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Nine Cul-de-Sac Homesites Now Available in Sought-After Suffield Woods

New construction is coming to Suffield Woods in Palos Park.

Award-winning homebuilder Gallagher and Henry, which first began developing Suffield Woods more than 20 years ago, recently released nine off-the-market lots at the established community located just west of 104th Avenue at Palos West Drive (approximately 127th Street). With varying lot sizes starting at one-quarter acre, the nine homesites line the Bayberry Court cul-de-sac and provide homebuyers a private location in one of the southwest suburb’s most sought-after communities.

“If homebuyers select a home site on the Bayberry Court cul-de-sac, they’ll enjoy all the benefit of new constructions in an established community of homes,” Gallagher and Henry sales associate Tina Plastiak assures.

Compelling Home Plans

Since first opening Suffield Woods in the early 1990s, Gallagher and Henry has constructed more than 300 single-family homes in the community. For years, however, it held onto the Bayberry Court homesites, earmarking them for future model homes that they never needed to build.

The nine large Bayberry Court lots inhabit the eastern edge of Suffield Woods and can accommodate any of Gallagher and Henry’s Lifestyle Series home plans, which start at $463,700. Built with contemporary living top of mind, Lifestyle Series homes contain some of the most in-demand amenities of today’s homebuyers. The open-concept floor plans include standard features such as three-car garages, dedicated home offices or flex spaces, full basements, mudrooms, and ENERGY STAR certification that reduces home operating expenses and environmental impact.

Gallagher and Henry’s current Lifestyle Series lineup features two ranch plans, including the recently introduced Fremont that has quickly become a popular choice, and four distinct two-story plans running from 2,604 square feet to nearly 3,400. From moving interior or exterior walls to private outdoor retreats and finished basements, Gallagher and Henry’s home plans can be customized to every individual buyers’ needs.

A Sought-After Address

Suffield Woods has earned its reputation as one of the Southland’s most coveted addresses with a mix of elements that drive quality of life and property values.

A family-friendly community, current Suffield Woods residents speak wondrously of a small-town vibe characterized by waving neighbors and a festive Halloween scene. Suffield Woods residents also claim access to well-regarded public schools in Palos West Elementary (grades K-5), located just one block from the home sites, Palos South Middle School (grades 6-8), and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. Palos South, for instance, boasts student performance rates among the top 10 percent in Illinois, while the 2,300-student Stagg High offers a diverse array of curricular and extracurricular opportunities to challenge and engage students.

As a long-developed community with parkway trees, ponds, and mature evergreens that engulf the area with serenity, Suffield Woods is rich in natural beauty as well as outdoor recreation opportunities. Parks, walking trails, and forest preserves all sit nearby to accommodate a variety of activities from running and cycling to hiking and fishing.

The Appeal of Palos Park

Once a countryside retreat for Chicago’s elite, artisans, and intelligentsia, spurred in part by those seeking a respite from crowds attending the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, Palos Park remains an eclectic and dynamic village with a robust community spirit.

First settled in the 1830s, Palos Park celebrates its past reputation as an artists’ enclave with musical concerts, live theatre, and art events while it has developed fresh community traditions as well, such as the village tree lighting and holiday market.

Palos Park also delivers the conveniences of modern life. Suffield Wood residents enjoy quick access to the vibrant shopping and dining scene along La Grange Road and can easily access a Metra commuter rail station, I-55, and I-355 for travel into downtown Chicago and around the greater metropolitan area.

For additional information on the available lots in Suffield Woods, please contact Tina Plastiak at (708) 301-1999.

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Behind the Build: Steve Henry

From sales staff and tradesmen to behind-the-scenes troubleshooters, dozens of personnel bring a Gallagher and Henry home to life. In “Behind the Build,” the Gallagher and Henry blog celebrates spirited members of our team.

In this installment of “Behind the Build,” we introduce Steve Henry. An avid golfer and aviation enthusiast, Steve joined Gallagher and Henry as a carpenter in 1978 and has been Gallagher and Henry’s construction superintendent since 1996.

How did you get involved with Gallagher and Henry some 42 years ago?
Construction always intrigued me, so I got into carpentry after high school. I was a third-year carpentry apprentice when I began working with Gallagher and Henry in 1978. My father, Peter, was [co-founder] Dan Henry’s brother, but Dan retired a bit before I came into the business. It was actually [Gallagher and Henry co-founder] Bob Gallagher, who encouraged me – albeit through my parents – to come work for Gallagher and Henry in the first place.

And how did you progress into your current role as construction superintendent?
After a few years as a carpenter, I moved up to foreman before becoming construction superintendent in 1996. I was put in charge of the carpenters. We had about 16-18 crews with about five guys on each, so there was plenty to keep track of and keep me busy.

