By Carolyn Crist
For the AJC
Alex and Ashley Maiola were living with roommates when they got engaged and decided to start their married life by buying a home. They found a Buckhead neighborhood with new homes but weren’t prepared for all the decisions involved in building a house while they worked and traveled.
Ashley, 33, director of creative consultancy firm BrightHouse Pictures, talked about the three-bedroom townhome that she and Alex, 31, an MBA student who worked in sales for Coca-Cola, bought in Buckhead.
Q: What were your priorities?
A: We loved renting in Virginia-Highland and considered buying when our landlord put it up for sale but thought we wanted something bigger when we start a family. We put location at the forefront and focused on Buckhead. At first, we couldn't find anything, only older homes that needed work. We started to get discouraged, but Susan Bates (with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage) took us to Buckhead Forest, where Rockhaven Homes was building six townhomes.
Q: How did you move on this home?
A: We had no idea what the townhome would look like, but it was the perfect location. After we looked at the plans, we jumped in and bought a pile of Georgia red clay. The whole journey of choosing the finishes and door handles and colors was exciting but not on our radar since we were working full-time. It was hard to make the time to go to appointments and meet designers and builders, but I couldn't be happier about the decisions we made and where we live.
Q: What do you love about the house?
A: I love the stark white walls and ebony floors. We're entertainers who love to host, and we have a big beautiful island in our open floor plan, which is a great gathering place. We also have a covered portico out back, which is the manifestation of the Buckhead Forest idea — nice finishes and stainless steel appliances surrounded by trees and a fireplace.
Q: What have you added so far?
A: I'm a dancer and we turned the small unfinished room in the basement into a micro dance studio. Because both our names start with "A," we began giving "A" items to each other for birthdays, and we have them in each room, such as big blue neon "A" from a sign.
Q: What was the closing process like?
A: When we were closing, I was slated to be in Europe for my job. Everyone was helpful – from the lender to the builder to our agent – in expediting paperwork before I left.
Q: What’s a tip for first-time buyers?
A: You're going to want a million things, but agree on one priority to ease the stress of the search. For us, it was location.
At a Glance
Ashley and Alex Maiola’s home, built in 2014, has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,100 square feet. Buckhead Forest townhomes are sold out, but nearby townhomes range from the low $200,000s to low $300,000s.
About the Author
