Kid-Friendly Living
Anybody with kids -- or who has friends with kids -- knows it’s important to have outdoor space for children to play and get rid of their energy. They often come inside, sweaty and worn out.
Having yard space was a must for Drago and Jaime Dzerve and their children, Aiden, 2, and Hunter, 5. After they sold their Johns Creek home in November, they lived in an apartment for five months, which also emphasized the need for a home with ample outdoor space.
The priority
Buying a home in a swim-tennis community in a strong school district was essential, but, in particular, they wanted a home on a cul-de-sac. Their old house was on a corner at the front of the neighborhood, Jaime said. “Our front yard was pretty flat and you could kick a ball, but honestly we just didn’t use the outside space that much because we didn’t feel like it was super safe with the kids,” she said. The sloped driveway made them concerned about falls or possible accidents if a car was driving too fast. “My daughter was getting to the point where she was trying to learn how to ride a bike. We would have to pull the cars out and let her ride in the garage. That just wasn’t feasible,” Jaime said.
The search process
Drago, 37, who works for VeriFone, and Jaime, 36, who works in the telecom industry, were assisted by Bonnie Majher with Atlanta Fine Homes/Sotheby’s International Realty. The couple had bought their Johns Creek home before they had children. “I thought I was going to raise a family there, and it became apparent pretty quickly that it wasn’t going to be what we thought it was going to be,” Jaime said. “When we looked at this house, it was honestly more about how is this going to fit our lifestyle now with the children?”
As they looked at homes up to the mid $500,000s, many of the choices had outdoor space but still needed an estimated $80,000 to $100,000 worth of repairs and updates. “We did not want to take on a house where we were going to have to go in and do a lot of updating and renovating,” he said.
The home
The family purchased a five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath brick home, built in 1996, in Alpharetta’s Hampton Hall neighborhood. The sellers had put in an estimated $100,000 in a new roof, remodeled kitchen and master bath, and a new deck, where the couple can watch their kids playing in the backyard. The community has a pool, tennis courts, playground, clubhouse and sidewalks, another plus for the family.
The lifestyle
The couple purchased the home, which has about 3,452 square feet and about a half-acre lot, in April. Living on a cul-de-sac means there is no worrisome traffic. “My daughter can ride her bike on the driveway, and she actually can ride around the cul-de-sac,” Jaime said. “The house we ended up in was really the best for our family.”
Yard space checklist
If you’re planning on hanging out with the kids outdoors, here are three things to consider.
1. Lot size
How large is the lot? Make a list of what you want in your yard, from patio furniture to a play set. Measure big items like the play set to make sure it will fit.
2. Location
Is it important for you to be in a cul-de-sac? Or do you want to have a lot on the corner, close to the kids’ bus stop? Do you prefer a street in the front or back of a neighborhood?
3. Flat or not?
Is it a priority to have a level driveway or yard? If your driveway is sloped (often the case in Georgia), what can you do to keep little ones safe?
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