Danny and Jen Soule enjoyed their Roswell rental home, where they had lived since 2007.
“We were comfortable in the home we were renting so there was no real sense of urgency. We were going to wait until we found something we wanted,” said Danny, 31.
Over a nine-month period, they drove by hundreds and toured 25-plus homes, watching the real estate market evolve. As the Soules worked with Vicky Spivey of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Georgia Properties, they didn’t want to rush into a decision and pay above the home’s value, Danny said.
The Soules desired a fenced-in, private backyard for their dog, Bagel, but the home didn’t have to be move-in ready, as long as they could see the potential, said Jen, 30, a graphic designer for The Visualab.
“We weren’t just going to buy a house to buy a house,” said Danny, who works for CLASS, an apartment leasing and marketing company. “We were looking for something that worked for us.”
No. 1
Fantastic location
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Knoll Woods Drive was within walking distance of shops and restaurants in historic Roswell. The home had farmhouse-style interiors, with hardwood floors. A kitchen outfitted with stainless steel appliances opened up to the family room, which had a fireplace. The gorgeous sunroom had brick floors, Jen said. They were unsure about the size of the bedrooms in the Knoll Woods Estates home, which had a partially finished basement. The home, built in 1965, was listed for $315,000.
No. 2
Showing its age
A five-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on South Shore Place was in Roswell’s Martins Landing, which was near the Chattahoochee River and has a 55-acre lake and River Club. Other bonuses in the neighborhood included three pools, playgrounds, a nature preserve and 15 tennis courts. The home offered two decks and a sunroom, but the interior layout, purple and yellow wallpaper, and paint colors such as forest green and maroon, were outdated. They immediately saw changes needed such as removing some walls and redoing the basement. The home, built in 1979, was listed for $300,000.
No. 3
Updated with basement
A five-bedroom, four-bath home on River Landing Drive in Roswell offered a renovated kitchen with a Wolf cooktop, slate floors, island with granite countertops and custom cabinets, and renovated bathrooms with features such as low-flow toilets. In the backyard, the patio had flagstone and slate. The couple was concerned about the layout of the yard, which was steep in front. The home, built in 1982 and with a full basement, was listed for $359,900 in the Riverside Landing neighborhood.
The Choice
No. 2. The Soules put an offer on No. 1, but didn’t get the home. The couple believe they got a great deal by purchasing No. 2. “One of the things that made it really easy was Vicky,” Danny said. “Having her in our corner going through the process and explaining everything to us, it made it a lot easier and a lot less stressful.” They closed in September 2013 and began rehabbing the home, working with general contractor Chris Weaver of Avin. They knocked out a wall to create a big family room and updated the kitchen by adding an island, painting the oak cabinets white with glass doors, replacing the countertops with granite and installing new windows. The fireplace in the living room got a cedar mantle, and the brick was painted white. They created a rec room in the basement by removing the drop ceiling and staining the concrete floors. The entire home was repainted, which included changing toffee-colored trim to white.
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