Atlanta New Homes

Five Tips for Building a Home in Metro Atlanta

Five Tips for Building a Home in Metro Atlanta

Metro Atlanta spans nearly 8,500 square miles, encompassing 28 counties and 140 municipalities. At its heart is the City of Atlanta – The ATL, The Big Peach, Empire City of the South. Finding your place in all of that and staking a claim on a plot of land you can call your own is a dream that many share. Building a house worthy of that dream can seem overwhelming at times, but the payoff could equate to your very own interpretation of “home sweet home.” To try and help make the process of building a home in Metro Atlanta a little less daunting, the team at Highlight Homes has broken it down into five simple steps…

Determine Whether You Want to Buy a Home to Renovate or Build from the Ground Up

There are plusses and minuses to both options. Buying a home in a desirable part of town to renovate may be a more realistic option – depending on the neighborhood and your budget. Or finding a new construction home or building one of your own may be a better path in a suburb of town that is either up-and-coming or relatively undiscovered. If you opt for the first, you’ll want to make sure the construction of the original home is sound and determine any “fixer-upper” issues that might eat into your budget – potentially giving the boot to some of the fun stuff you’d like to do. Building from the ground up can be great – it’s ALL NEW, after all – but your builder may not be as willing to work within your vision, unless you opt to go the custom construction route. Ultimately, it all comes down to your personality – do you prefer shiny and new over something that may have a little more history and character (and loads of mature landscaping)? You may believe one thing, but when you get out there and really start looking – you might just change your tune. The takeaway from this step… be flexible.

Set a Realistic Budget

This step will comprise a visit to the bank to determine the size of loan for which you qualify. Discuss building renovations into the loan if you’re leaning towards that route. Bear in mind that just because you QUALIFY for a certain size loan, you may not want to bump up against the ceiling. No one wants to be house poor. After all, you’re going to need funds to furnish your home properly AND throw an open house once completed to invite your friends and family. Instead, determine a house payment range that you can be comfortable with and still manage to have a life both inside and outside of that home. If your budget and your vision don’t see eye to eye, the prudent move may be to be patient and save your pennies a little while longer.

Find a Neighborhood or Suburb of Atlanta You Love

Once you have a fairly good idea of WHAT you’re looking for in a home (resale or new) and how much home you can afford, start exploring. Metro Atlanta is jam-packed with amazing, one-of-a-kind communities like the walkable nature and intown convenience of the City of Brookhaven, the kitschy uniqueness that is the City of Decatur or the resort town feel of Peachtree City. With a staggering 140 municipalities from which to choose, you may want to begin your search online – reading reviews and learning about the cities and neighborhoods that appeal most to you. If you have a growing family, you’ll want to consider the local schools. If you like to shop and dine out, you’ll want to take the local scene into consideration. If walkability or mass transit is important to you, that’s another item to look for. Is the commute to work relatively easy? How about access to local parks? Make a list of the things that are most important to you in a community and use that list every time you research a new part of town. Once you’ve narrowed your list of prospective cities, suburbs and neighborhoods down, check them out firsthand.

Find a Builder who Builds in that Neighborhood and Offers Design-Build Services

Once you’ve got a general idea of WHAT part of Metro Atlanta you’d like to live, it’s time to research builders and/or renovation firms that serve that area. Whether you plan to build from the ground up or renovate a resale, it may be wise to make your builder part of the research and acquisition process. They can help you find the ideal plot of land or home to renovate. Your vision may be hindered by your knowledge of construction, but – as long as you’re able to communicate your vision to them clearly – your builder can help you find the best place to make that vision a reality. Of course, if you opt to go with a new construction community – you may be a bit limited by your builder’s floor plans, but you can look to available options – like a screened porch or additional bedroom – to get it a bit closer to the home you were envisioning. If you ultimately decide to go with a custom builder or renovation company, it may be in your best interest to hire one with design-build capabilities. Otherwise, they might be able to find and purchase a pre-designed floor plan and elevation that fits your vision.

Work Closely with your Builder to Infuse as Much YOU into the Home as Possible

By now, you should know EXACTLY where you’re building, have a floor plan or renovation plan of attack in mind and have purchased the resale or land on which to build your new home. As construction gets underway, encourage communication with your builder so you know where you are in the process. Plan days – preferably with your builder – to shop for appliances, fixtures, flooring, wall treatments, paint colors and more as the vision comes together. All those touches will make the home uniquely YOU. Have this plotted out in your mind ahead of time so that the elements work together beautifully. If you don’t have an eye for these things, you may want to rely on the assistance of an interior designer or trust your builder to carry out your vision to its full potential. To help them see that vision as clearly as possible, pull together a dream book that contains images of design elements you like.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes has served as BOTH a custom builder and a renovation firm for countless home buyers. We’ve done everything from renovating an existing home – INCLUDING popping the roof off and adding a new story – to building a custom home on land where the former home had been razed to building from the ground up on raw land. We welcome the chance to help you build the home of your dreams. Our service area primarily includes Atlanta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Chamblee, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Peachtree City, but we are happy to consider other suburbs and cities – depending on the size and scope of the project. To learn more about us and our capabilities, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. If you’d like to schedule a no-obligation consultation, please call us at 678-873-9234 or email us at info@highlighthomesga.com.

