News > What's New in OC Townhomes

2015-07-10

As Southern California continues to attract new residents, developers are busy building new townhomes in Orange County to meet the demand. Tight supply has already driven home prices back up near historic highs. As more people move here, the price of land and the homes on them rises.

Orange County's growth and the increasing pressure that puts on the price of land makes town home living an ever more popular choice. In response to this, builders are taking a more urban approach to town home design. They're going vertical. Two-story designs were once the norm. Newer town homes are now frequently three-stories.

The new tri-level town home designs are often laid out with the garage on the first floor, the living/dining and kitchen areas on the second floor and the bedrooms on top. These homes offer a more creative use of outdoor space, like roof decks and multiple balconies. These additions can add hundreds of square feet of usable private space to a home.

The new town homes at Superior Point in Costa Mesa are a prime example of the tri-level condo style. These 2-3 bedroom homes range from 1,944 to 2,048 square feet and have roof decks equal in size to the ground floor foot print. They are modern, industrial designs with lots of windows and a first floor that holds the garage and a finished interior work space.

More row home style residences are also popping up. Many of these are inspired by historic east coast homes. The colonial and Georgian style town homes at Camden Place in Tustin are a case in point. These row homes are re-imagined with open concept floor plans, 14-ft cathedral ceilings, stacked windows and charming open gated front patio entrances.

While we're seeing more new attached town homes in Orange County, Irvine Pacific is offering some completely detached town home style condos at the Marigold community in Cypress Village. These contemporary homes are part of a new master planned community with lots of amenities, including a new elementary school and spacious central community park.

 

The Marigold town homes are close together but are beautifully landscaped and designed with wrought iron gates, gardens and walking trails. These 3-4 bedroom homes range from 1,627 to 2,743 square feet and offer the look and feel of a single family home at a more affordable price than a traditional, detached house in Irvine.

Other new construction trends include the use of green building materials, tankless water heaters and energy efficient air conditioning systems. Dual pane, tinted windows and superior insulation lower utility costs and make it easier to maintain a comfortable atmosphere inside the home.

Some builders offer wiring for premium sound, high speed connectivity and remote control security systems. The Mulberry town homes at Cypress Village offer a smart room option. A smart room is a tech-assisted work space that usually has video conferencing capability, wireless connectivity and electronic whiteboards. It makes doing business from home easy.

The homes at Cypress Village also have a California garage option which re-designs the space as an office, tween room, studio, storage room or gym. Other options include adding a Super California Room and/or conservatory. You'll love the 10 ft. ceilings and flowing floor plans.

New town homes, across the nation, are feature gleaming wood floors. However, a wood floor is not just a wood floor anymore. Buyers choose from laminate wood flooring (which is easy to care for and looks amazing); natural hardwood flooring (a time-honored, premium choice that can get quite exotic) and engineered wood flooring (a hardwood floor made up of layers with a plywood or MDF back).  There's even a "wood floor" option that looks like wood flooring until you walk on it and realize it's actually ceramic tiles!

The layering technique used in engineered wood floors makes a hardwood floor more durable and less prone to shrinkage, especially in moist areas or climates. They retain the natural give of wood but withstand more abuse. Going with wide plank hardwood flooring is also a popular trend. Wide plank wood flooring gives the home a clean modern appearance.

 

If you haven't been house hunting in a while, get ready to be amazed by the array of choices available in counter tops too. Granite is still a favorite but quartz is right up there with it thanks to the stone's luster and shine. Quartz is beautiful, durable and comes in a variety of colors to match just about any palate.

And then there's Silestone. This is an engineered quartz counter top that not only looks fabulous but can be customized to almost any specification. Silestone is unique for another reason. It contains silver ions which make the surface bacteria resistant. They call it bacteriostatic protection. Who knew?

If you're in the market for a new town home in Orange County be sure and visit our new condos and townhomes page.  Then, contact us before you visit the builder so that we can represent you at no extra cost. 

 

Though not guaranteed, information and statistics in this article have been acquired from sources believed to be reliable.