Staci and Luke Sparrow moved back to Atlanta from Phoenix to welcome their first baby into a new home and be closer to her parents in Alpharetta. They were the first family to move into Traditions, a new Cumming neighborhood.
The priority
The Sparrows considered older homes at first, but found they wanted to change too many features, which would cost too much money. Instead, they opted for a new construction home so they could avoid doing renovations while Cannon, now 10 months old, was a baby. “We went into a lot of houses that were choppy or had wasted space,” said Staci, 28, executive account manager at Paycom. “We wanted a functional floor plan that made sense and wasn’t cramped.”
The search
The couple saw the sign for Traditions, where homes range from the low $400,000s to low $600,000s. They liked that it was close to Ga. 400 (2 miles away), shops at the Collection at Forsyth and grocery stores. Friends told them that it was an up-and-coming neighborhood for families. They bought a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with 3,800 square feet and customized interior features like the kitchen backsplash, granite countertops, hardwood floors and wall colors.
When Staci and Luke, 37, a Wells Fargo banker, closed on the Forsyth County home, Cannon was 6 weeks old, and the FrontDoor Communities agents gave them baby gifts. “It was exciting to have our own place again since we were living with my parents during the transition,” she said. “It was nice to buy our first home together.”
The home
To celebrate the purchase, the Sparrows hired an interior designer to help with decor. They installed a barn door in the upstairs bonus room and changed all of the light fixtures to custom designs. Luke’s father crafted barn door baby gates for the stairs, and they built a playroom in the office area downstairs for Cannon’s toys. “The floor plan is so accommodating with the openness,” she said. “It makes sense, and there is no wasted space.”
The lifestyle
As the first family in the neighborhood, the Sparrows have enjoyed watching new neighbors move into their new homes. They’re also looking forward to the tennis, playground and swim amenities that are under construction. “When you’re looking for a spouse or wedding dress, you know when you find the perfect one,” she said. “Be patient and hold out until you find exactly the house and neighborhood you’re looking for.”
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