These days, in an increasingly fragmented society it is all too easy to feel lonely. This can be especially true in apartment buildings, where a high turnover of tenants means that we often don’t know who our neighbours are. From one day to the next, many people go about their days with little human connection, and that isn’t good for us. This is, of course, especially true as we are stuck at home with even fewer of those vital social connections available to us.
Perhaps it is time that you stopped renting, and moved into a home of your own that comes with a built-in community in place.
When you purchase a new mini home and place it in an established land lease community, you’re joining other folk who genuinely care about their neighbours, and their neighbourhood. Homeowners are naturally more invested in the community that they live in, and this creates a sense of pride and camaraderie. When you live in an apartment, no matter how much you care about your home, you have zero control over the other tenants and whether they keep common areas clean (and sharing walls, ceilings, or floors with inconsiderate neighbours is incredibly frustrating!).
At Havill’s, we regularly hear stories about how our clients have found a real sense of community and belonging in the land lease community that they’ve chosen to place their homes in. In one of our newest communities, the residents have formed strong bonds that have seen them all attend one home-owning couple’s wedding, help another resident get through hip surgery by walking her dog and delivering home-cooked meals, and do lots of little things that have helped the community thrive.
In other communities, we know that neighbours help each other with snow removal, and check in with each other when they know someone needs a little extra help. We had one man move into a community just so that he could get closer to his grandkids and help out with the babysitting. There’s a great sense of comfort in knowing that if you need someone to keep an eye on your place when you’re on vacation, you only have to ask your neighbour because you have an established relationship with them.
At Ten Beaches Estates in Hubbards, last summer the home-owners (with a little help from the community managers) built an area with chairs and a fire pit for residents to hang out together – and there have been many evening sing-alongs accompanied by one homeowner playing the guitar or playing the spoons. They’ve planted shrubbery there and made the area really sweet.
All the land lease communities that we work with have green spaces where residents can get together for a softball game, or hang out, and some parks have playgrounds too. Valley Gate has a gorgeous new playground and basketball court that is used by young and old.
This doesn’t mean that everyone lives in each other’s pockets in land lease communities – far from it. You still get your privacy, much more so than when you live in an apartment because there’s a good amount of space between you and your neighbours – no more shared walls, entryways, laundry rooms, or any other common areas. Your space is your space, and you get to keep it just how you like it.
Doesn’t this sound appealing? Get in touch with our Home Consultant Viola to find out about the land lease communities that we place our homes in, and which one would best suit your needs. They can also help you find the perfect mini home, and walk you through the financing process. Getting into a brand new Kent mini home is easier than you think, and may help you fight social isolation by moving into a supportive community.