Unifying the Interior and Exterior of Your Home

Unifying the Interior and Exterior of Your Home

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is Home.” ~ Gary Snyder

With Spring just around the corner, the promise of the return of green leaves to the trees and flowers to flower beds fuels the desire to get outside and play. No matter the time of year, there is a growing trend among homeowners and home buyers to infuse elements in their homes that create an undeniable connectivity between the great indoors and the Great Outdoors. Premier Atlanta builder and renovation company, Highlight Homes, is pleased to present a list of ways you can do just that in the design of your custom-built home or the renovation of your current home.

“Time to Spare” Room

Why merely add a new room to your home or integrate a flex space to the design of your custom home when you COULD create a space that’s all about relaxation, reflection and reverence of the space beyond the walls of your home. From a screened porch that allows for three-season enjoyment to a sunroom that provides a space to enjoy the outdoors all year round. This is a space where you can drink your morning coffee while watching the birds play in the birdbath or enjoy a nightcap while counting the stars.

Windows of Opportunity

Windows aren’t merely intended to let the light shine into your home or be opened to let the fresh air in. They can be reimagined as veritable works of art where the world beyond your windows serves as the palette. If you have a private backyard that serves as a particularly pleasing backdrop, you can open the frame a bit by creating a wall of windows – blurring the line between where the inside ends and the outside begins.

Feathering Your Nest

Another way to bring the outdoors in is to infuse elements of the natural world throughout your interior design. Use lots of interesting houseplants throughout at a variety of levels. Incorporate wood in your flooring, timber beams, accent walls and interesting furniture pieces. Include stone in your countertops and fireplace surround. Then enhance the sense of nature by adding wall art, throw pillows, rugs and décor that fit your color and design themes, but are inspired by the natural world. These might include birds, butterflies, dragonflies, horses, flowers, the ocean and so much more. Choose something personal to you as your central theme so it has real staying power and holds meaning.

Outside Looking In

Of course, the BEST way to extend your living spaces outdoors is to ADD an outdoor living space that could very well become your favorite “room” of the home. This might include a covered patio or deck with an outdoor hearth, pool with a cabana, outdoor kitchen with inviting seating, an old-fashioned playhouse with swing set, and so much more! Just imagine creating a space where you feel comfortable telling the kids to go outside and play, but “be home by dark” (‘cause they’re already home)! The memories you can make together in this space are virtually limitless, so whatever you create, make sure it’s the right fit for your family.

Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to help you incorporate one or all of these outdoor-focused enhancements in your new custom home or luxury renovation. To learn more about Highlight Homes and our signature design-build method, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com.

Midtown’s Atlantic Station – Making History

Midtown’s Atlantic Station – Making History

Foodies, Fashionistas and Fun-seekers throughout Metro Atlanta are likely very familiar with Atlantic Station, its treasure trove of shops and restaurants, and its jam-packed year-round calendar of events. However, they may not know about where this 138-acre Midtown destination came from… or where it’s going. With a history dating back to 1901, the site where Atlantic Station now stands was once home to the Atlanta Hoop Company – manufacturer of cotton bale ties and barrel hoops. The company evolved to become the Atlantic Steel Mill, and by 1952, it employed more than 2000 Atlantans – producing fencing, nails, rivets and more. After the mill closed in the 1990’s, a new vision began to emerge for the site. The vision was for a sprawling mixed-use development unlike any other, boasting LEED certified office towers, a variety of housing and entertainment options, and a wide array of stores and restaurants – poised within a walkable neighborhood. By the time Atlantic Station debuted in 2005, it was the largest urban Brownfield redevelopment at that time and – because of its size – it was given its own zip code: 30363.

Showcasing 500,000 SF of restaurant and retail space, 2 million SF of class A office space, 3000 residential units, a boutique hotel, a gym and movie theater surrounding Central Park where a variety of signature events are hosted, this new addition to Atlanta’s Midtown landscape quickly grew in popularity. Of course, the great news is… it continues to evolve in exciting new directions. By the end of 2020, Atlantic Station will soon boast two new office buildings, a new AMLI residential complex, three new hotels, several new shops and restaurants, and a newly reimagined Central Park. The mixed-use development’s tagline “We’ve Got It All!” will never be truer.

Award-winning Atlanta custom home builder, Highlight Homes is making a little history of our own. While we have had a presence in nearby Brookhaven and Buckhead over the years, we are now proud to become a part of the Midtown Atlanta landscape, too. Just a mile away from the bustling streets of Atlantic Station, we are building a stunning luxury duplex project.  Starting at $750,000, each home will showcase more than 2600 square feet of living space to include 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The 2-car garage will prove quite a commodity in this area of town, although – given the high walkability factor of the neighborhood – the cars may spend a lot of time parked INSIDE the garage. Each home will also boast an unfinished basement, representing 1100 square feet of potential for future growth. Other features of these homes that beg to be mentioned include three covered porches (one for each level), mudroom off the garage, upstairs laundry for the ultimate in convenience, charming fireplace in the living room, custom cabinets with granite countertops and Jenn-Air appliances in the gourmet kitchen, hardwoods throughout and all of the surprising and distinctive touches for which Highlight Homes is so well-known. What is just as exciting as its proximity to Atlantic Station is the duplex’s convenience to I-75, I-85, the beautiful campus at Georgia Tech, and many of Atlanta’s top employers and Fortune 500 companies.

If you’d like to be added to the interest list for one of the homes in Highlight Homes’ new duplex project, please contact Melanie Pourhassan with Keller Williams First Atlanta at MelanieHP@kw.com or 404-531-5708. To learn more about Highlight Homes, we invite you to visit us at www.highlighthomesga.com.

Photo Credits: By PEDS (Flickr: Atlantic Station) [CC BY 2.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons