Credit: John Swain
CHARACTER COUNTS: Attached though they may be, each of the townhomes at Townes at Denby Square has a distinct personality.
The Sacramento, Calif., market has been hit hard by the downturn, but you wouldn’t know it at Denby Square, a Pulte Homes venture in the master planned community of WestPark. The magic formula involves a choice of two dwelling types for first-time and empty-nester buyers. The Cottages at Denby Square, which offers single-family living with a small footprint (units range from 1,829 to 2,180 square feet), opened for sale in February 2007. Out of 90 units total, just 12 are left. Topping that track record, the builder’s kindred Townes at Denby Square, a village of 48 townhomes ranging from 1,820 to 1,910 square feet, opened in April 2007 and completely sold out nine months later. “We sold the last house available and had our first homeowner move in the same day,” says Maggie Ayres, marketing coordinator for Pulte Homes’ Sacramento-Reno division.
Credit: John Swain
JUST RIGHT: Cottages offering three bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths have proved to be just right for first-time buyers in their mid-30s and downsizing boomers.
While buyer interest was certainly piqued by each neighborhood’s walking proximity to a future village green with shops and cafés, location wasn’t the only sales driver. Punchy colors and varied elevation styles played a big role in creating curb appeal and, as a result, in catapulting contracts, according to Ward Harris, vice president of product development for Pulte Homes California.
“This market is depressed, meaning a lot of first-time buyers here are very educated,” he notes. “They are looking to jump in and get the most for their money, and they want something with character.” Enter the cottages. With their rhythmic blend of gabled and flat roof forms, box bays, and cladding textures, the charming little homes are “wrapped 360 degrees” with nice trim detailing, says Harris. And their alley-loaded configuration (with a detached two-car garage behind each unit) ensures that front elevations retain their good looks without being compromised by garage doors.
Similar variations in massing and accent materials give each of the townhomes its own identity, even though the units share walls. Raised porches—initially specced for pragmatic reasons to overcome grading constraints in the site’s existing pads—ended up being a pivotal design feature, accentuating the entry to each home.
Colors were a key ingredient in the mix, and here the builder wasn’t shy. “A lot of higher-density communities tend to go vanilla,” Harris says. “We made bold color choices so it didn’t look like an Archie Bunker neighborhood.”
To keep prices reasonable while giving buyers the most bang for their buck, Pulte streamlined the number of floor plans and finish packages, but bumped up the quality of that limited selection. The townhome program, for example, takes shape with just two floor plans, four elevation styles, and a choice of A or B when it comes to flooring, cabinetry, and granite color. But the standard package also includes a home theater, GE Profile appliances, and a home security system.
Credit: John Swain
Neotraditional façades and contemporary interiors proved a winning combination, says Chris Cady, president of Pulte Homes’ Sacramento-Reno division.
“[Other builders] option everything in the house, from the length of the vanities to the flooring and countertop materials to you name it,” Harris says. And in the process, they end up diluting their potential for volume discounts. “Buyers end up picking and choosing among hundreds of variables, and the selection process becomes very tedious. Our approach is to offer fewer choices but higher grade. When we simplify the number of options on our end, it reduces our cycle time and allows us to achieve better pricing. We’d rather give [buyers] the nicer stuff standard because ultimately that’s what they want. And if we can purchase more of it, it brings our costs down.”