you both for this great quality video. Can’t wait for the next one. 👍🏻
We love looking at houses, but no not agents or compensated in any way if these houses sell. I agree prices are crazy right now. That's nationwide, not just The Villages. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the open house tour. Wow $533K for a courtyard villa...too rich for my budget. Does The Villages sales office give you any pushback on videoing their open house? I can't see why they would object to free publicity, but I have heard other TH-camrs say they have gotten pushback from The Villages sales office on this. I remodeled my bathroom in August. The ceramic tile in my bathroom looks almost identical to the ceramic tile in this home.
I am guessing $150,00 to $200,00 is for the lot. View and private lots are commanding a premium price in The Villages, I am guessing due to demand. Thanks for watching!
Okay house, but not worth anywhere near $533K. Love the home tours. Thank you so much. I agree. I do not like what looks like brass or bronze fixtures. House is gray and fixtures do not match. Should be nickel or black.
First let me state to each their own. But as for myself this house is awful. It reeks of wow/show factor but is sorely lacking in practicality. One of the best single story floor plans I have come across and I have seen a lot, is the livingston floor plan at on top of the world, extremely well thought out. The villages should take note. But I digress... the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits in this one and I'm looking at it from a practicality standpoint and I'll add my own homey touches if you will. FORM FOLLOWING FUNCTION. Pros... -M.Bed has a TV wall for when you are sitting in bed -M.Bed is down a hallway and the bed itself would be on the other side of the room. If somebody is making noise in the kitchen and somebody is sleeping in the bed it's less likely to wake them up. -The entrance from the garage to bring groceries into the kitchen and set them down is short/convenient. -Stackables opening up the lanai bringing the outside in are superb. -Nice size 2 car garage. Cons... -Don't like the kitchen island facing in a cockeyed position. -Does one really need that much kitchen cabinets!!?! Especially when most are just two retired people in their golden years that eat out a lot. I'm a cook, and I don't even have that much kitchen ware to come close to filling up all of those cabinets! -Kitchen is too wide. One will be constantly moving around and the prep island in the middle is in the way. You can use that huge island for all your prepping (washing vegetables cutting them etc). -Bathroom #2 is to far away from the kitchen. A lot of back and forth in that house. -Bathroom #2 has tile. Again, great for show but it's upkeep and much more work to clean. I have better things to do than have extra cleaning in the bathroom. Also have other ways to spend my money than pay someone to do it. -As noted by another here I see lots of wasted/dead space. I don't need that big a foyer and the space that would be on the other side of the couch in the living room is not a place most would be very much, if at all. -Guest bedroom has that angled wall where the TV would be not sure if it would fit on that wall and/or align with the bed with the swing open door. -Bed #3 isn't built with a TV wall -Laundry room is down that hallway. It should be one of the first things you encounter coming through the garage/front door. If it's raining you can take stuff off and put it in there to be cleaned/dried out. And when the machines are running and your sleeping in the M.Bed you can't hear them. -M.Bath shower is gargantuan. SO much to clean, all that tile and the glass. I just need to take a shower. Pet Peeves/comments for the villages to improve upon... -Kitchen Island v. Peninsula. Peninsula's suck. They force you one way into and out of the kitchen. Some/a lot of your courtyard villas have sliding glass doors with access to the side yard. With an island when you BBQ one can EASILY go out and back into the kitchen with an island. FORM FOLLOWING FUNCTION. -I know it's in vogue to have the microwave/hood combo to save space and kill two birds with one stone but face it. A microwaves exhaust function is poor at best. Find another spot for the microwave and stick in a dedicated exhaust fan. The other issue with micros over the stove is anybody that is vertically challenged makes it tough on them with all the use they get. Much easier to spill something hot on ones self way up high like that. -I know its also in vogue to have two sinks in the M. Bath but's it just more to clean and more to go wrong plumbing wise. If my wife is using one of the sinks I just go into the other bathroom and it's very rare we want access to the same sink at the same time. -Pocket doors. Homes should be designed with pocket doors on every room in the house with the exception of the garage entry and front entry. Swing open doors take up too much space and can become misaligned. -Sliding closets in other bedrooms should have enough depth to them to easily fit clothes in them. -Little window above the bed you have in so many courtyard villas is useless. You can't open it, you need a special blind to cover it and the window in the bedroom provides more than enough ample light. Getting rid of it would make a more energy efficient house. -Window in the kitchen (Arlington, Bonifay, Destin etc.) isn't necessary either. That space