WHY IT WORKED: Even in uncertain markets, homes that are well-located, well-designed, and well-priced continue to sell. At Knightsbridge Gate, Winnick Homes came up with plans that work well on smaller lots, which allowed the builder to charge less than the going rate for new construction.

  • Market research showed that having the standard features and floor plan elements that buyers wanted would compensate for smaller home sites.
  • Open floor plans, two-story great rooms, and two-story foyers make the best-selling, 2,533-square-foot Wellington plan feel much larger than it actually is.
  • As part of a “Novi's Best Value” campaign, Winnick Homes will pay anyone $500 who visits Knights-bridge Gate but elects to buy a home elsewhere.

    • PROJECT CREDITS Project: Knightsbridge Gate, Novi, Mich.; Sales started: June 2006; Sales through June 2007: 52; Units planned: 348 (116 released); Price: $280,000 to $339,990; Unit size: 2,000 to 2,653 square feet; Builder: Winnick Homes, Bingham Farms, Mich.; Developer: Grand/Sakwa/Jacobson, Farmington Hills, Mich.; Architect: DJW and Associates, Commerce Township, Mich.; Land planner: Zeimet Wozniak and Associates, Novi; Landscape architect: Calvin Hall & Associates, Southfield, Mich.; Interior designers: Designer Interiors by Mary Olk, Troy, Mich.; Eleni Interiors, Chicago