Renovating four times in 15 years made Brad and Leslie Joiner’s first home in Decatur more livable. Over that time, they added a master suite and created a sunroom, which were among changes they believed would attract buyers seeking a move-in ready home.
The priority
The couple and their sons, fifth-grader Matthew, 11; and second grader Owen, 7; were living on the north end of the city – a City of Decatur sign even sat in their yard. The location required crossing a busy street, so it was difficult to walk or bike to school or downtown Decatur, said Leslie, 42, a preschool teacher at Decatur Presbyterian Children’s Community.
The couple focused on finding a home on the south side of Decatur, closer to Matthew’s school. Brad, 44, who works in IT management for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, also desired a home office.
The search
Word of mouth helped them find their next home. Leslie asked Decatur friends to alert her to homes for sale, while their agent, Lisa Cronic of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, tracked properties arriving on the market. A friend of the Joiners called after she had driven by a home in Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood and noticed the “under contract” sign had been removed. Cronic confirmed the home was back on the market, and she and Lisa raced to the home that morning to view the home.
The home
The 1925 Craftsman bungalow had a second story addition and interior renovations such as custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen. “I took a look at it and said, ‘That’s our house,’” Leslie said. Brad viewed the home the day on his lunch hour, seeing the office/guest suite with a fireplace, paneled dining room, and the covered porch, deck and patio. The Joiners placed an offer on the home, listed for $575,000, the same day and it was under contract within 48 hours. The couple didn’t even have their home for sale. But their staged home went under contract in two days, for $425,000.
One of the conditions of selling their home, which partly was in unincorporated DeKalb County, was that the buyer wanted the letter the Joiners had received from the City Schools of Decatur attorney confirming the children could attend those schools. The property line cuts across the front yard; a chunk of the dining room and kitchen are in unincorporated DeKalb and the bedrooms are in the city limits. “For a lot of families it’s the school system that attracts people here,” Brad said.
The lifestyle
The boys didn’t have to change schools, but the 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue is right around the corner, which dramatically cuts the time their oldest son spends traveling to school. Another big reason they love their new house is the Oakhurst neighborhood, Leslie said. Among the 12 to 15 houses in their immediate vicinity, she estimates there are 20 kids ranging from newborn through 5th grade. Kids are constantly outside playing, which has made it easy for the Joiners to get to know families.
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