What are the primary responsibilities of your job today?
I do all the new starts for houses, which has a few different components. When buyers are interested in putting up a house, I create the survey so the buyer can see what the home looks like on the lot. I work alongside the sales staff on any structural modifications the homeowner might desire, which could include some CAD work to show elevations or sketches of floor plans. I also line up all the permits as well as the excavator, concrete, and carpenters to get the house “under roof,” as we call it. Then, I hand it off to my capable colleague [Gallagher and Henry superintendent] Ed Holmquist to bring the home to completion.

What do you most enjoy about your role with Gallagher and Henry?
There’s an excitement level homebuyers bring to the new home construction process and it’s rewarding to be a part of a team that’s committed to getting the job done the way the buyers want.

How do you feel Gallagher and Henry distinguishes itself on the construction front?
From top to bottom, our craftsmanship is excellent and that begins from the start with the fact that we stick-build houses. That allows our buyers to make changes because they’re not dealing with manufactured panels. We’re building their house on site for them. That flexibility to take our plans and customize them for the owner – to change elevations or to move walls and windows – is a real differentiator and something I believe our buyers genuinely appreciate.

Speaking of that flexibility, what’s one of the more interesting requests you’ve ever addressed for a buyer?
A family in Darien had built a bi-level with us decades prior and were now looking for a new house that fit their current needs. They had such a connection to the location that they asked us to tear down their existing home and then build them a ranch with an elevator going down the basement to account for a family member’s mobility issues. When someone calls you to build a second home on the same lot and trusts you with such a large project, that says something.

As the nephew of co-founder Dan Henry, you have a familial connection to the multi-generational Gallagher and Henry business. What’s that mean to you?
I grew up in one of Gallagher and Henry’s original bungalows on the South Side of Chicago, in St. Bede’s, so Gallagher and Henry has long been a part of my life. I’m proud to have a family connection to the company and have tried to do everything in my power over the years to contribute to the company’s health, reputation, and success in positive ways.

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Why the Suburbs are Hot!

The suburbs are having a moment with homebuyers – and it’s a particularly hot one.

As homebuyers’ desires and needs have shifted in the coronavirus age, the appeal of the suburbs has accelerated. Drawn to suburban communities where they can often get more home, more bang for their buck, and more freedom of movement, a growing number of homebuyers are opting for the suburbs as opposed to high-density urban areas.

Swelling interest in the suburbs is particularly notable in new construction and with single-family homes, where sales have jumped more than 25 percent over 2019, according to industry data. Prospective buyers are especially savoring the idea of a never-before-lived-in home as well as one built with energy efficiency and health in mind. At Gallagher and Henry, buyers not only receive those enticing benefits, but can also work with the award-winning homebuilder to redefine spaces according to their needs.

“More and more, we’re seeing people move towards new construction in our suburban communities because of the space, value, and home they can get,” says John Gallagher, whose firm is currently building homes in eight southwest suburban communities.

Shifting Priorities and Needs

As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced people to spend more time at their existing residences, including blending work and home life under one roof, many are seeing that what once seemed tidy and efficient is no longer so.

Buyers are expressing heightened interest in larger homes that include substantial outdoor space, finished basements, and, not surprisingly, home offices and other private rooms where residents can work or otherwise take a meeting. According to a Realtor.com June survey, a home office was the most in-demand new home feature desired by homebuyers and some have even professed a need for two such areas in their next home.

Because of COVID, homebuyers’ wish lists look a bit different than they did at the start of 2020. The home office, in particular, has become a must and something we accommodate in our plans with dedicated home offices and flex rooms as well as dining rooms that we can neatly convert into private workspaces.

Gallagher and Henry’s 2,823-square foot Eden floor plan, for instance, features a large study, a formal dining room, four upstairs bedrooms, and a full basement, a collection of varied spaces that give homeowners ample flexibility to accommodate household needs for daily living, work, and play.

Ditching High Density

With an increase in remote work, many homebuyers have also been untethered from their daily commutes into downtown offices or other commercial destinations. This has heightened the willingness of buyers to push out further from the urban core – or to at least tie their home location to their workplace so tightly – and accelerated interest in suburban living.

According to a recent study by Realtor.com, three out of five homebuyers reported that working at home was influencing the kind of home they desired and the location.

“The ability to work remotely is expanding home shoppers’ geographic options and driving their motivation to buy,” Realtor.com senior economist George Ratiu said in the recent report.

Prospective buyers have also been wooed to the suburbs by the idea of freedom of movement – or, in colloquial terms, more elbow room – in as well as outside of the home. Buyers remain intrigued by the idea of larger yard space as well as more accessible outdoor recreation opportunities.

In Gallagher and Henry’s suburban communities, residents can convert backyards into multi-functional outdoor oases for work, play, dining, and more, while they can also more easily take neighborhood walks and bike rides without needing to dodge a stream of pedestrians or constantly fret over social distancing protocols. In addition, all eight of Gallagher and Henry’s community locations sit nearby various forest preserve sites in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties.

There’s little doubt that the coronavirus has compelled people to look at their home situation differently and reconsider their priorities, wants, and needs, and that’s put a bright spotlight on new construction in suburban communities like the ones Gallagher and Henry builds in.