could be used for more cabinet space and a more energy efficient house. Just run a light tunnel from above to bring in a ton of light. -Make ONE side of a 2 car garage longer than the other. This way you can have a space for two golf carts and still fit two cars in the garage if necessary. The extra space would be just big enough for two carts. One could either park there car all the way forward and have the carts in the back or park the carts towards the house and have it where the car can be backed out without the carts in the way. -Make the garage ceiling height two feet taller. This way if one wants to install a car lift/storage they can turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car. Or, park/store a second car they don't use much, raise the lift and put the golf carts underneath it. -Install TWO tankless water heaters on the home. One to control the water on the front of the home and a second for the rear of the home. In this way stagnate water in the lines would be pushed out MUCH faster with MUCH less water waste. -Ditch the lawns in the front and back of courtyard villas. Lawns are maintenance and water wasters, it's just another expense for the home owner and less water to go around. Just cement stuff in and rock it. Do NOT bark it. Bark has to be replaced every couple of years and the wind and rain moves it around all over the place. There are many fine looking homes in the villages with no lawns. Using two tankless units and not having to water lawns leaves much more water from the aquifer for golf courses and such. -And finally... ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTING SHOULD BE DARK SKY LIGHTING!!! Get rid of those little post lights in front of the house when building new, they could save thousands of dollars! OR, make them with a dark sky light fixture atop of them. All homes, street lights, shopping areas and the like should all be replaced with dark sky lighting. Look it up. Dark sky lighting shines light where necessary. Which in turn means you don't need a bigger wattage bulb to light up the intended area. It also creates the ability to see the stars at night without all the light pollution. You guys are building a star gazing area by citrus grove but have all those homes just outside of it with tons of light pollution! They could sell the light fixtures themselves. Make home owners change over to it by a certain date and have several models available to them that are ARC compliant. If a home has 4 light fixtures they could all be swapped out for about a 100 bucks. You could carry more upscale models as well...
Mixed metals are trending right now. Gold and black fixtures in same room. Thank you for not showing other people without their permission. It’s very courteous. I LOVE your vlogs!
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Sometimes I am slow to appreciate new trends. I am not there on the mixed metal yet, but I won't be surprised if in a few years when trends change again I start to like the mixed metals and change our fixtures just in time to be out of style again lol! Thanks for watching!
I love those doors, not a fan of the new trend with gold faucets. I love this series that you're doing. Thank you!!!
Really enjoy the home tours. You guys are great at describing and giving details of the houses. Thank you so much!
Glad you like them!
Great video, you folks are very detail oriented, thats what separate you all from the rest
Thanks 👍
We appreciate the amount of work it is to edit and respect other people’s privacy. Great job both of you! Lovely backsplash in the kitchen. Love the master bed away from the guest bedrooms. Not fans of the prison windows (long windows). I agree with Dave on the gold taps. Many, many thanks! 🇬🇧
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Thanks for watching!
Great camera and editing work showing the homes. Not to fast and not to slow. I loved how you showed the homes and area how they looked in July. Great touch! I’m really enjoying your channel!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done Dave and Brenda.. Love the Winslow ! The weather looks perfect.. Lunch for sure.. Dec 4th can't come soon enough.
See you then!
Very nice lot and in a good location!
We love the view from that end unit. Traffic doesn't bother us and the view of the bridge lit at night would be amazing! Thanks for watching!
I just closed on a Winslow in Citrus Grove a couple of weeks ago. An amazing home. The one thing I don't like much is no kitchen Pantry. Will need to get used to that.
I too hate their pantry design, I rather have a walk in pantry than the tiny one they have.
There was a previous version of a Winslow that had a walk in pantry. I think it removed it when they readjusted the location of the laundry and increased the size of the foyer. Thanks for watching!
The gas homes have "tankless water heaters". They are not "on demand" or "instant". Those two items are always confused with tankless. The benefit of tankless is that you never run out of hot water nor are you heating and reheating water and storing it. They are great systems. They have them for electric, but the power draw makes them not so efficient. Also, the time to get the hot water from a tankless system to your taps is no different than a normal tanked system unless you are adding length to the lines. Sorry, just a pet peeve. Great video and great home but lots of space wasted on that huge foyer. Love your vids. Have a great Halloween.
