Page 8 - CooperatorNews New Jersey Fall 2021

8 COOPERATORNEWS NEW JERSEY
—FALL 2021
NJ.COOPERATORNEWS.COM
TRENDS
Outdoor Spaces
An Always-Popular Amenity Becomes a Must-Have
BY A. J. SIDRANSKY
Outdoor space, whether communal
or private to individual units, has always
been at the top of the most-desired ame-
nities list for condominium and co-op
purchasers. A small terrace or balcony can
add hours of quiet enjoyment to apart-
ment living—not to mention thousands
of dollars to the value of a given unit. Re-
cent sales data suggest that apartments
with private exterior space and buildings
with common areas enabling residents to
enjoy safe outdoor access during the CO-
VID-19 pandemic are selling more quick-
ly and at higher prices than comparable
units without those features. In many
markets, single-family homes are selling
at record speed—and for record prices.
Even homes with in-ground pools—often
considered ‘white elephants’ in the Before
Times, thanks to the maintenance and
upkeep they require—are selling at a huge
premium.
CooperatorNews
spoke to one subur-
ban Stamford, Connecticut couple who
prefer to remain anonymous about their
selling experience. They report that just
a few years ago, their four-bedroom mid-
1970s home with an in-ground pool and
jacuzzi was ‘unsellable’ at a price accept-
able to them. Fast-forward to last Novem-
ber, when it sold—for more than their
asking price and with multiple bids—in
one weekend.
Becoming Competitive
Condominium and cooperative com-
munities have a lot to consider when it you can’t have private outdoor space such be a very expensive proposition, but one
comes to translating exterior amenities as a terrace or balcony, outdoor commu-
into a competitive sales advantage. Build-
ings that weren’t built with individual ter-
races and balconies generally can’t over-
haul their fundamental structure to add really valuable now.”
those elements, nice as that would be.
There are of course other options avail-
able to provide a safe, monitored, ex-
terior space for residents to access in space. First and foremost, there’s the roof. local ordinances governing use during the
good weather, but they vary depending While an expensive and sometimes tech-
on building type; obviously, high-rise nically difficult undertaking, roof decks COVID-related liability claims (Ed note:
buildings have different options than provide residents with what might be the prior to New Jersey’s recent passage of a
more horizontal communities. As always, best option in denser, more urban areas law that limits lawsuits against planned
though, necessity is the mother of inven-
tion, and boards and communities must just nonexistent. There’s also likely to be COVID-19 exposure in common areas),
be inventive if they want to build out, en-
hance, or upgrade their outside spaces.
Alan Gaynor is an architect and a prin-
cipal of Boddewyn Gaynor Architects, a be a larger space that can accommodate made sense for them—it keeps the space
firm based in New York that works all up more people at once, especially when fac-
and down the East Coast, including sever-
al projects in New Jersey. “Outdoor space that is likely to be with us for some time.
has become very important since the be-
ginning of the pandemic,” says Gaynor. is to use or repurpose courtyards, alleys, additional exterior spaces for commu-
“Buyers are increasingly looking for it—to and unused or underused backyards. This nity use may be a growing priority for
the point that anyone designing a building may not be feasible with all such spaces, urban properties, that urgency or interest
today who is not including outdoor space but for many it is, if it’s well considered may not be quite the same for suburban
is crazy, because it will affect salability. and well executed. “Greenery is always communities. Becker points out that the
When I originally bought my apartment, I appreciated by everyone,” says Gaynor.
wanted outdoor space, but couldn’t afford ate replacement parking elsewhere on the
it. Now it’s more important than ever. If property—which, Gaynor points out, can
nity space is nice to have. We now have a
roof garden on our building. Truthfully, with Corner Property Management in
it’s not much of a garden, but it’s there and Springfield, New Jersey, mentions an
Gaynor points out that there are many considering converting a tennis court to
possible places for a co-op or condo-
minium community to carve out outdoor would use the courts normally, various
where ground-level space is sometimes real estate developments stemming from
more direct sunlight for longer periods of made the community reluctant to contin-
the day on a rooftop than in a courtyard ue using the space for tennis. Converting
or alley at ground level, and it’s likely to the already paved space into a seating area
toring in the social distancing guidance proper precautions.
Another option for some properties
“A garden or courtyard or patio, whatever
you want to call it, must have an amal-
gam of both greenery and paved spaces.
There should be space for benches and
tables. The ability to eat one’s lunch out-
side, weather permitting, is a great thing.
If the space you are considering using is
on the ground floor, you can dig up the
earth under the concrete now covering it
to create plant beds. If you can’t, there are
potted plants—which are what’s typically
used on roof decks today—though those
require more intensive care. You may
even have more than one area—and those
can be designated for different uses or
segments of the community. Perhaps one
area is for families with children, while
another could be designated as a quiet
area.”
Horizontal communities like town-
houses, garden-style apartments, and
even single-family-home HOAs can in-
crease their curb appeal by repurpos-
ing exterior areas as well. They can add
paved walking paths for exclusive resi-
dent use, or even repurpose a parking lot
into a playground (assuming they have
sufficient parking otherwise, or can cre-
that adds to value and quality of life).
Denise Becker, a regional manager
over-55 property where the residents are
an outdoor seating area. While residents
pandemic, plus concern about potential
in use while still enabling users to take
Now, or Later?
The simple truth is that while adding
continued on page 16