Four Seasons Sunrooms and Conservatories Helps Create Luxury for Rent

HOLBROOK, NY (Febrary, 1999) - For years now, some renters on the housing market that have had a hard time finding apartments that have what they're looking for. These prospective tenants have the resources to buy a home, but they're not looking to be tied down to a traditional mortgage and the maintenance of home ownership. They're young professionals on the move who are too busy to spend their weekends cleaning the gutters and cutting the lawn. They're empty-nesters who no longer need a large house, but have become accustomed to the amenities their houses have afforded. They're single, they're married, they're young, they're middle-aged and they're mature. Their one common thread is that they're looking for an apartment that has the amenities and feeling of a house without the strings attached -- and they're willing to pay for it.

Until recently, these prospective renters have had to settle. Very often they stayed in homes they no longer wanted or had the time to maintain because they couldn't find an apartment they liked. Many felt forced to buy because they couldn't find anything that felt like "home" in an apartment.

A new type of rental has raised the bar of apartment living and met the needs of these prospective renters. These new apartments are not "units," they're "apartment homes." They're not rented to "tenants," they're rented to "residents." They're not built as "projects," they're built as "communities."

Developers who have gone out of their way to meet this market's needs have been repaid handsomely for their effort. The interest in this new apartment concept has pushed rents above traditional mortgage payments, but residents are happy to pay it because they get value and peace of mind. "I feel like I'm getting value for my dollar," one resident said. "It doesn't feel like a rental."

The new communities command higher rents by offering their clientele the modern amenities these upscale renters demand – fitness centers, racquetball courts, in-home washers and dryers, walk-in closets, attached garages, fireplaces – and even patio rooms, sunrooms and conservatories.

According to Chris Esposito, president of Four Seasons Sunrooms, "A Four Seasons Sunroom or Conservatory on an apartment gives the space such a new feeling that a one- or two-bedroom unit becomes a much larger feeling home. The dramatic way sunlight enters the space makes the rooms so much brighter and more inviting that residents no longer feel they are in an apartment, but are in a majestic and spacious new home – the actual square footage of living space the sunroom or conservatory adds is a bonus."

Some of this work is being done in new construction, but current property owners are taking note as well. Often, adding a sunroom, patio room or conservatory can expand the living space of existing units by enclosing the rarely used deck or terrace, turning a one-season space into year-round space that enhances and transforms the whole apartment. The end result is more living space -- and more livable space – without changing the existing footprint of the building at all.

Four Seasons Sunrooms is America's largest manufacturer of sunrooms, conservatories and patio enclosures. For more information, call 1-800-FOUR-SEASONS.