Interior design options let residents choose their own tailor-fit upgrades.
Many forward-thinking apartment owners and developers no longer treat apartment homes simply as one stop along the path toward homeownership. Instead, apartments can be a long-term housing solution, well-grounded in strong quality-of-life benefits.
That approach already is in place at Avistelé Lifestyle Communities, where the company’s management and customer service are designed and driven to satisfy residents (Avistelé refers to residents as members as part of its company culture) who have decided to make apartment living a lifestyle choice. Members consistently receive special treatment that enhances their quality of life above what they can realize from homeownership. It starts—but doesn’t end—with interior design options that help meet residents’ specific tastes.
Customized color and built-in features in the kitchen, living room and bathroom areas help Avistelé members enjoy surroundings that are comparable to or exceed what they would experience in single-family homeownership—but without the hassles, restrictions and financial risks that can be associated with homeownership and the maintenance that goes with it.
Personalization With Purpose
Prior to a new member moving into an Avistelé community, a designated membership coordinator works closely with the member to make sure that the apartment home is prepared with not only the wall color they choose but also a host of desired interior design upgrades.
Popular upgrades include paint, hardwood floors, tiled floors, stainless steel appliances and upgraded light fixtures, just to name a few. Avistelé includes all of the costs of upgrades in one fee that is added to a member’s monthly rent. (Avistelé refers to the rent as a membership fee.) The increase in membership fees can range from $8 to $300 per month depending on the upgrades selected.
Paint, for example, is an easy and cost-effective way to personalize a living space. The custom paint comes from a palette of name-brand designer colors. Members may opt to have one accent wall painted anywhere in the home or, from a different palette, choose the complete home package for their entire living space. If the member desires, Avistelé can paint several different colors.
The cost of painting additional colors in a home is a one-time charge added to the membership fees of $150 per color. Avistelé occasionally offers a special that allows a new member to have a room in their home painted for free.
Upgrades That Work
The wide variety of designer upgrades for every room in an apartment home include premium flooring, hard-surface countertops, stainless steel appliances, in-wall surround sound media rooms, steam showers, jetted tubs, lighting, and closet organizer packages among other possibilities. Amenities can be added in packages or á la carte—all at a premium added to monthly fees that varies at each Avistelé community in various markets.
Avistelé communities offer a variety of furnishings and amenities within their floor plans to match diverse budgets. Avistelé offers four styles of homes: Vintage (does not include any upgrades), Legacy (little upgrading to lights and carpet—very basic), Classic (more upgrades with lights, new carpet, more upscale countertops and new appliances) and Cachet (fully upgraded homes with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, tile bathroom and kitchen, etc.).
Avistelé makes these options work for the company’s business model through careful planning. In any one given community, Avistelé will offer a certain number of Vintage, Legacy, Classic and Cachet homes. Once these specific homes are occupied, Avistelé will not unnecessarily upgrade those homes further, because once a home is upgraded, it is difficult to scale back those features later.
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owever, flexibility is important in order to provide member-focused service. Once a member occupies a certain home, Avistelé still can offer some upgrades. For example, if someone living in a Legacy home wants upgrades beyond the basic ones usually offered for that home style, Avistelé can set up a flat-screen television, surround sound, upgraded appliances, light fixtures and other items that are less permanent. Legacy and Classic homes occasionally have extra upgrades added without converting them entirely into Cachet Homes.
Avistelé monitors trends for which upgrades are most requested and exercises careful planning to determine which homes to upgrade to meet the demand. This challenge is one reason that Avistelé created three types of upgraded homes with different levels of upgrades—to ensure that the company offers a wide range of styles that can be easily customized to the desires and needs of members.
Howard S. Primer is Founder and CEO of Knoxville, Tenn.-based RenaissancePG, which manages Avistelé Lifestyle Communities, including over 2,000 multifamily housing homes in Florida, Georgia and Texas.