Thank you! you may have noticed I was struggling for the term for it in the video. We love our tankless water heater but they are far from instant! The wide foyer is a change from the previous Winslow. I agree it can definitely be wasted space if you don't have anything to put there. The funny thing is Brenda and I liked it because we have lots of display items and a grandfather clock we would love to put there. Thanks for watching!
Thanks TJ for the reply. My pet peeve as well. If I was designing a home I would have two tankless on it. One to control one end of the house and another to control the other. This way the stagnate water in the lines could be pushed out much faster for the hot water to flow and cut down on overall water WASTE. And really, for the amount they likely get those tankless it would only add on a few hundred bucks to the consumer for one more on the home...
Another great video Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
What is the R value of these out side walls? Looks like the precast has holes cut for outlets and switches? How about a shot of the wall out side framing and insulation? Do you have a as built video?
I am only an observer to the construction using my fire service and engineering background to piece together the information. I am just learning these precast concrete construction methods from a distance and looking at public plan documents. I do not know the R-value as compared to concrete block and stucco (CBS) construction. However, The typical wall section on the precast concrete construction plans call for 6 inch precast wall with architectural concrete in the exterior. The interior of the wall has 3/4" rigid insulation between 1x2 inch furring strips on 16 inch centers, then covered by 1/2 inch Gypsum Board.
The exterior outlets and lamps as well as the exposed concrete wall in the garage are prewired into the wall as are the exterior water lines. I have only seen recessed areas for interior electrical boxes to partially set into the wall. The interior wiring on the precast is run between the sheetrock and the concrete wall in the void area made by the 1 inch furring strips where the sheetrock is attached. The interior wires in the CBS construction are run in the same way. On CBS construction the interior electrical boxes are also recessed into the block by chipping open an area of block. On CBS construction the exterior and garage wires are run in the voids of the concrete block.
Obviously no room for a pool but do you know if they allow an inground spa?
I really enjoy your house tours. I do have a question though. In the back yard there’s a fence, who’s responsible for mowing and keeping that palm tree trimmed that’s beyond the fence? I don’t want any palm trees to have to maintain but I want a neighborhood full of them. I love just looking at them.
That palm tree and grass is maintained by the Community Development District (CDD).
I really appreciate you for keeping the other open house visitors’ private during your videos! Is Brenda ready to start the “Open House Touring Club” yet??
Since most people going to an open house have a certain expectation of privacy we go out of our way to avoid filming people. If we can't avoid then we take the time to blur their image. Thank you for noticing the extra effort we go through for that. It is one of the reasons we do so few open houses. The edit time is extremely high for these videos. Brenda says an "Open House Touring Club" would be fun! Thanks for watching!
Hi. Thank you for showing us this house. Is there a difference between these tile/ wood floor and laminate wood floors ? Thanks
Yes the wood simulated tile is a true solid tile material. The laminate floors are a soft either wood venire or simulated wood finish vinyl material.
Thanks for showing the tilt wall system in the beginning, still not sure if there is any advantage over the cinder block construction but it looks like more homes are going to be built this way since they have the manufacturing plant just outside of the Villages. Great tour, I really like the layout and space in the Winslow model, seems to be larger than most of the Courtyard models and this is my first choice of home models when I come down in 2 weeks to tour the homes in Hammock at Fenney.
The sales agent that was there said the Winslow courtyard villa has the highest demand. It seems to me the square footage has increased in the Winslow recently. Over 2000 square feet of air conditioned space in a Villa with a 2 car garage is very big. Many designer homes are much less square footage! Thanks for watching!
@@ExploringTheVillagesFlorida Hopefully, they will be building several of the Winslow models in the newest section of Hammock at Fenney
Question. I zoomed in and saw what I think are the electrical outlet and switch boxes are recessed in the concrete wall...correct? So does that mean that the sheetrock goes directly on top of the concrete wall? No insulation between sheetrock and concrete wall? There's no need for studs in this type of framing, correct? Thanks
All of the exterior electrical conduit is precast into the concrete (for porch lights and exterior outlets etc.). On the interior I have only noticed the recess areas in the 2 or 3 locations for gang switches. On our concrete block home they punched a hole in the block in those areas so the box could partially recess inside the block. On both the concrete block and precast concrete the interior wall has 1 inch "furring" strips mounted on 16 inch centers (I assume 16") directly onto the block or concrete. The sheetrock is screwed into the furring strip. That is pretty standard for any wall that is not wood. The electrical goes in the void between the concrete block(or precast concrete wall) and the sheetrock. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the house tour, you guys do a fantastic job. Pretty home. I would rather have a pool vs the pond view, and a home that is about 200K less. Prices are so high lately.
