Berkey Custom Homes: Building Homes for Families at Union Village Ohio
In 2020, a select group of homebuilders broke ground at Union Village Ohio with a mission to build A Place to Call Home with attention to craftsmanship and detail. One of those builders chosen for the Union Village Guild was Berkey Custom Homes. Years later, Berkey continues to add high-quality, unique dwellings to the streetscape.
“My company started in 2019 and my family's been building for over 40 years in the area,” said Owner Kevin Keyes.
His early experience came from his father-in-law, himself a successful homebuilder. Kevin earned his bachelor’s degree in construction management at University of Cincinnati and went into business with his brother-in-law for more than 10 years before launching Berkey Custom Homes.
Berkey Custom Homes follows the saying, “family makes a house at home.” Read on to discover how Berkey has been a popular choice for families at Union Village Ohio.
A Place to Call Home: Why Berkey Builds at Union Village Ohio
At Union Village, a variety of homes are nestled together along tree-lined walkways connected to parks, a restaurant, and a swimming pool. Plans include adding more dining and shops in walking distance to homes.
The neighborhood is based on an award-winning master plan that is firmly rooted in the 10 Principles of New Urbanism.
“My company was drawn to the development because it's focused on the quality of construction more than just the volume of houses or the size of the house,” said Kevin. “It's very quality oriented and it has a lot of neat features.”
New Urbanist principles emphasize beauty, aesthetics, human comfort and a sense of place to nourish the human spirit. Large front porches and third places—where people can gather—foster community and fulfill a need for belonging.
Belonging starts at home, and custom-building provides a great opportunity create a place that suits every member of the family.
“My company is very family oriented I have several family members that work for us,” Kevin said. “We’re big about working with families and customizing our homes to meet each family's needs.”
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Berkey’s New Additions to the Neighborhood at Union Village Ohio
When Union Village townhome residents decided to build a single-family home in the neighborhood, they sat down with Kevin and Union Village Realtor Dave Watkins to share what was important to them.
“They loved the private patio space at their townhome so we wanted to replicate that along with a garage to accommodate two cars and a golf cart,” Dave said. “They also wanted to expand the living room where they could gather around the hearth with friends. The third bedroom was moved to the lower level which creates a nice guest quarters. In the kitchen, we made several changes to make the space more functional for their day-to-day routines.”
The result is a custom home called The Copperleaf situated alongside other cottages in a special corner of the neighborhood known as Bailey Square. Berkey plans to build a new one-story house plan at two nearby homesites.
At 3646 Anderson Street, future villagers have selected Berkey to build The Piedmont next door to a park.
“For this home the family needed additional living space upstairs,” Dave said. “Berkey is expanding the second floor to include two bedrooms, two full baths and a larger loft space.”
A Model for Quality and Excellence
To showcase the lifestyle opportunity at Union Village, the neighborhood hosted Homearama: Lifestyle Edition in the fall of 2021. Berkey and other Guild members debuted 11 Union Village homes for the Home Builders Association of Dayton event.
Berkey unveiled The Piedmont and The Bradford, two house plans first built on Allen Street.
“The two houses are next door to each other and they're completely different floor plans,” said Kevin. “They are geared towards people with two completely different lifestyles but still in the same community which is which is great about this area.”
Both are two-story homes with spacious porches, three bedrooms and two and a half baths. But the Piedmont has a first-floor primary suite, and the Bradford’s primary suite is located on the second floor. The façade of each home complements the other.
Berkey has built several iterations of those homes throughout the neighborhood. The builder also offers two more one-story plans called The Kadier and The Georgia.
Searching for A Place to Call Home? Take a look at Union Village Real Estate
About Union Village
Union Village is a unique village under construction in Turtlecreek Township (Warren County) Ohio. Designed on the principles of new urbanism, Town Architect Michael Watkins earned the Urban Planning John Russell Pope Award for the Union Village master plan. Touting charming front porches, masterfully crafted homes, beautiful park spaces and tree-lined streets, the Village will grow to include restaurants, shops and amenities in walking distance to homes.
Interested homebuyers can complete a brief questionnaire or call (513) 409-3190 to schedule a private showing.
Contact Us
Real Estate Inquiries: Dave Watkins (513) 409-3190
Media Inquiries: Sara Cullin (513) 383-5627
