Why do almost all the houses in Cape Coral look alike? (new home, landscaping)

[90sman]

I did some visiting to Cape Coral on Google Maps street-viewer and I noticed that almost every house has the same design to them.

Is there a reason for this?

[CCRESI]

The only "reason" I can think of is that most of the newer homes were built to withstand Hurricane forced winds. The roof/concrete block/and windows are similar. The layouts of these homes vary, as do the interior features, but many homes have a similar vibe.

We had a housing boom a few years back and many builders used the same materials. That may be the reason why you see so many that look just alike.

[prairiestate]

It what's known as a "suburban subdivision". That's why every home in every subdivision looks the same in a given region of the country.

[Angelala]

I don't think they do at all. Most are CBS homes but are different.

[TamRE]

It depends what area you are looking in. If it is in a development that was built by the same builder, they may have similar models with similar designs such as all have hip roofs, or tile roofs. Homes built within the same years are similar such as homes built in the 2000's, a lot of them have pillars and other desirable features of that time. If you look at homes built in the 70's or 80's for example, you can tell the difference in style. Models change with the times. You will find that if the exterior looks similar, there still may be other interior features and floor plans that are quite different.

[rikoshaprl]

Because many homes that are not in developments had different builders, they have diverse designs. But all are built to withstand hurricanes so they are similar as previous posters have noted. I think in gated communities outside of Cape Coral homes look more alike than in CC.

[equalrightsforeveryone]

Originally Posted by 90sman

I did some visiting to Cape Coral on Google Maps street-viewer and I noticed that almost every house has the same design to them.

Is there a reason for this?

Repetitive construction equals lower cost for the builder, which in-turn gets them more profit.

That is why in many developments you see three or four floor plans available, it even goes down to the paint colors where you often see that on one building the body and trim colors are the same as the next, only reversed.
In Cape Coral the builders bought much of the land and then gave people a limited choice of floor plans to choose from. Which means that look alike home where often constructed by the same builder through out the city.

[alfbroker]

Its not just Cape Coral, it's all of Florida and most of the US. All builders have one or two models that are more popular with buyers so naturally more of them are built. They do try to use different color combinations including the roof color and flip the floor plan where the garage will be on the left on one and the same exact model right next door the garage will be on the right and the whole plan will be reversed.

Most buyers prefer the dramatic high entry in the front door area which has become common in new Florida homes. The "sameness" is usually more noticealble in areas with newer homes. After people buy and move in they usually do additional planting and landscaping which makes the homes more distinctive.

[equalrightsforeveryone]

Originally Posted by alfbroker

Its not just Cape Coral, it's all of Florida and most of the US. All builders have one or two models that are more popular with buyers so naturally more of them are built. They do try to use different color combinations including the roof color and flip the floor plan where the garage will be on the left on one and the same exact model right next door the garage will be on the right and the whole plan will be reversed.

Most buyers prefer the dramatic high entry in the front door area which has become common in new Florida homes. The "sameness" is usually more noticealble in areas with newer homes. After people buy and move in they usually do additional planting and landscaping which makes the homes more distinctive.

Those huge entries always give me a chuckle. They got entry ways on homes that are way out off proportion with the rest of the building, they look like they should be on a much larger home.

[nhkev]

to start almost all of the lots are identical in shape and size. most of the new homes were built in areas that required a well and septic which takes up room on these small lots. So the footprint size is going limited due to size of lot. The other limit is a high percentage of retirees and small families so a smaller footprint (houses under 2000 sq ft).

add to it that most are concrete block construction due to hurricane and termites. Most have hipped roofs again for high wind.

a square CBS is the easiest cheapest to build so bumpouts are an added expense that usually would give the houses increased price but better curb appeal.

Most houses do not have 2nd floors again due to 3 things, the 2nd floors are usually stick built, more prone to hurricanes, and require stairs which take up room and older folks typically want 1 floor living.

Colors: darker colors attract sunlight and heat so most are lighter colored homes

Style: because it is a subtropical climate most people that are attracted to the area like the mediterranean / key west type of look.

Most homes were built by developers using stock plans, less money easier to build.

Lack of landscaping: because the area is fairly newly built to keep costs down there was little to no landscaping included in the price of the houses. normally the new home owner would do these things after buying. because of the timing of the crash this did not happen, calling more attention to the house itself as opposed to the property as a whole.