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Reston is just different. It’s motto “live, work and play” rings true for the residents.
It is a community where you can easily get to work, come home to relax and in free time enjoy all the recreation it has to offer.
Reston VA is also home to unique townhomes not seen for sale anywhere else in Fairfax County.
There are lakes to walk around, community centers, waterfront dining, a city-like town center, multiple pools, walking trails, tennis courts and of course some great architecture.
Reston VA Townhomes For Sale
We are real estate experts in Reston and have lived and sold townhomes in the area. This quick guide is meant for anyone who is interested in townhomes in Reston.
Whether you are just starting your search, or you have been poking around online for awhile this will give you a clear picture of the area and some resources for next steps.
First, we will go through a brief history of Reston. Then go through the townhome clusters in different sections. The last section gives some tips on finding the right townhome.
A Brief History of Townhomes in Reston VA
Reston has a rich background, and the unique community has been featured in many national publications since its beginning.
To go about telling the whole story of Reston and the community is another article all of its own.
Let’s dive into what makes Reston’s townhome communities so unique.
The master plan for Reston was imagined by a Manhattan man named Robert E Simon (the name Reston is taken from his initials).
Simon used funds from his family’s sale of Carnegie Hall in NYC. The vision for Reston was grand.
Simon came up with guiding principles for the community, which are reflected in the community today.
Reston is home to over 134 townhome clusters, and more are built as space allows.
There is a wide range of styles and price points.
The first townhomes built in Reston VA were in the first phase of development by Simon at Lake Anne Plaza, the first of five village centers located throughout Reston.
After Lake Anne, ownership and overseeing of development of Reston changed hands a few times.
This was necessary because Simon’s original attention to fine material and detail was making his townhomes too expensive relative to other areas and was not financially sustainable.
Gulf Oil & Mobil Oil developed two more village centers each, and are credited with the diverse types of housing, including different style townhomes, in Reston.
Most of Reston that we see today was very close to Simon’s original master plan, including Reston Town Center.
Reston incorporates a wide range of housing and has many cultural and recreational areas built in.
Use of open space, lakes and walking trails make a townhome in Reston a great option for anyone who spends time outdoors.
Reston and surrounding Northern VA has a great job market, especially for technology and government jobs.
The Dulles Toll Road also made Reston more accessible. You can now more easily get to Tysons Corner, DC, and other surrounding towns.
Next, let’s go through the different areas of Reston and see the townhomes that each area has to offer.
We won’t get to all 134 clusters, so reach out if you are looking for more info on a specific cluster.
Lake Anne Townhomes
Lake Anne Clusters
This guide will start where Reston began. Washington Plaza in Lake Anne was Reston’s original townhome development, and a Reston favorite for a reason.
The first village center is full of striking concrete architecture, quaint shops, restaurants with water views, a coffee shop and a beautiful walking trail.
The townhomes on either side of Washington Plaza in Lake Anne feature modern designs and huge windows in order to take in waterfront views.
This is some of the best waterfront property in Reston, as it combines the original architecture of the community with the history and activities at Lake Anne.
The clusters immediately around Lake Anne include Waterview Cluster, Washington Plaza, Moorings, Inlet and Lakeside.
On the north side of Lake Anne near the plaza is where the majority of the original Reston townhomes developed by Simon in the mid to late 1960s can be found.
As you move southeast on Lake Anne, the townhomes were developed when owned by Gulf Oil in the later 1960s and early 70s.
This accounts for the difference in construction and style that you can see. Some of these were built with stucco exterior, such as Inlet cluster.
Directly south of Lake Anne is Hidden Creek Country Club. These were developed in 1967 right after Lake Anne, and have a contemporary vibe and some with golf course views.
Hidden Creek was purchased in 2017 and there has been and there has been controversy around the potential redevelopment, with some opposed to it to preserve green space and others for it for more housing and amenities.
Hickory Cluster
A short walk from Lake Anne is a renowned community that was built by Charles Goodman known as Hickory Cluster.
If you are into mid century modern, then you will want to walk by this community.
With the varied edges of the roofline, walls of windows and outdoor rooftop terraces, this community is Reston at its finest.
These are also very rare to come on the market, one per year or less and are often sought after by name.
South Reston VA Townhomes
Townhomes near USGS & Reston National Golf Course
South Reston is also full of some great clusters of townhomes.
After the original clusters were built by Lake Anne, Gulf Oil purchased majority interest in Reston.
They kept the spirit of the original vision of Reston, but added some more affordable housing relative to Lake Anne.
The townhomes in this area of South Reston were built in the mid 1970s. The area keeps with the Reston master plan ideology of lots of recreation, convenience, open spaces and nature trails.
The difference in pricing is still seen throughout Reston’s clusters.
Buyers who are looking for waterfront townhomes, bigger luxury townhomes, and smaller townhomes can all look to Reston at different price points.
South of the Toll Road are two areas that have a number of townhome clusters built around them: United States Geological Survey and Reston National Golf Course.
The clusters to the south of the USGS include Sanibel Cluster, White Cornus Ln, Southgate Square and others.
The townhomes in this area have mostly wood exteriors with some stucco. Many of them are 2 levels, with some 3 level. They are smaller on average than the Lake Anne area, with about 1000-1300 square feet on average.
