Keeping the community safe and ensuring the neighborhood is well-taken care of is a priority for any HOA board. It’s all about finding a balance between protecting the community and maintaining a welcoming exterior. The issue often boils down to deciding whether or not to install a gate around the community. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of making your HOA a gated community.
Pros of a Gated Community:
- Offers a physical and psychological barrier between the community and potential criminals — it’s a large deterrent for crime.
- Reduces unauthorized vehicle and foot traffic through the community, making it quieter and safer for children playing and riding bikes in the neighborhood.
- Fewer, if not zero, solicitors are coming to the doors of residents.
- Makes residents feel more secure in their homes and in the community overall.
- Usually increases property values within an HOA — homes generally appreciate nicely over the years.
Cons:
- Makes it harder for guests to enter. It can make hosting parties, selling items, getting deliveries, and navigating home maintenance a little trickier to work around.
- It’s likely to come with an increase in HOA dues to pay for the cost of constructing the gate, maintaining it, and any other security measures put in place.
- Could take longer to get home or leave your home depending on how long it takes to enter/leave the community during peak times.
There’s so much to consider when deciding if your HOA should or should not become a gated community, including whether the gated community is one with a guard or one with an automatic keypad. Gated communities are attractive to home buyers, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons and talk with the community members before making a decision.
If your HOA is contemplating a big decision like becoming a gated community or simply needs help managing the day-to-day duties, contact Prism Realty Management. Give us a call at 512-676-5842 — we’d be happy to talk to you about who we are, the services we offer, and our process.