7. Moving Down Made Easy

PHOTO: A standard finished basement has helped make the 830 plan at Dancing Willows has a consistently strong seller. PLANS AND ELEVATIONS: Remington Homes

7. Moving Down Made Easy

• Plan: 830 Patio Home
• Square footage: 2,880, including partially finished basement
• Sales of this plan to date: 17
• Builder: Remington Homes, Arvada, Colo.

Dancing Willows in Littleton, Colo., offers a mix of high-density, detached patio homes, townhomes, and condominiums. Ron Hauptman, owner of Remington Homes, says the 830 Patio Home has been the best seller so far. The 2,880-square-foot home includes three bedrooms, a study, a main-floor master suite, laundry room, and a rear-loaded, two-car garage.

The 830 is a modification of a plan originally designed by Bloodgood Sharp Buster Architects. Empty nesters like the open plan, Hauptman says. “The study and the usable courtyard off the dining room are big items for them as well,” he says.

The standard, finished basement has two bedrooms, a full bath, and a recreation room. Options for this level include a media center, fireplace, wet bar, and tech area. “When you include the finished basement, the price per square foot makes this home a great value,” says Hauptman.