This area is great for someone who wants to live in Reston at a lower price point than the other areas. This is also a very popular area for rental properties, because historically the values are good for the rents you will receive.
To talk more about buying or investing reach out to us with what you are looking for.
There are also a number of townhome clusters that are near Reston National Golf Course. These are larger and many have serene golf course views.
Golf Course Square Cluster is even built in to the the middle of the course.
The golf course has been historically a hot topic in Reston, with the sale of Reston National Golf Course to developers.
Many Restonites have pushed back on potential development of these golf courses, and have proposed that they be placed in an easement, restricting development.
South Lakes Townhome Clusters
Farther to the east on South Lakes Dr and Glade Dr, are more townhome clusters to choose from.
This area is best known for the waterfront clusters on Lake Thoreau and Lake Audubon. These collections of clusters take full advantage of lake views.
These townhomes are large, most are over 2000 square feet with finished basements.
A great example of waterfront townhomes in Reston is Chadd’s Ford cluster. These townhomes have sunrooms on the rear in addition to a deck give expansive views of Lake Thoreau.
This area also has a great village center called South Lakes, where Reston residents and visitors can dine with water views.
North Reston VA Townhomes
Northwest of Lake Anne is full of townhome clusters that have a large selection of styles and sizes.
As you will discover, nearly all of the townhomes in Reston north of Baron Cameron were built from the 1980s to the late 1990s.
This portion was developed, along with the town center during the time Mobil Oil owned the land in Reston.
This era was responsible for bringing in builders to develop a number of townhome clusters that are at lower price points than a number of the lakeside townhome clusters.
Whisperhill Cluster, Bayfield Station and another handful of townhome clusters are great examples of great starter townhomes in North Reston VA.
North Reston townhomes are newer than South Reston – it shows in the models you will see.
Open kitchens and layouts, garages, vinyl siding and everything you would expect from late 80s/early 90s townhomes.
Their is also another Village Center, North Point, that has shopping and dining. Easy access to Reston Town Center and Lake Anne make this area a favorite.
Reston VA townhome buyers will all be able to take advantage of the village centers. Many of the townhomes in this area are walkable to North Point.
Townhomes Near Reston Town Center
Reston Town Center is perfect if you are looking for a night out. This Town Center was part of Robert Simon’s vision of incorporating a place where citizens of Reston could live and work.
There are high-rises with lots of office space, and also some condo complexes and apartments.
Right to the west of the town center, West Market, is a couple clusters of luxury townhomes.
These townhomes are huge, with soaring ceilings and open staircases. The biggest offering they have is walkability to Reston Town Center. They are also walkable to metro via the silver line town center stop.
Metro and Newer Townhomes in Reston VA
Reston now has 2 stops as part of the silver line extension. This attracted large national builders such as Pulte and Toll Brothers to build projects that are walkable to the metro.
One stunning townhome community is a 34 townhome community called Sunrise Square built metro-side was built by a renowned local builder, Sekas Homes out of Vienna.
If you are looking for modern townhomes built near 2020, this is the area to look. They are among the highest price point in Reston and are large and luxurious.
With rooftop terraces, 9 foot ceilings and large master suites, they are simply stunning. Contact us to find out if any are available in this area.
The biggest selling point is walking out of your home to the metro and walkability to Plaza America shopping center.
Tips for Buying a Townhome
–Determine your budget. This is the first step to find out what range of townhome you can afford. If needed, a lender can help you do this.
–Drive around the different areas. This step will help you narrow down where in Reston you would like to live. Reston is different from one section to the next.
–Visit amenities. One of the draws of living in Reston are all the activities. Check out the village centers. Drop into the community center. Walk around the nature trail at Lake Anne. This can give you a real vision of what it is like to live in Reston.
–Start touring townhomes. If you did not pick an area yet, this will help. When you start looking at the interior of the homes you may switch to a different section of Reston. This is part of the process.
–Have patience, then move fast. Reston has a lot of townhome clusters that go for months or longer without listings.
Because of this, if you like a specific set of clusters sometimes it takes a little while for a listing to come up. Once it does, put an offer in quickly and make sure it is a good offer. We can help if you are looking for a specific cluster.
–Work with an expert. You want someone on your side who knows Reston and townhomes in general. We are experts in both, we have sold many townhomes and lived in a Reston townhome.
–Enjoy. Reston offers an experience that is unlike the rest of Northern VA. Once you get your townhome, enjoy Reston like it was planned for!
I liked to get out once a week and walk around a lake and have dinner out.
Selling Your Property
The eventually comes for every homeowner to sell their property.
Townhomes make for a great place to live. But you may need more space, or less stairs. So most owners live in them for 4-5 years on average.
• List Price Vs. Sales Price
The above chart shows the list price vs the sales price for townhomes in Reston over the last 2 years. This will give you an idea of where prices have been.
The best way to know what your home will sell for is to get a home value estimate from a local expert.
Conclusion
Reston has a wide range of townhomes for sale at any given time.
The area is known for its unique architecture, especially the contemporary style townhomes and potential to find a lakefront home.
This guide gives an overview of different clusters in Reston and also some of the rich history that makes it a special place to live.
Have questions about buying a townhome in Northern VA? Have a townhome to sell in Reston? Reach out today.
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