Prado 50s

William Lyon Homes (now Taylor Morrison)

Austin, TX

July 2019

Eclectic and colorful elevations that don't feel like "your grandmother's home."
Box on box design that does not look or feel like it.
Consumer and trend research help to create spec homes that sell.
Cool factor where it matters, with a vibrant street scene and basic rear and side elevations.

Prado by William Lyon Homes is a smaller, boutique community located in the southeast Austin submarket in Texas. The mini masterplan includes 362 homes over multiple series with 40- and 50-foot-wide lots. This feature will focus on the 50-foot-wide lot series, and we will feature in DesignLens the 40-foot-wide lot series at a later date. The homes in the 50s series range from 1,451 to 2,656 square feet on 6,000-square-foot lots (50’ x 120’), obtaining an approximate density of approximately 4.7 per acre. The community opened for presales in July 2017, but the models did not open until later that year in September. Sales were slower at first but have picked up and the series sells an average of 4 homes per month as of July 2019. Prices for the 50s start in the mid-$200,000s. Buyers are drawn to the attainable prices and quality design.

Prado 50s

More modern elevation styles were growing in popularity when Lyon designed Prado, so the design team embraced an eclectic contemporary elevation style. This choice has paid off with shoppers coming in specifically because they saw the elevations online and were drawn to the community. One of the sales strategies was to highlight that “it’s not your grandmother’s home.” Prado is fresh and new, inside and out.

Prado 50s

The tour for the 50s series only includes one model, the Colorado. This model also houses the sales office for Prado in its garage. Not surprisingly, this is the top-selling plan. Modeled plans often are.

Prado 50s

The elevation has a playful contemporary feel with color blocking, a mix of materials, and a varying roof line.

Prado 50s

The front door is located under a deep but narrow porch. The space is not furnishable, but it benefits from lots of light due to the choice to open one side. The colorful front door is a nice contrast to its more neutral surroundings.

Prado 50s

The Colorado is 2,227 square feet, which falls in the middle of the size range in the series. This 40-foot-wide, two-story home has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a 2-car garage. Structural options are minimal and include additional storage space in the garage, open railing along the stairs (featured in the model), and additional cabinetry in the laundry room. Differing from the typical ground floor master bedroom plans in the Texas market, the Colorado places all but one bedroom on the second floor, with only a secondary bedroom on the ground level.

Prado 50s

The front door opens on a small foyer that includes a coat closet.

Prado 50s

Instead of merchandising the ground floor bedroom as a sleeping space, the design team chose to highlight it as an office. The community was designed with a focus on young professionals versus families, so this was a smart design choice, especially with the growing number of younger telecommuters in the Austin market.

Prado 50s

The main living areas are grouped at the back of the home, taking advantage of the connection to the backyard with plenty of windows.

Prado 50s

The design team thoughtfully created plans with minimal windows on the sides of the homes. This keeps costs down, while also helping to preserve privacy between homes. The seating area benefits from only having windows on one wall, which allows for a better ability to furnish the space.

Prado 50s

The dining area floats between the seating area and kitchen but has enough square footage to be successful and not feel shortchanged, as dining areas in this position sometimes can feel.

Prado 50s

The kitchen is efficient and charming with everything running along one wall and a small but well-designed island with room to sit and eat. Varying the height of the cabinets adds interest and provides a bit more cabinet space. A walk-in pantry supports the storage needs of the space.

Prado 50s

Homes in this collection are thoughtfully designed for livability while also being mindful of costs. Money is spent where is makes a difference, and things are kept simple where it makes less of an impact, like the rear elevation. The front elevation is dramatic, but the three other sides of the house are just flat walls with no pop outs and few windows. The colorful backdoor is a nice touch, since it adds interest to the rear elevation and references back to the color in the front. The homes in the 50s series benefit from nicely sized backyards that would work well for children or pets to play.

Prado 50s

The stairwell is beautifully enhanced with a more contemporary railing choice.

Prado 50s

The contemporary railing continues along the top of the stairwell and opens up to the bonus room.

Prado 50s

The bonus room offers an alternative gathering space to the great room below and could function well as a tv room or informal work area. The high fixed windows add interest to the front elevation while allowing for better furnishability of the space.

Prado 50s

The master bedroom is spacious and can accommodate a small seating area, making for a nice retreat for a young couple or young parents.

