What Are Garden Style Apartments?

 

 

If you’re diving into the world of commercial real estate development, a garden style apartment is a great option to consider. Garden apartments are known for their lush green space and outdoor common areas, which make them a desirable option for prospective residents.

Read on to learn what garden style apartments are and what makes them unique from mid-rise and high-rise apartments. Then, discover how to maintain security and control access to garden apartment complexes.

In this post, we cover:

• What are garden style apartments?
• Garden style vs. mid-rise vs. high-rise apartments
• Pros & cons of developing garden apartments
• Pros & cons of living in a garden apartment complex
• How to control access to garden style apartments

 

 

What are garden style apartments?

Garden style apartments are characterized by green space surrounding multiple smaller buildings, which are usually four floors or fewer. They’re usually surrounded by expansive lawns, trees, shrubbery, and other plants, making them a popular choice for families and pet owners.

Since the buildings in a garden apartment complex are usually small, they’re considered to be low-rise apartments. They may also offer more privacy than their higher-density counterparts.

And since they are built out instead of up, suburban apartments and housing in more remote areas is usually garden style.

 

 

Features of garden style apartments

Luxury garden style apartments offer residents a high standard of living without the hassles associated with taller apartments.

Garden style apartments are known for their unique features like:

• Multiple buildings. Garden-style apartment complexes usually consist of multiple buildings that are spread out across a large plot of land.
• Outdoor common areas. Because garden apartments tend to be more spread out and offer more space, it’s easy for residents to host outdoor events and let their children play outside. The expansive outdoor common areas are also great for pet owners.
• Privacy. Garden apartment complexes are typically located in lower-density, suburban areas. So, they offer more privacy than mid-rise apartments and high-rise buildings.
• Surface parking. Garden style apartments tend to have large outdoor parking areas instead of parking decks or garages. Some complexes may even have parking spaces located right by each resident’s unit.

 

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Garden style vs. mid-rise vs. high-rise apartments

The two primary alternatives to garden style apartments are mid-rise and high-rise apartments.

Mid-rise apartments can be found in both suburban areas and city centers. Mid-rise apartments look a lot like high-rise buildings, but they don’t have as many floors. A mid-rise apartment also tends to offer fewer luxury amenities than a high-rise building.

Alternatively, high-rise apartments are almost always located in densely-populated city centers. They usually have higher occupancy rates than mid-rise and garden apartments. They also tend to be stand-alone buildings, as opposed to a cluster of smaller properties.

 

Let’s take a closer look at the differences between garden style, mid-rise, and high-rise apartments:

Garden style	Mid-rise	High-rise
4 stories or less	5-12 stories	12+ floors
Located on the outskirts of town and in suburban areas.	Can be on the outskirts of town or in the city center.	Downtown, usually located in a city center.
Lower density and provides more privacy.	Moderate density.	High density housing, offers less privacy.
Usually have no elevators.	May or may not have elevators.	Have elevators.
Ample outdoor space.	Moderate outdoor space.	Limited outdoor space.
Cluster of smaller buildings.	Stand-alone building.	Stand-alone building.

 

Pros & cons of developing garden apartments

If you’re a real estate developer or investor, there are several benefits and drawbacks to purchasing a garden apartment complex.

Here are some notable pros and cons to consider before purchasing a garden style apartment:

 

Pros of buying a garden apartment complex

• Potentially more affordable. Garden style apartments are usually Class B or C properties, making them more affordable to buy and a worthwhile multifamily investment.
• Lower cooling cost. Because hot air tends to rise, lower-level garden apartment complexes tend to have lower internal temperatures than high-rise buildings. This makes them more energy efficient than taller apartment buildings.
• Improved fire safety. Implementing fire safety protocols is easier at garden apartments. So, evacuating a garden apartment is way faster than higher-rise options.
• More spacious. Garden style apartments tend to offer more square footage than high-rise options.

 

Cons of buying a garden apartment complex

• May require more maintenance. Garden style apartments may require more maintenance than high-rise buildings since they’re more sprawling and have more outdoor space to maintain.
• Lower rent prices. Garden apartments are typically located in less-dense suburban areas. As a result, property owners and managers must charge lower rent prices than high-rise apartments. They also appreciate slower in value than high-rise buildings.
• Less natural light. Ground level apartments tend to get less light than higher-rise buildings. Less light means more artificial lighting and higher electricity bills. So, this may deter prospective residents from choosing your property.
• Requires more security. Ground level apartments are more susceptible to break-ins than mid or high-rise options. You may need to invest in a security system and fencing around the property.
• Higher heating costs. While lower-cooling costs are ideal in the summer, garden apartments tend to be humid and require more heating in the winter.

 

 

Pros & cons of living in a garden apartment complex

Modern garden style apartments are desirable to prospective residents, but there are several factors to consider when choosing to live in a garden apartment complex.

Here are a few benefits and disadvantages of living in a garden style apartment:

Pros of living in a garden apartment complex

• More accessible. Since most garden apartments are ground-level, they tend to be more accessible for residents with limited mobility.
• More affordable. Garden apartments are usually more affordable than mid-rise and high-rise apartments.
• More spread out. Garden apartments aren’t as densely packed as mid-rise or high-rise apartments. So, they usually offer more space. They also tend to be located in suburban areas, not in heavily populated city centers.
• Garden access. Garden apartments are known for their vast outdoor spaces.
• More privacy. Garden style apartments offer more privacy since they tend to have fewer occupants than mid and high-rise apartments. They also tend to have more private entrances.
• Pet-friendly. Garden apartment complexes are usually more pet-friendly than other kinds of apartments.

 

 

Cons of living in a garden apartment complex

• Limited elevator access. Because garden apartments have fewer levels, they usually don’t have elevators.
• More pests. Garden apartments are usually surrounded by trees and plants, which can often lead to more bugs in units and common areas.
• More noise. Low-rise apartments may experience higher levels of street and traffic noises.
• Fewer amenities. Because garden apartments are usually spread out across multiple buildings, they tend to offer fewer amenities than mid-rise and high-rise apartments. They also don’t have the scenic views associated with high-rise apartments. That being said, garden apartments may have swimming pools, barbeque grills, and other outdoor amenities.
• Surface parking. Garden level apartments may not offer indoor or covered parking. Outdoor parking can also be troublesome in the winter months or during storms.

 

 

How to control access to garden style apartments

Garden style apartments are usually located on the ground level, which makes them more accessible to unauthorized visitors, and more susceptible to break-ins. As a result, garden apartments require an effective and tamper-resistant access control solution.

To maintain security at a garden style apartment, consider fencing off the property and installing a video intercom system at the front gate.

Here’s why a ButterflyMX intercom is an ideal solution for garden style apartments:

• Sleek and modern design. The video gate intercom has a sophisticated yet approachable design that’s appealing to prospective and current residents of garden style apartments. This will improve your retention rates and increase the number of prospects who become tenants.
• Mobile-based access control. The ButterflyMX video gate intercom is a modern access control solution that allows residents to use their smartphones to gain access to your garden-style community. This not only boosts security, but makes it easier than ever to manage access for residents, visitors, and delivery carriers at your gated community.
• High-quality wide-angle camera. Never miss a moment with the state-of-the art wide-angle camera lens with a 156º field-of-view.
• 8” or 12” display. Available in both 8” or 12” LED displays in surfaced or recessed mounts that are easy to spot and boost curb appeal at your garden style apartment.
• Tamper- and weather-resistant. The transformative ButterflyMX video intercoms are constructed from cast aluminum, making them able to withstand extreme weather conditions of -40° to +140°F.