Premium Lots vs. Standard Lots at Barefoot: What You're Actually Paying For

When the sales counselor at Barefoot slides the lot map across the desk, two identical floor plans can be priced thousands of dollars apart purely because of where they sit. Here's what that money is buying — and what it isn't.

By Laura Owen

The lot map is where the real price negotiation happens Most buyers walk into Barefoot focused on floor plans and finishes. Then the sales counselor pulls out the lot map and says something like, “This plan starts at the price you saw online, but the available lots are these — and a few of them carry a premium.” That premium can be a few thousand dollars on a standard interior lot or well into the five figures on a corner, walkout, lake-adjacent, or oversized site. It is not optional in the sense that you can negotiate it away. It is built into the lot itself. This is the moment that quietly drives the biggest swing between Barefoot's advertised “from the…” price and what you'll actually sign for. So it deserves its own conversation. What earns a premium at Barefoot Premiums are not arbitrary. They follow the same logic across nearly every new construction community in Colorado, and Barefoot is no exception. The lot types that typically carry a premium here: Walkout basements. Lots with enough grade change to allow a walkout add real square footage of finish-able lower level. This is consistently the most expensive premium category in any community where it's available. Backing to open space, the lakes, or a trail. No rear neighbor is the single feature buyers will pay the most for, and resale data tends to support it more than other premiums. At Barefoot Lakes, lots backing the actual lakes or the perimeter trail land in this bucket. Cul-de-sac and end-of-street lots. Reduced through-traffic and often a wider rear yard. Corner lots. More yard, more light, but also more sidewalk and snow on two sides — buyers split on whether this is worth paying for. Oversized lots. Some sites at Barefoot are simply larger than the standard width or depth. The premium reflects the additional land. View lots. Lots oriented toward the front-range silhouette to the west, even when blocked partially by other rooftops, often carry a small view premium. What does not typically carry a premium at Barefoot: a standard interior lot on a non-loop street with neighbors on three sides. That is the baseline the advertised price is built on. Lakes vs. Village changes the premium math This is where the two Barefoot neighborhoods behave differently, and it's worth understanding before you compare lot maps in either one. At Barefoot Lakes, base prices are higher and lots tend to be larger. The premium dollars are layered on top of an already-higher starting point, and the most desirable lots — water-adjacent, walkout, perimeter — are scarce and priced accordingly. If you're comparing a standard Lakes lot to a premium Lakes lot, the gap can be substantial. At Barefoot Village, base prices are lower and lot sizes are tighter. Premiums exist, but the dollar amounts are usually smaller, and the categories of premium lots are narrower (fewer walkout opportunities given the topography of much of the Village). For the buyer trying to stretch a budget into new construction, a standard Village lot is often the most efficient way to actually own a brand-new Barefoot home. The honest part: what a premium will and won't do at resale Here's what I tell every buyer before they sign for a premium lot. Lot premiums are real costs at purchase. They are not always real value at resale. Appraisers determine resale value by looking at recent sales of comparable homes. If three nearby Barefoot homes on standard lots have sold in the past six months, and your home is the same model on a premium walkout lot, the appraiser is going to weight those three sales heavily — and may give partial credit, but rarely full dollar-for-dollar credit, for your premium. Industry guidance generally suggests well-chosen premium lots may retain a modest portion of their premium at resale, but there is no guarantee. A $25,000 premium can come back as $5,000 of supportable resale value, or it can come back as the full amount, depending entirely on what's selling around you when you list. That doesn't mean premiums are a bad decision. It means the premium has to be worth it to you, not as an investment line item. If you genuinely value the walkout, the trail behind the house, the cul-de-sac peace and quiet — and you'll live in the home long enough to enjoy them — the premium is doing what premiums are designed to do. If you're paying it because you assume the next buyer will too, that's a much more uncertain bet. How I think about lot premiums when I walk lots with a buyer The conversation I have with buyers at the lot stage is shorter than people expect. Three questions: Does this premium feature change how you'll actually live in this house, day to day, for the years you plan to be here? If you had to sell in three years and the appraiser gave you back only half of this premium, would you still feel good about the original decision? Is there a less-expensive lot on this map that gets you 80% of what you actually want? If the answer to question one is yes, question two is yes, and question three is no, the premium is probably the right call. If you can't answer all three confidently, it's worth slowing down — because once the lot is locked, that line on your purchase agreement does not move. “Premium lots are one of the few buying decisions at Barefoot you can't undo. If you want a second set of eyes on the lot map before you sign — someone who has walked these sites and knows where the real value is hiding — that's exactly the kind of conversation I help buyers with.” — Laura Owen | 720-300-4339 | owengroupco.com Laura Owen, The Owen Group at RE/MAX Momentum. Licensed in Colorado.