Briar Chapel Club House
Video of Briar Chapel
View all Briar Chapel Homes for Sale
Developed by Newland, Briar Chapel in Chapel Hill is a large mixed use neighborhood in Chatham County, NC(Chapel Hill address).
It’s a straight shot of around 7 miles down 15-501 to UNC on a 4 lane road so it is a quick easy commute. The prices for new homes are the best in the area and I really like that the amenities are in and that the neighborhood is well maintained.
The first buyers in a neighborhood get the best prices but have a greater risk that the neighborhood won’t be developed as planned. I feel good when there are signs that the developer has deep pockets and will be around for the long haul. The Developer is Newland and here is a link to their site.
The neighborhood has just been under development for a couple of years and is doing very well. At this time there are 240 families living in Briar Chapel. What really impressed me was this list that shows the number of sales in Triangle new home communities. Briar Chapel was #2 in the whole Triangle! Click to enlarge the thumbnail to see the rankings of new home neighborhoods in the Triangle.
Briar Chapel is #2 in the Triangle
Chatham County isn’t a big market and Briar Chapel selling over 70 homes in a year is a big indicator of where the market is going and growing.
The Commute and Driving distances to Briar Chapel
The University of North Carolina is 8 miles and Duke University is 20 miles. RDU Airport is 25 miles.
Click to enlarge
Briar Chapel under $400,000
I was in Briar Chapel last week with a client and we saw some beautiful homes in the $400′s but it’s been a while since I have shown Briar Chapel in the 300′s so I was able to talk my husband into going previewing with me. There are several builders in that price range and here is what I think about what is on the market now.
Saussy Burbank
We stopped by Saussy Burbank first. I was amazed that this home is only $295,015 . (Jan. 16,2012) It has 3 bedrooms, a bonus, 2 car garage and a corner fenced in lot. The houses are close together but it’s really a single family home with a townhouse price. This builder has nice details and quality features. I especially like the site finished hardwood floors and the craftsman trim details.
Homes by Dickerson
Next we went to the new Homes by Dickerson model. I fell in love with one of their plans in Briar Chapel during the Parade of Homes in October and was looking forward to seeing their new model for the smaller homes. I’m sort of stuck on white cabinets now with a light top and a plain light backsplash and their designer is great with this look although they do darker cabinets and tops too.
Their model is 2,004 sq ft and is $333,185. What I loved about this plan is the first floor master bedroom and the upstairs open family room area with 2 bedrooms and a bath opening from it. There are two big areas for walk in storage. Homes by Dickerson have site finished floors and especially nice and interesting trim details.
M/I Homes
We went to the M/I Villas next. They have 3 spec houses now from $290,000 to $340,000. These homes are built on a slab with mostly one level living with bonus/bedrooms upstairs. The Villas have been very successful and the current phase is just about finished.
Take a look at this home for $319,900 The front elevations look good with sort of a California feel. Inside the space is good but the finishes are not up to the levels of the other builders. It may just be the decorating choices but the prefinished flooring , limited trim details and selections come off cheap. Notice the kitchen backsplash and granite in the listing. It’s very busy.
I think if you were to buy a presale in Briar Chapel and make different selections the house would be fine. After all, paint and floors can be changed but not the structure-floor plan. The M/I floor plans in Briar Chapel are very good.
David Weekley
It was getting dark and my husband was ready to leave Briar Chapel and go home but I managed to get him to go to one more home. I have worked with David Weekley in the past and know they build a good energy efficient home. Their plans are excellent and you get a good price along with the good plan. What we liked about this plan, 1618 Great Ridge Parkway, was the location in the neighborhood with a wooded median in front of the home and the big front porch set up from the street.
Inside, the open family room kitchen and dining was appealing and my husband liked the first floor study with french doors. He pictured a big TV, a comfortable seating area and a bar cabinet. A place to have friends over and talk but still in the main part of the house. The first floor master was great too. This house has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2700 sq ft. so there is space for a big family too. I thought the price at $336,539 was amazing for such a nice house and my business is looking at houses! What I didn’t like was the prefinished flooring. I think the builder would upgrade to site finished if you bought a presale. UPDATE: Site finished are now standard!
The hollow doors bothered my husband but that is what you see in this market even in upper price ranges. The doors could be upgraded too.
Let me know if you would like more information or would like to visit Briar Chapel.
I’ll get back out to Briar Chapel again soon and do a video update.
