Senior Living
Bruce and Diana Jones downsized a couple of years ago from a four-bedroom home with triple decks and a pool into a Canton condo. Homeowners’ association hassles and their realization that they needed a different floor plan as they aged caused them to look again for a home.
Bruce, 67, a risk management director for The Salvation Army, chatted about the ranch-style villa they purchased in The Villas at Heritage Springs, an O’Dwyer Homes neighborhood in Woodstock.
Q: How did you determine the type of space you needed?
A: We needed a ranch level with no steps and with enough extra room for me to have an office within reasonable reach. This one is upstairs a little bit.
Q: How did this floor plan help you out?
A: When we looked at what it had to offer in terms of the four or five models, this one was the best for us. It is a home with a main level (1,660 square feet). Then it has two bonus rooms upstairs (about 660 square feet). Then it has 1,100 square feet of finished basement.
Q: Was the unit you purchased already completed?
A: This was the model house.
Q: What is one feature of the home that stood out?
A: It's brick with a little vinyl on the back and the bonus area upstairs. It's very low maintenance. There's no maintenance for the yard. From my wife's perspective, it has lot of windows, so she liked the light.
Q: Were you buying from builder?
A: Yes.
Q: Were you able to negotiate the price?
A: They would not negotiate price. They discounted this house (before they made an offer). But they would negotiate some of the features to the house, some extra painting, some changes in the appliances. They left the window treatments. They built a fence for me in the backyard. We have a little dog (Spurrier). He needed a place outside, so there's a little yard in the back. He needed it to be fenced.
Q: What’s a tip for buyers?
A: This is not profound, but you need to find something that is going to work for you for a long time and not be difficult. You want it to be low maintenance and fairly energy efficient. You don't want stringent HOA conditions (the HOA fees are $198 a month).
At a Glance
Bruce and Diana Jones’ home, built in 2008 in The Villas at Heritage Springs, has four bedrooms, four baths and more than 3,300 square feet. They purchased it in November.
