Lafayettein Stonegate by Richmond??

[waitin4ever]

Saw the models today sunday afternoon. Pretty busy traffic. The back yards were really small for 1.1M homes. But liked both plan 2 & Plan 3. Like the way upstairs are done on both models. Pretty big upstairs. Although the closet is too small in the secondary bedrooms upstairs for plan 2. The first floor is very unique. The way the model is set up with the big glass doors opening to the covered patio makes the place look deceptively big. The actual living area is not that big. The wet bar section on plan 3 is pretty good. Lack of pantry space on the kitchen is quite evident. Overall if you don't care for big back yards these are pretty good floorplans.

What is the reputation of Richmond homes? compared to other currently building in Irvine other than irvine pacific.

 

[aquabliss]

I saw these today as well.  The living room portion of the great room feels really small on all of them.  It's like you're watching the biggest TV in the house from 8 feet away. 

Asked the sales lady about standard offerings for sliders.  At the first slider (by the kitchen) standard offering is windows.  At the second slider (by the CA room), standard offering is a small white Vinyl slider.  This was plan 3.

If you want these you're probably out $25k before you even paid them to cut your drywall for the first recessed light.

 

[Happiness]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

 

[eyephone]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

Did you take a pic?

 

[qwerty]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

i know how i would use it

 

[eyephone]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

Maybe it's intended to be a spa-ish/relaxful shower.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

i know how i would use it

To wash your dogs.

 

[qwerty]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

i know how i would use it

To wash your dogs.

that too.

 

[Happiness]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room.  I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

Did you take a pic?

No pic but here is a link to the floor plan, check the Deluxe Master Bath 2 checkbox:
http://www.richmondamerican.com/Cal...w-homes/Irvine/Lafayette-at-Stonegate/Patton/

The brochure describes it as a "walk in shower"

 

[lnc]

What's with the prison style communal shower** in the Lafayette model plan 2 master bathroom? **Two identical wall mounted shower heads on the opposite ends of a large glass enclosed shower room. I can't imagine how this shower room would be used in practice.

Use your imaginations

 

[ChasingRainbows]

Just curious if anyone on TI is thinking of buying (or has bought) at Lafayette?

 

[WaWa]

I like the shower modeled in Plan 3, snapped a pix with my phone.  How do people feel about this deluxe bath, getting rid of the soaking tub in the master and replacing it with the dual rain showers for more practical use?  I can count on my one hand the number of times in the past 12 years the tub was used in our existing home. 

 

[lnc]

What is being build here at #55,57,59 Bainbridge street?  It look like 3 future model homes and they are not part of Lafayette homes.

They are located north of large circular grass area of JOST, near corner of Jeffrey and Encore.  I though they are the early phase of Lafayette but after visiting the sales, apparently they are not.  These homes (51,53,55,57,59 Bainbridge) are located on a slight elevated lot and have quite a view. 

 

[Calisun]

Those are KB home's Palo Alto models. Looks like home size is larger than Lafayette. May be over 3k sqft ?

 

[lnc]

I like the shower modeled in Plan 3, snapped a pix with my phone.  How do people feel about this deluxe bath, getting rid of the soaking tub in the master and replacing it with the dual rain showers for more practical use.  I can count on my one hand the number of times in the past 12 years the tub was used in our existing home. 

I don't use tub and don't mind if the master bath or the secondary bath don't come with one.  With out the tub however, the bathroom does not count as a full bath, it count as a 3/4 bath when the time comes to sell the home. 

I don't know realistically how much this will affect the appraisal/sale price but at least on paper, it show you have a 1/4 less bathroom.

 

[Jonah]

I can't say I liked any of these floor plans.  They had a lot if gimmicks but when you take a step back, the floor plans are hampered by their own impracticality - small kitchens and small "Great Rooms" (I use the term loosely).

 

[lnc]

Took a really quick tour of the model and base on a quick walk through without looking into too much details, I think the floor plan is pretty good for its size.

All the home have 10' ceiling on the first floor and 9' ceiling on the second.  The back yard is not really that small, it's almost twice as big as the one in Laurel and Strada's model home.  The back yard are about 15' deep, not a big yard but this is pretty typical for a TIC's lot.

The plan 1 has high ceiling at the foyer and two huge optional bi-fold glass door at the great room which give this smallest Lafayette plan quite an impression. 

The plan 2 have down stair laundry that might dislike by some but it has a mudroom with option that allows you to place a second fridge in it which I really like.  Those build-ins or cabinet depth fridge are really small and I hate to put a second fridge in the garage, so a place for 2nd fridge in house is really a plus for me. 

Some have mention that the great room felt small but for plan 3, if one opt for the conservatory and don't opt for the wet-bar like the one in the model, the plan 3's great room can be quite roomy. 

 

[ps99472]

We checked out the models over the weekend and here's my take on these Stonegate homes:

Plan1

+ surprising high ceiling entry for a new home in this area
- two steps thru the front door and i'm already at the back of the house
- if you want to see too much greige, check out this model
- shared bathroom upstairs for the secondary bedrooms

Plan2

+ Lots of room to shower

+ 4 bed/loft/dining room for 2650 sq ft is not bad for new home in Irvine
- entry into smallish foyer/wall
- laundry downstairs

Plan3

- small family room, as the entry foyer cuts down the middle, wet bar option is weird and wine room seems too alcoholic
- no 2nd fridge option?
- small master closet

Overall:

+ option on the extra fridge without having to get the extra kitchen (plan 1,2)
+ like the super showers
+ close to JOST
- too much cement in the model back yards, feels claustrophobic
- the bi-fold doors works well when you have a decent yard, it actually backfires in Irvine when you immediately notice how small the lot is with the wall view


I would give these homes around 5/10.  If I have to choose, I'm leaning to plan 2, as the family room layout of plan 3 bothers me.  They sold most of phase 1 and 2, and only have one plan 2 available now.  I doubt they'll have issues selling these homes, especially as we trend into the spring/summer seller's season.  I'm getting use to these bigger sized showers with the option of taking out the tub.  But please don't take the next step and put the toilet in there as well....

 

[lnc]

You can vaguely see the reflection of PS9 or whoever took that pic on that shower glass...

If that's PS9, he's way skinner than I've imagined.

 

[scubasteve]

For those that have seen both models, how do these compare to Mullberry in CV?