You’re house hunting with us and know you want a new custom Florida home with all the latest features, construction materials and techniques.
Do you also want a gate?
It’s a good question to ask. Some of you will and some of you won’t, but you should know that gated communities are perennially popular, and never more than in today’s housing market, where they’re one of many must-have resident amenities.
Like anything, there’s no absolutes for everyone. However, as one of Florida’s largest homebuilders for more than four decades, we at ICI Homes can tell you that gated communities are very much in demand, based on the master-planned communities we develop, build, and sell in.
We’d also like to explain why. Stay tuned for the pros of choosing a gated community.
A 24/7 gatekeeper
Literally. This means less neighborhood traffic and zero solicitors. Everyone who enters the community must do so through a barred entrance gate. Security personnel usually record driver’s license numbers and vet all visitors’ destinations.
If you’re not familiar with gated communities, be aware there are usually TWO entrance gates, positioned side-by-side. One is an automatic gate for residents to zip through courtesy of a barcode sticker on the left side of their vehicle. The other is a manually operated gate that requires check-in with a security guard.
Peace of mind
A gated community gives you much more of it than if you lived in a non-gated community. It’s simply much tougher for shady types to worm their way in.
No one is admitted unless they have official business (like contractors, meter readers and landscapers, etc.) or are guests of residents.
Either way, visitors usually must declare their intent to a security guard. Sometimes that’s obvious — think school buses and garbage trucks — but odds are no one will be cruising neighborhood streets unless they’re supposed to be there.
Higher property values
You’ll take that any day, won’t you? Of course you would.
Per 2016 research published by the American Real Estate Society, homes in gated communities command an average value of $30,000 more than homes in non-gated communities.
Again, know both sides of the coin. Your HOA fees in a gated community will typically cost more per month than in a non-gated community. Aside from the 24/7 gated entrance, those HOA fees also fund things like swimming pools, community centers, playgrounds and fitness trails.
Knowing what value is most important to you is the key to your choice. But having as much as an extra $30K in your appraisal value will never be a bad thing.
Lots of amenities
Look on the bright side of those HOA fees. They’ll be higher per month than fees for a non-gated community, but the caliber and breadth of your resident amenities likely will be higher too.
Those HOA fees cover common-area landscaping and upkeep. Depending on your neighborhood, those fees also might pay for your yard’s landscaping. Enjoyable activities such as tennis, basketball and bocce ball courts, golf courses and their clubhouses, central community gathering spots and fitness centers, are just a few additional reasons to “go gated.”
