Entrepreneurial couple Matt and Maria Granados didn’t expect to find a home as quickly as they did.
They were only looking casually a few months before their February 2016 wedding. Then Mike Toltzis of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty showed them a three-bedroom home in Atlanta’s Woodland Hills neighborhood that needed renovation.
Matt, 29, owns Local Vendors Coalition, which seeks to connect local farmers with local buyers and started up, with Maria, a company called Life Planner that helps people improve their productivity. Matt and Maria, 28, who also is executive director of Eagle University, a youth nonprofit, chatted about their home and buying tips.
Q: What were you looking for in a home?
Maria: I wanted at least two to three bedrooms. I looked for front porches and large kitchens.
Matt: One of the big things with the open floor plan was that this house didn't necessarily have exactly what we wanted. So we did a decent amount of work on it with great contractors and electricians that came in and really turned it into the home that we wanted.
Q: What renovations have you made?
Maria: We took down the main wall that separated the living room from the kitchen and dining area. We had two beautiful wooden pillars built to frame that openness. We matched those wooden pillars to new hardwood floors. We carpeted the bedrooms. We had lighting and dimmers installed (in the living room).
Matt: We painted all of the kitchen and put a new backsplash up. We turned one of the rooms into a partial study and wine tasting area.
Q: When talking to people about the area that you live in now, what do you tell them about your neighborhood?
Maria: I love the area. It's really accessible to getting around in the city, being close to I-85 is nice, and being able to shoot up Lenox Road is great. (We have) grocery stores on either side, gyms, (and) we have really great restaurants.
Q: What are some of your favorite nearby restaurants and shops?
Maria: We really like Rain (Thai and sushi). We’re really big fans of Taverna Plaka.
Matt: There’s massive shopping centers in a five-minute drive. Whole Foods is right up the street.
Q: What’s a tip for first-time home buyers?
Matt: [My tip is] knowing your price point and knowing what you're going to be getting for that price point. I knew what we wanted to spend, and I was expecting basically a palace for that price. It just wasn't possible. Personally we wanted to make sure we were putting at least 20 percent down. If we couldn't do that, we couldn't afford the house.
At a Glance
Matt and Maria Granados’ home, built in 1951, has three bedrooms, two baths and about 1,510 square feet. They purchased it in December 2015. Homes in Atlanta’s Woodland Hills, in DeKalb County, range from the $300,000s to $650,000s.
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