I agree prices have gone up significantly all around the country. Our home we sold in Virginia has gone up a huge amount also.. Wish we sold that house for what it is worth today! And..... we love our pool! Thanks for watching!
It's the Village gated area
Beautiful home, love the ceramic tile wood look floors. Is that Meggison or the turnpike nearby? Wonder if tilt wall would help keep the home and garage cooler. Enjoyed the tour, thanks for posting.
This is actually well north of both Meggison and the turnpike. It is near the intersection of route 44 and Morse Boulevard. good question of the garage. I have no idea! Thanks for watching!
Thanks., love the open houses.Nice camera work and editing. I like this model but not the premium price of the lot.
Thank you! Prices are definitely up. 2.5 years ago we built a 2300 square foot Laurel oak with a large pool on a waterfront lot with a view of the golf course behind the pond for less than $600,000.
I miss your videos, are you still making any and I am not getting notifications? I hope you’re well and Brenda’s mother as well. Take care.👋🏻
Love the videos but the lense you used for this video made everything looked curved 🤷🏻♀️
yes, we are trying to figure out a way to fit a room in the video frame without a wide angle lens, but have not found a good solution yet. When going in a small area with a wide angle it causes distortion of the lines close to the lens, but you can see the entire room. That is part of the reason we don't do many open houses. Thanks for watching!
Are you both real estate agents, too? 😂
The Villages should hire you both!
Wanted to see the tilt wall construction.
Very nice. Way overpriced $$$$$.
Thank you both for this great quality
video. Can’t wait for the next one. 👍🏻
We love looking at houses, but no not agents or compensated in any way if these houses sell. I agree prices are crazy right now. That's nationwide, not just The Villages. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the open house tour. Wow $533K for a courtyard villa...too rich for my budget. Does The Villages sales office give you any pushback on videoing their open house? I can't see why they would object to free publicity, but I have heard other TH-camrs say they have gotten pushback from The Villages sales office on this.
I remodeled my bathroom in August. The ceramic tile in my bathroom looks almost identical to the ceramic tile in this home.
I am guessing $150,00 to $200,00 is for the lot. View and private lots are commanding a premium price in The Villages, I am guessing due to demand. Thanks for watching!
One other thing to be aware of, those houses require flood insurance, they are not in flood zone X.
thanks for watching!
Which is going up exponentially and horrendously expensive Buyers are going to be shocked!
Love the whole house except the electric stove. I had electric for 25 years and finally got gas. Never want electric again.
Okay house, but not worth anywhere near $533K. Love the home tours. Thank you so much. I agree. I do not like what looks like brass or bronze fixtures. House is gray and fixtures do not match. Should be nickel or black.
Prices are definitely up all over the country. not sure they will ever be back to the numbers we used to see. Thanks for watching!
Comment....Nice....but 500k is way over priced.
prices are definitely up! Thanks for watching!
I can't believe this house costs over 500K. Tiny lot, tiny house, I don't get it.
First let me state to each their own. But as for myself this house is awful. It reeks of wow/show factor but is sorely lacking in practicality. One of the best single story floor plans I have come across and I have seen a lot, is the livingston floor plan at on top of the world, extremely well thought out. The villages should take note. But I digress... the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits in this one and I'm looking at it from a practicality standpoint and I'll add my own homey touches if you will. FORM FOLLOWING FUNCTION.
Pros...
-M.Bed has a TV wall for when you are sitting in bed
-M.Bed is down a hallway and the bed itself would be on the other side of the room. If somebody is making noise in the kitchen and somebody is sleeping in the bed it's less likely to wake them up.
-The entrance from the garage to bring groceries into the kitchen and set them down is short/convenient.
-Stackables opening up the lanai bringing the outside in are superb.
-Nice size 2 car garage.
Cons...
-Don't like the kitchen island facing in a cockeyed position.
-Does one really need that much kitchen cabinets!!?! Especially when most are just two retired people in their golden years that eat out a lot. I'm a cook, and I don't even have that much kitchen ware to come close to filling up all of those cabinets!
-Kitchen is too wide. One will be constantly moving around and the prep island in the middle is in the way. You can use that huge island for all your prepping (washing vegetables cutting them etc).
