After living in Midtown, Rick and Brianne LaFrance looked outside the city for more space for themselves and their dogs. The northern suburbs also offered a selection of new neighborhoods.
Brianne, 25, a neurophysiologist, chatted about the new home they built in Olde Union Preserve, a Beazer Homes community in Alpharetta.
Q: Where did you move from?
A: We actually moved from an apartment in Midtown. We lived in the city for a year, and then we had been saving since we got married (in 2009), so we decided it was time to buy with the market the way it was. We have two dogs, so we needed a yard for them to play in. Alpharetta was the place to get the yard we wanted and space.
Q: How did you save?
A: We had to take a good look at what kind of entertainment we were doing as far as eating out and movies. We did set a (financial) goal. So if we weren't able to go out for dinner for one night in order to meet a goal, that was our sacrifice. It was totally worth it.
Q: How did you find the home?
A: There were multiple neighborhoods in this area that were new. I went into the model home and just fell in love. I was with my Realtor (Becky Clark with Re/Max Town and Country). Rick was at work. I was like, 'You have to get out here. I want this house.' It had the right amount of space for us. It had the look we were going for. He saw the house a couple of days later. As soon as he left, he was like, 'I want it.' I was out of town for work, so I called (the sales office) and said I would be there tomorrow morning to put in an offer.
Q: How did it feel spacious to you?
A: The kitchen flows right into the family room. So I can be in there cooking and he can be watching TV and we still communicate. I didn't want something blocked off, so the fact that it's wide open was a selling point.
Q: Did you add anything above the standard package?
A: We upgraded our tile in the bathrooms upstairs and the laundry room. The standard tile, my husband didn't particularly care for the color. If we put that in, he was going to end up tearing it out and redoing it. The price they were giving us to upgrade the tile, it was just so good that we knew we couldn't get it on our own, so we decided to go ahead and do it.
Q: How did you follow the construction?
A: We came out at least once a week. It's really exciting to see the house come together, but in the event that you have questions or if something doesn't work right, the builder was always on top of it. He was always there and willing to help. I wasn't sure our granite was right, and he double-checked it and, sure enough, it was. It's just fun to take pictures and track the process. I got to put in a couple of nails in the wall studs, too.
Q: What did you do when you closed on the home?
A: I came over immediately and started moving stuff in. I had boxes in my car. We were so excited. We also went and got a lawn mower immediately.
Q: What's a tip for buyers?
A: We got pre-approved (for the mortgage) before we started our house hunting. That way, when the home we wanted to purchase came up, we were ready and able to write a contract on it. It wasn't like, I want this house, and you have to worry about somebody ripping it out from underneath you.
At a Glance
Rick and Brianne LaFrance’s new home in Alpharetta’s Olde Union Preserve has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and about 2,685 square feet. They purchased the home in June. Homes in Olde Union Preserve range from $255,000-$300,000, according to Will Blanchard, the community’s new home counselor.
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