Chris and Christopher Earl bought their current three-bedroom, one-bath, 1950s-style home six years ago. It was ideal for the couple and their needs back then, but as they went from being just a couple to a family of four, they found that they needed a larger place to accommodate their growing needs. They would like to find a place with more square footage and at least an extra bathroom. A nice kitchen is mandatory for Chris, while a large office is important for Christopher. They both agree that their new home should be in a community with an excellent school district. In a tight market, this won't be an easy task, but real estate agent Raymond Ray feels confident that he will be able to help find the right house.
The first place Raymond takes them is a two-story home with a beautiful front patio. It features a lot of light and is complete with French doors and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom between the kids' rooms. It even has a nice big backyard, but the kitchen and family room are a little too small. The next one is a three-bedroom, two-bath 1,932-square-foot house that looks like it would be right at home in the country. It has a massive country-style kitchen and a huge master bedroom. It features high ceilings, which help to add to the spacious feel. Not so for the backyard--it is not proportional to the house.
Next, Raymond shows them a two-story house with a huge backyard and a lot of shade. They immediately fall in love with the backyard and ride that momentum through the rest of the tour. The house has a large family room with connected kitchen. Chris likes this feature because she could keep an eye on the children while she is cooking. There are also high ceilings and nicely sized rooms. Chris also likes the front area of the house and thinks it would be a good place for a home library. The clincher comes when Raymond takes them through the double-door entryway to the large master bedroom. They are sold on the house and write an offer right then and there.
They got the house, and just two months later, they have already settled in and begun to make changes. They replaced the carpet with hardwood laminate and put a fresh coat of paint on the kids' rooms' walls, addition to adding other personalized touches. Christopher really likes the mix of private and public spaces in this home. Chris likes all the extra cupboard space and general size of the kitchen and attached family room, which is where the family spends most of its time. The Earls are looking forward to meeting more of the neighbors and getting accustomed to their new community, but in the meantime, they're enjoying the time they spend as a family in their new, larger home.
