Master-planned communities, which include popular amenities such as swimming pools and sports courts, are in high demand in today’s residential real estate market, for many reasons.
They offer new custom Florida homes with amazing surroundings and activities, and come in all price ranges, sizes and configurations. For many buyers, two of the biggest factors in choosing a community is whether it’s gated, and how much that perk elevates the cost of living there.
That might sound like choosing between coffee or tea, but since we at ICI Homes have built master-planned communities all over Florida for more than four decades, we’re glad to share some tips.
Read on to find out whether it’s expensive to live in a gated community.
Key takeaways
Gated communities offer added peace of mind with controlled access, often using gate personnel, keypads, or mobile apps for security.
They tend to be quieter and safer, with fewer outside visitors, making sidewalks and parks more family-friendly.
Homeowners association (HOA) fees are typically higher in gated communities due to added expenses like gate maintenance and staffing.
Restricted access can occasionally be inconvenient—for example, during power outages or service appointments requiring special entry.
While there may be extra costs, the safety, privacy, and community atmosphere can make a gated lifestyle well worth it.
Safety first
A gated entrance controls who enters your community. That’s strong peace of mind.
Non-residents must stop for verification with gate personnel or via a digital connection and monitor. Residents bypass all that via windshield stickers that activate exit and entrance gates.
Many gated communities also have pedestrian gates that open via a key fob, phone app or keypad code.
Peace and quiet
This is important when it comes to a community’s sidewalks, green spaces and pocket parks.
It’s simply quieter and safer with gated entrances controlling the tide of visitors, solicitors, strangers, and random people riding bicycles and walking through your neighborhood.
HOA fees and covenants
All master-planned communities usually come with homeowner association fees. HOA fees are mandatory for all residents, who pay these monthly, quarterly or annually. These fees fund the maintenance, upkeep and improvements to all community amenities, including gated entrances.
Because of this, gated communities can mean higher HOA fees. Gated entrances and the personnel to staff them, often is an expense that doesn’t exist in a non-gated community.
Balance financial priorities with a gated community’s intangible benefits to inform your decision.
Restricted access
The same gate that provides security and privacy sometimes can require workarounds.
The heating and air conditioning technician due for your heat pump’s annual checkup will require vetting by a gate guard or your gates’ digital verification process. This could mean fielding a phone call from the guard or the digital system seeking your approval before the technician is permitted access. And woe if that person(s) doesn’t have the necessary IDs!
Also, remember that gates control physical access. What happens if the power’s out? Gate mechanisms fail for common mechanical reasons and are out of action until they’re repaired?
All residents may get funneled to another gate, creating temporary backups. And the non-functional gate(s) may be “frozen” in the open position to ease access and egress, meaning your neighborhood is “Open Sesame” to everyone.
Even so, gated communities have many positive attributes that can offset any uptick in price and inconvenience versus a non-gated community. Weigh the above options to make the best decision for your household.
Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.
They offer new custom Florida homes with amazing surroundings and activities, and come in all price ranges, sizes and configurations. For many buyers, two of the biggest factors in choosing a community is whether it’s gated, and how much that perk elevates the cost of living there.
