Pros and cons of living in a gated community

Published: 28-07-2022

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On the real estate market, you can find more and more offers for the sale of apartments, which are located in the so-called gated communities or walled communities. They are available in both single-family and multi-family residential developments. Gated communities have their faithful supporters and bitter opponents. What exactly is a gated community and what are its advantages and disadvantages?

 

Characteristics of a gated community

A gated community is a collection of houses or apartment blocks located in a strictly defined area surrounded by a fence or wall. Gated communities usually have 24/7 security and are equipped with intercoms or videophones, monitoring, barriers or remote-controlled gates. Only the residents and their guests can enter the estate. Except for them, no one from the outside can get there.

 

The main advantages of a gated community

This type of housing development is a very popular trend that we can observe in large cities, near important communication centers or on the outskirts. The main recipients of such properties are usually young people aged 20 to 40 who are not yet thinking about starting a family or have just started one and are just looking for a safe and peaceful haven. Gated communities give a greater sense of security due to the monitoring and protection of the security company. The area is fenced, so there is less risk of burglary, theft and vandalism. The residents are calm about the safety of their families and property.

An important advantage of this type of housing estate is the properly arranged space around the buildings and the sense of cleanliness and aesthetics. The gated communities are simply neat, garbage-free and well-kept. There are usually well-equipped playgrounds at the disposal of children. You also don’t have to worry about parking spaces, as these are usually assigned to specific apartments. Vehicle traffic is significantly limited and takes place only in separate zones to ensure maximum safety for residents, especially children.

 

Downsides of a gated community

Not everyone is in favor of this type of housing. As it turns out, gated communities can also have their downsides. These include higher maintenance costs due to the presence of a security company and people who care for green areas (mowing, watering plants, cleaning). In fenced estates, flats are usually of a higher standard, and therefore the purchase costs of this type of real estate are also higher than in the case of open estates. Apartments in gated communities are usually of a higher standard, and therefore the cost of their purchase is also higher than in the case of ordinary apartments. For some people, a significant disadvantage is also the cut-off from the outside world and the maximum isolation of residents. A gated community is a kind of enclave, and, according to sociologists, high fences and gates can lead to social divisions, significantly hindering building ties with neighbors. Some people also believe that ubiquitous monitoring is associated with a loss of privacy.

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