June 17, 2021
Many homebuyers enjoy the privacy of having their own homes yet may not want outdoor maintenance. Homebuilders are responding with low-maintenance homes that are ideal for career professionals, active adults, and those who prefer a more streamlined lifestyle.
“Buyers of all ages appreciate a low-maintenance lifestyle that allows them to spend more time doing the things they love,” said Craig Shodeen, President of Shodeen Homes, a family-owned-and-operated company celebrating its 60th year in home building. “After this year’s winter, buyers are all too happy to leave the snow shoveling and lawn mowing to someone else.”
Shodeen offers single-family low maintenance Village Homes at Elburn Station, a 505-acre master-planned community within walking distance of the Metra Station and offering three distinct collection of single-family homes.
The Village Homes range from 1,028 to 2,100 square feet with one to three bedrooms, one to 2 1/2 baths, unfinished, insulated basements or optional finished basements and two car garages.
Village Home residents, Michael and Shellie Few, lived nearly 20 years in Huntley, before right-sizing at Elburn Station.
“We’d grown tired of the maintenance and wanted to downsize,” said Shellie Few. “We started looking at homes, mostly resale, and then, during one of our searches came upon Elburn Station. We fell in love with the community, the conveniences it offered and the idea that we could have a detached, single-family home that was maintenance free.”
Phase one of the 20-acre community park is now open at Elburn Station and will include soccer and lacrosse fields, pickle ball courts, walking paths, multiple playgrounds, a tennis court, two half-court basketball courts, pavilion and a parking lot. Elburn Station sits between two elementary schools in highly-regarded Kaneland School District #302 and children attend highly-regarded Kaneland High School. An AT&T Fiber community, Elburn Station boasting 99% connectivity reliability and is within walking distance to the shops, restaurants and retailers in downtown Elburn. The community is also minutes from Randall Road, which offers shopping, dining and other services as well as Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital. The nearby Interstate 88 and Route 47 exchange add to commuting ease.
Erica Mazur, a nurse at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, enjoys her low-maintenance lifestyle.
Low-maintenance living is a must for vacation homeowners and year-round residents who want to maximize their time enjoying the resort amenities at Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.
“The endless recreation activities, from boating and water sports, to hiking in nearby Starved Rock State Park to exploring historic Ottawa, make a low-maintenance lifestyle a necessity to buyers at Heritage Harbor,” said Pierre Alexander, Heritage Harbor Resort Marketing Manager. “People invest in the community to relax, unwind and recharge. The last thing they want to do is shovel snow or mow grass.”
Just 90 minutes from Chicago in Ottawa’s Starved Rock Country, Heritage Harbor overlooks the Illinois River and features a state-of-the-art 182-slip marina as well as several distinct neighborhoods, including villas, cottages, low-maintenance single-family homes and luxury, custom residences. The community also includes the Red Dog Grill Restaurant, Tiki bar and beach and numerous neighborhood clubhouses and swimming pools. The community director plans year-round events for residents and guests, including live music on weekends, crafts, cooking classes, tours, and the weekly, Saturday 5K walk and run.
For Chicago high-rise residents, Scott and Dawn Harding, a low-maintenance lifestyle was a top consideration when purchasing their vacation home at Heritage Harbor.
“Heritage Harbor offers us a turnkey, maintenance-free lifestyle,” Scott said. “We love the four decks we have on our home. The two in the back provide views of the marina and the two in front offer views of the river. The 7-foot ceilings, full basement and storage were also important to us, but the exceptional architecture and quality workmanship sold us. We have plenty of room for our children and their families to come visit. Because Heritage Harbor is so close, we can easily come for a week or just a couple of days.”
Only three low-maintenance homes, priced from $309,000 to $395,000, remain in the Boat House neighborhood. Homes are also available in the new enclave of 12 Low maintenance homes, called Port Place. Port Place offers ranch and two-story homes, with main level master bedroom suites, ranging from 1,196 to over 2,287 square feet, with prices starting in the mid-$300s. Navvy Town, another new neighborhood, offers two-story, multi-family quad buildings, called the Canal Quarters, will include one and two-bedroom condominiums priced from $189,000s and ideal for investors and renters. Priced from $289,000, open-concept, two-story cottages with two bedrooms and 2 ½ baths are also available and perfect for second-home owners who want to maximize their time on the river enjoying the harbor life.
Connected to the 97-mile I & M Canal Biking trail, Heritage Harbor also includes several community parks, including the River Run Dog Park. The marina, in conjunction with Quest Watersports, offers boat rental and boat club memberships as well as jet ski, fishing boat, Go-Float electric boat, stand-up paddle board, kayaks and Hobie Eclipse pedal board rentals. Zip Chicago Canopy Tours in Marseilles offers day and evening zipline tours for adventurers of all ages. Historic Ottawa, site of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate, offers shops, restaurants, craft breweries and more. Minutes from Heritage Harbor, visitors also enjoy the August Hill Winery and Illinois Sparkling Co. Tasting Room, Illinois River Winery, Utica Electric Bike Rental, LaSalle Canal Boat tours and the Grand Bear Falls Indoor Water Park. Golfers enjoy a host of nearby golf clubs such as Dayton Ridge Golf Club, Pine Hills Golf Club Bar and Restaurant and Bourne golf course. The Concept Haulers Motor Speedway offers go karting and the nearby Grundy County Speedway offers stock car racing.
To learn more about low-maintenance living with Shodeen Homes please visit shodeenhomes.com Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram & Twitter.