At a glance
George and Ellen Burnett’s new home in the Springs at Sterling on the Lake has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and more than 3,000 square feet. They purchased it in December, assisted by Lee Johnson of ReMax Center. Homes in the Springs are priced from the high $100,000s to the $300,000s.
George and Ellen Burnett traded in mountain views for a lake setting with abundant community amenities. A new home in the Springs at Sterling on the Lake provided room for themselves and visiting children and grandchildren. The couple also was impressed with the amount of medical care nearby and the community’s proximity to Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s new hospital, expected to open in Braselton in 2015.
Ellen, 63, who retired from City Plumbing and Electric Supply in North Georgia, and George, 63, who retired from the photo industry, chatted about their home in the Flowery Branch community on Lake Lanier.
Q: Where did you move from?
Ellen: We moved from Young Harris. About seven to eight years ago, we had the dream. We wanted to live in a mountain log home with a view. We loved it. But we felt it was time to get back to reality and come back a little closer to family.
Q: How did Sterling on the Lake stand out?
Ellen: Because we have grandchildren in the area and will have long-distance grandkids that visit, we liked the amenities of Sterling on the Lake (including the playground, pool, boat rentals, park, clubhouse and exercise facilities). There's just tons of activities and different groups to join (such as the ROMEOs, which stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out, a canasta group and a ladies walking group). They accommodate everybody and every interest.
Q: What space did the floor plan offer for guests?
Ellen: The upstairs has two bedrooms, a Jack-and-Jill bath and a big loft area.
Q: What modifications did you make?
George: We did not want to build a custom home, but Jim Chapman Communities was still flexible enough to make a few changes. Building a house — we've built a couple — has always been a headache. This was smooth as silk.
Ellen: We added 4 feet to the front of the garage, so my husband would have some workshop area. That added 4 feet to the bedroom above the garage. I have that as a bunk room (for the grandkids). We made the full bath on the main level a half bath, took out the closet and made that bedroom a study with French doors. Then that enlarged our master closet tremendously. I had always grown up with a screened porch, so you could do a screened porch option, which we did.
Q: How does the floor plan have space for your hobbies?
Ellen: I'm a quilter. We have such a great walk-in attic. When I don't use the quilt frame, I store it there. My husband put it on casters so I can roll it (into the attic) when I'm not quilting.
Q: How is your decor different?
Ellen: After living six years in a log home and with the rustic decor, we were both ready to get back to a little more of a traditional home. We have brought a few funky cabin things with us. We have this cow painting that we bought at a rustic store up there. It goes great with the colors and everything in our loft. It makes it a whimsical area.
Q: What are some of the home’s aging features?
Ellen: The wide doorways and extremely low thresholds. Everything that we need is going to be on one level (including the master on the main and laundry room). We have minimal yardwork. The HOA will plant annuals in the front and take care of cutting the grass, the fertilizer and refreshing the pine straw.
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