Prado 50s

The master bathroom is simple with a single vanity that includes dual sinks. Specifications are quality but on the more cost-effective side.

Prado 50s

The larger shower makes good use of the smaller square footage versus trying to include both a tub and shower. The open linen shelving is a nice example of the thoughtful integration of storage in the series and makes the room feel more spacious.

Prado 50s

Secondary bedrooms are nicely sized, and this one benefits from windows on multiple walls. The two bedrooms share a bathroom accessed off the hall.

Prado 50s

Prado appeals to the young professionals it was designed for, with young couples in the mid-twenties to mid-thirties buying there. While many start as young couples, several of the buyers are now getting married and starting to have kids. The multiple secondary bedrooms can support this change in life stage.

Prado 50s

The contemporary architecture provides an interesting and varied streetscape. William Lyon took a spec home approach to this community versus having buyers design and build their homes from the ground up. The team thoughtfully chose interior features and specifications based on consumer research, including looking into trends that appeal to the younger buyers, and built homes so they would have an inventory for buyers to select from. This approach paid off. Buyers like the included features and the fact that they can move in quickly instead of waiting significant time for their new home.

Prado 50s

Prado is in a growing submarket that did not start on the radar for most buyers or realtors. This led to challenges when the community first opened. At first, the community got consumers who were driving by who came in and some buyers who found the community online and were drawn to the design. Once shoppers and realtors found the community, sales grew. Realtors love Prado, and once they discover it they bring multiple shoppers in. The sales team even built relationships with many shoppers who keep in touch and have ended up buying homes sometimes years after their first visit.

Prado 50s

The Prado 50s series includes 8 unmodeled floor plans that range from single-story to two-story homes with the master bedroom on the first or second floors. The Senna is the smallest home offered in the 50s series at only 1,451 square feet. This 40-foot-wide single-story home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2-car garage.

Prado 50s

The Angelina, which is also a single-story home, is 1,543 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2-car garage. The home is 40 feet wide.

Prado 50s

The Blanco is 1,699 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2-car garage. This single-story home is 40 feet wide.

Prado 50s

The Lantana is the largest single-story home offered at 1,709 square feet. This 40-foot-wide home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 2-car garage. The additional square footage allows the home to include a separate formal office at the front of the home.

Prado 50s

The Primrose is the smallest two-story home offered at 2,076 square feet. This 40-foot-wide home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage. The home benefits from a ground floor office, a powder room, and a bonus room on the second floor. This plan places the master bedroom on the second floor.

Prado 50s

The Concho is 2,391 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage. This 40-foot-wide, two-story home has an office and the master bedroom on the ground floor with the second floor dedicated to secondary bedrooms and a bonus room.

Prado 50s

The Waterleaf is 2,450 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a 2-car garage. This 40-foot-wide, two-story home has an office and the master bedroom on the ground floor with the second floor dedicated to secondary bedrooms and a bonus room. The additional square footage allows for the fourth bedroom.

Prado 50s

The Trinity is the largest plan offered in the 50s series with 2,656 square feet. This 40-foot-wide, two-story home has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a 2-car garage. The plan has the master bedroom on the ground floor as well as a secondary bedroom instead of an office space.

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Spec Home Business Model Leads to Success in This Boutique Community for Millenials

Eclectic and colorful elevations that don't feel like "your grandmother's home."
Box on box design that does not look or feel like it.
Consumer and trend research help to create spec homes that sell.
Cool factor where it matters, with a vibrant street scene and basic rear and side elevations.

Product type: Single-family detached

PROJECT STATS

Project Stats close

Included Features Project Summaries

Price as of July 2019: $260,990/ starting at

Square footage (min): 1,451-2,656

Lot size: 6,000/ square feet average

Density: 4.7

Sales start date: September 2017 (models opened)

Total homes: 362

Sales as of: 4 per month as of July 2019

HOA: $45 per month

Target market: Young couples

Unique selling position: Modern elevations and spacious, functional floor plans at an attainable price.

Consultants

Builders

William Lyon Homes (now Taylor Morrison)

Architects

–

Interior designers

–

Landscape Architects

Proscapes

Developers

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Location

1636 Caballo Blanco Road

Phone number (512) 337-6336

Region Texas

State Texas

City Austin

Zip Code 78725