After looking for a stair- and maintenance-free house for several years, retirees Jim and Kris Baker ended their search with Somerset, a 55-and-older community in Woodstock. Jim, 70, chatted about their new three-bedroom, two-bath home.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO / Special (ENLARGE)

Kris and Jim Baker like the roominess inside and coziness outside.

Getting there From downtown Atlanta, take I-75 north to I-575 north. Take Exit 8 (Towne Lake Parkway) and turn left. Turn left off Eagle Drive onto Putnam Ford Road. Somerset is one-half mile on the left.

Q: When did you move in?

A: We closed on the house March 11. We moved all the way from East Cobb, 10 or 12 miles away.

Q: What prompted the move?

A: We were in a split level-type house and we wanted to get away from stairs. We wanted to reduce the amount of maintenance we were having to do in the yard. So Kris had been dragging me around for really several years looking at this type of a community, but we never really found anything that struck us quite right.

Q: How did Somerset convince you?

A: First of all, we liked the location. Also the quality of the house they built out here just immediately strikes you. We liked the floor plans. [Ours is] about roughly 2,500 square feet. They give you enough room. One problem with downsizing is finding some place to put everything. These houses out here actually have good storage room and attic space. We also liked the fact that they would let you tweak the floor plans. We liked the fact that it's not one of these really huge developments.

Q: How is this different from a traditional community?

A: You can go outside and walk down the sidewalk and speak to your neighbors and go up to their house and sit in their courtyard. In that respect, I guess it's like an old time sort of neighborly feeling that at least wasn't present in the last several places I've lived. Mainly because there's a lot of neighborhoods in the Atlanta area that were never built for walking, unless you want to walk down the middle of the street.

Somerset in Woodstock

Address: 211 Somerset Circle, Woodstock 30189

County: Cherokee

Information: 770-516-3678, Windsong Properties

Price range: mid-$300,000s

Homes: 58

Square feet: 2,200-2,700

Lot sizes: less than 1/5 of an acre

Standard features: EarthCraft Home, Energy Star and EasyLiving Homes certified, private courtyards, attic storage, granite countertops in kitchen, master bath with tub, tile floors and curbless tile shower with seat, hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings

Amenities: Clubhouse, park, sidewalks

Homeowners fees: $150 annually ($200 initiation fee)

Developer: Wintergreen

Builder: Windsong Properties

Broker: Loren Realty

Find more developments online at ajchomefinder.