Robyn Bussey was set on buying an older home and wanted to stay away from “cookie cutter” houses. Her original ideas changed as she found a newer home in East Point with charming details such as a front porch, trim and molding.
Bussey, 37, a research associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University, chatted about her home.
Q: Were you already living in the Atlanta area?
A: I've actually been here about 15 years. I was living in East Point the past two years or so. I really like the area. When I decided to buy I knew I wanted to stay in the area as much as possible.
Q: What do you like about the area and location?
A: It's close to work, which is really good. I work downtown. It's relatively close to places I like to go – Midtown, Buckhead, Atlantic Station, West Midtown. East Point is a relatively small town, but it's basically a suburb of Atlanta, so you have that real urban flavor to it. It's a nice, quiet neighborhood.
Q: As you started to look, what did you want in a home?
A: Initially I was really firm on an older house. I wanted something that was a little different from the neighboring homes and, to me, looked like it had character.
Q: But you bought a newer home?
A: I liked the look of the home. It looked new but had an old bungalow feel to it. The neighborhood has a mix of older and renovated homes.
Q: What details of the home had the character you wanted?
A: The first thing that got me was a porch. I'm from South Georgia and country, and I've always had a porch. I also like the back area. It has a nice-sized fenced-in yard with a deck. I have two small dogs. I like that it had a cozy feel to it. I was also looking for hardwood floors. It's a mix of hardwoods and carpeting. I like this house because there was a good mix of a little bit of old and new. It had the older trim and crown molding throughout, but the kitchen was kind of modern. It had an island, which I really liked.
Q: When you put in the offer, did you have to do a lot of negotiations?
A: I think they countered (the purchase price was in the mid $100,000s). But it wasn't so much that I felt like I should walk away from the deal. They left the appliances, which was good.
Q: What’s a tip for buyers?
A: You might not be able to get everything that you want. You have to decide what it is you want and cannot live without.
Q: What were deal-breakers for you when looking?
A: Less than two bathrooms. Small closet space or lack of storage space throughout the house. Relatively small bedrooms.
Q: What did you sacrifice?
A: I wanted hardwood floors throughout. Two of the bedrooms and the whole upstairs are carpeted. I was willing to compromise on that.
At a glance
Robyn Bussey’s home, built in 2005 in Semmes Park in East Point, has three bedrooms, two baths and about 2,060 square feet. She bought it in August, assisted by Shirley Y. Simmons, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties. Homes in the Semmes Park area are listed from $78,000 to $124,000 (those properties were built from 1917 to 1940).
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