Valery George's first home was created just for her. The 42-year-old single mom was paralyzed in a school bus accident five years ago and uses a wheelchair. The Knight Group worked with her to create a handicapped-accessible home at Garden Walk, a new community in McDonough. She chatted about the three-bedroom, two-bath home that she and 14-year-old daughter Faithe moved into Labor Day weekend.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Valery George's home at Garden Walk was specially constructed to accommodate her wheelchair. Everything in the house is at arm's reach.

Q: How did the builder revamp the floor plan for your needs?

A: They had to restructure the whole plan. We went from piece to piece to piece to create the house. They had to meet a whole lot of [building] codes to make it for me.

Q: What are some of the biggest changes?

A: One of the main features is the bathroom, and then in my kitchen — I can roll underneath my sink. I roll underneath the stove top. My oven, instead of pulling down, it opens up like a cabinet. My dishwasher pulls out like a drawer. It's really nice. Also with the vanity in my bathroom, I roll right under the sink, and I have access to each side. I can roll into the shower.

Q: How often did you check in on the construction process?

A: Pretty much every day. They needed me there because they needed to line up everything according to my wheelchair.

Q: What do you like about the community?

A: When you drive into the neighborhood, there's just a certain peace. I don't have a fear of being broken into. Everybody seems to care about their houses. Everybody's very friendly.

Q: What did the overall experience mean to you?

A: Being paralyzed, you have a lot of challenges. To be in this wheelchair and not be able to stand as a normal person would, the things they did to make everything comfortable for me is just amazing. To come inside of my home and have such a peace and have everything at arm's reach is just amazing.

TRACT FACTS

Address: 115 Sanders Walk, McDonough 30252

County: Henry

Information: 770-957-0600, www.knighthomes.com

Price range: $140,000s-$180,000s

Homes: 180-plus

Square footage: 1,400-2,432

Lot sizes: less than half an acre

Standard features: tray and vaulted ceilings, judges paneling, smooth ceilings, two-car garage

Amenities: streetlights, sidewalks

Homeowners fees: none

Developer/builder: The Knight Group

Broker: Knight Realty

Schools: Tussahaw Elementary, Henry County Middle, Henry County High

More on schools: www.ajchomefinder.com/schoolguide

Getting there

From downtown Atlanta, take I-75 south toward Macon. Take Exit 216 toward McDonough. Turn left on Ga. 155. Turn right on Racetrack Road. Turn right on Iris Lake Road. Garden Walk will be on the right.