Bridgewater Villa vs. Condo: Bridgewater Villas are Easy on Your Eyes and Easy on Your Budget
As “Your Villa Experts”, we are often asked what the difference is between a condo and a villa. While it is true a villa or a condominium can be attached or free-standing and both include a homeowner’s association, the terms are not interchangeable. When shopping, it is important to know the difference.
Condo or condominium owners typically own only the interior of their unit. Think of the ownership as just from the drywall in. The condo association owns everything outside including the exterior of the condo, as well as the ground underneath. Since everything outside is owned, insured, and maintained by the association, condo fees are typically much higher and more susceptible to increasing over time than villa fees. Insurance costs and any required special assessments for maintenance are passed along to condo owners who may have little or no control over these expenses. Condo owners don’t generally have direct control over what insurance company provides their coverage or who is performing the maintenance to the exterior of their condo. The Condo association would make those decisions.
Bridgewater villa owners own their home and their homesite in its entirety. They enjoy basic exterior maintenance provided by their homeowner’s association. Bridgewater villa maintenance is typically more limited and includes lawn cutting and care, irrigation, landscaping upkeep, and snow removal.
However, covered maintenance items may vary by community. Since villa maintenance is much more focused, fees tend to be lower, more stable, and less likely to incur special surprise assessments in the future. Because villa owners own their own home, they are in control of expenses regarding insurance and major maintenance. Additionally, Bridgewater Communities has a proven track record of creating stable HOAs. We take steps to safeguard against voliatile assessments like purposely designing communities without significant special amenities. (Club houses, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc.) While these amenities may be nice to have, they are a virtual assurance of increased assessment or special assessments when these facilities need maintenance or replacement. We do focus on providing low risk, low maintenance amenities like green spaces and common ground areas.
Villa living combines the freedom of ownership with the ease of low-maintenance care. It is a lifestyle built around simplicity, stability, and a traditional sense of home.
If you would like to learn more about villas and the villa lifestyle, stop by any of our communities. Our community Villa Experts are always happy to answer questions.