-Bathroom #2 is to far away from the kitchen. A lot of back and forth in that house.
-Bathroom #2 has tile. Again, great for show but it's upkeep and much more work to clean. I have better things to do than have extra cleaning in the bathroom. Also have other ways to spend my money than pay someone to do it.
-As noted by another here I see lots of wasted/dead space. I don't need that big a foyer and the space that would be on the other side of the couch in the living room is not a place most would be very much, if at all.
-Guest bedroom has that angled wall where the TV would be not sure if it would fit on that wall and/or align with the bed with the swing open door.
-Bed #3 isn't built with a TV wall
-Laundry room is down that hallway. It should be one of the first things you encounter coming through the garage/front door. If it's raining you can take stuff off and put it in there to be cleaned/dried out. And when the machines are running and your sleeping in the M.Bed you can't hear them.
-M.Bath shower is gargantuan. SO much to clean, all that tile and the glass. I just need to take a shower.
Pet Peeves/comments for the villages to improve upon...
-Kitchen Island v. Peninsula. Peninsula's suck. They force you one way into and out of the kitchen. Some/a lot of your courtyard villas have sliding glass doors with access to the side yard. With an island when you BBQ one can EASILY go out and back into the kitchen with an island. FORM FOLLOWING FUNCTION.
-I know it's in vogue to have the microwave/hood combo to save space and kill two birds with one stone but face it. A microwaves exhaust function is poor at best. Find another spot for the microwave and stick in a dedicated exhaust fan. The other issue with micros over the stove is anybody that is vertically challenged makes it tough on them with all the use they get. Much easier to spill something hot on ones self way up high like that.
-I know its also in vogue to have two sinks in the M. Bath but's it just more to clean and more to go wrong plumbing wise. If my wife is using one of the sinks I just go into the other bathroom and it's very rare we want access to the same sink at the same time.
-Pocket doors. Homes should be designed with pocket doors on every room in the house with the exception of the garage entry and front entry. Swing open doors take up too much space and can become misaligned.
-Sliding closets in other bedrooms should have enough depth to them to easily fit clothes in them.
-Little window above the bed you have in so many courtyard villas is useless. You can't open it, you need a special blind to cover it and the window in the bedroom provides more than enough ample light. Getting rid of it would make a more energy efficient house.
-Window in the kitchen (Arlington, Bonifay, Destin etc.) isn't necessary either. That space could be used for more cabinet space and a more energy efficient house. Just run a light tunnel from above to bring in a ton of light.
-Make ONE side of a 2 car garage longer than the other. This way you can have a space for two golf carts and still fit two cars in the garage if necessary. The extra space would be just big enough for two carts. One could either park there car all the way forward and have the carts in the back or park the carts towards the house and have it where the car can be backed out without the carts in the way.
-Make the garage ceiling height two feet taller. This way if one wants to install a car lift/storage they can turn a 2 car garage into a 3 car. Or, park/store a second car they don't use much, raise the lift and put the golf carts underneath it.
-Install TWO tankless water heaters on the home. One to control the water on the front of the home and a second for the rear of the home. In this way stagnate water in the lines would be pushed out MUCH faster with MUCH less water waste.
-Ditch the lawns in the front and back of courtyard villas. Lawns are maintenance and water wasters, it's just another expense for the home owner and less water to go around. Just cement stuff in and rock it. Do NOT bark it. Bark has to be replaced every couple of years and the wind and rain moves it around all over the place. There are many fine looking homes in the villages with no lawns. Using two tankless units and not having to water lawns leaves much more water from the aquifer for golf courses and such.
-And finally... ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTING SHOULD BE DARK SKY LIGHTING!!! Get rid of those little post lights in front of the house when building new, they could save thousands of dollars! OR, make them with a dark sky light fixture atop of them. All homes, street lights, shopping areas and the like should all be replaced with dark sky lighting.
Look it up. Dark sky lighting shines light where necessary. Which in turn means you don't need a bigger wattage bulb to light up the intended area. It also creates the ability to see the stars at night without all the light pollution. You guys are building a star gazing area by citrus grove but have all those homes just outside of it with tons of light pollution!
They could sell the light fixtures themselves. Make home owners change over to it by a certain date and have several models available to them that are ARC compliant. If a home has 4 light fixtures they could all be swapped out for about a 100 bucks. You could carry more upscale models as well...
Thanks for watching!