COVER STORY: Good things in small packages; Sometimes less is more, and builders are taking note

C.W. CAMERON; For the Journal-Constitution

On average, American houses are getting bigger.

The average home has grown from 1,500 square feet in 1970 to 2,434 in 2005, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

But out of the 1.1 million homes built in the United States in 2007, 40 percent were 2,000 square feet or less. That's a lot of houses, and a number of metro Atlanta builders are taking notice.

Who's buying these smaller homes and what are they looking for?

"The majority of my buyers are first-time homeowners. They're good consumers, spending a lot of time comparing features and analyzing the value of what they get for their dollar," says Eric Love of Grace Ventures. Love builds 45-50 production houses a year, and one or two custom homes, usually in Paulding, Cobb, Bartow and Cherokee counties. He says homes under 2,000 square feet make up about a third of his business.

"We're starting to see [buyers] want four bedrooms instead of the three bedrooms that were standard, and they're looking for a separate tub and shower in the master bath. They understand they're not going to get a gourmet kitchen in that size home or price range, but they do want a separate breakfast room and dining room if they can get it. Everyone's looking for an open floor plan, and we've gotten more and more efficient in maximizing space inside the homes," says Love.

Alicia MacPhee, president of the Georgia North Division of Pulte Homes, says single-family detached homes under 2,000 square feet make up about 30 percent of Pulte's sales in metro Atlanta. Pulte is the area's second largest home builder, as measured by home closings, according to Metrostudy.

What is Pulte building? MacPhee says, "Some homes are two-story and some are single-story, but the common element is an open atmosphere. It's critical to maximize every usable space giving the best possible plan for function, lifestyle and flexibility," says MacPhee.

Light and access to the outdoors are another way to make smaller homes feel spacious. "Windows not only create light and warmth in a space, but connect the interior of the home with the outside, making the inside of the home feel as large as the eye can see," MacPhee says.

These smaller homes don't have to lack high-end features. Pulte offers Signature Standards at no extra charge in nearly all its communities. Customers get upgraded fixtures and gourmet kitchens with granite countertops, GE appliances and maple cabinetry.

Pulte's Del Webb active adult communities are a large portion of its business. These developments feature one-floor living, with a focus on lifestyle. "These buyers are looking for the ease that comes with a one-story floor plan, as well as having an active community where there are organized events, walking trails and amenities like swimming and tennis," says MacPhee.

"Key for many of these homeowners is that the lifestyle be low-maintenance and versatile," says MacPhee.

Love adds, "I think the demand is going to continue to be there. The market is so price-conscious, and buyers are looking for homes that will hold their value. And there are always people who appreciate that these smaller homes will do that."

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A first home

Eric and Ellicia Rowell, and 11-year-old daughter Denecia, bought their first home in Dallas' Silver Comet Crossing last November. "We'd been thinking about it for a while, and met John Copassaki of First Homeowners Corporation through one of Eric's friends at work," says Ellicia. "We looked at 14 houses over a month's time and bought the last one we saw. One reason was because the rooms were big enough for our bedroom furniture."

As first-time home buyers, the Rowells had a budget. While they looked in the Marietta area for a home that would be near Ellicia's job in Kennesaw and Eric's job in Marietta, they couldn't afford new construction there. They started looking in Dallas and Acworth because there were more new homes in their price range. Their commute from their new home in Dallas is 30 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes in the evening.

* What they bought: A three-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, two-story home with hardwood floors in the living room, a laundry room and eat-in kitchen. A front porch and back patio add outdoor living space. All the bedrooms and two full baths are upstairs. "We've got a two-car garage, and the kitchen is huge," says Ellicia. "The only thing I miss is a dining room. The builder, Eric Love, was a nice guy and worked with us to be sure everything was just right."

* The location: "We liked the subdivision. It's quiet and it's up and coming," Ellicia adds. "The shopping around here is good. To me, when I get home, it's worth the long commute. We're comfortable. It's quiet here, and we're very happy. It's a nice house."

* Buying the home: "John was our real estate agent and our loan officer, too. He was very patient. A great guy," says Ellicia. "Everything went the way he said it would."

* A starter home: Eric says, "Take your time and be careful shopping. There are so many homes out there. This is our starter home. One day we'd like to find something on one level with a basement."

AT A GLANCE

Silver Comet Crossing

Address: 102 Trailside Drive, Dallas

County: Paulding

Information: 770-445-5225; www.realtyexecutiveswest.com

Price range: $133,900-$169,900

Number of homes: 170

Square footage: 1,260-2,200

Lot sizes: less than 1/3 acre

Standard features: microwave, range, dishwasher, designer cabinets in kitchen and baths; low-maintenance exterior siding, sodded yards.

Amenities: Sidewalk access to Silver Comet Trail, sidewalks, streetlights, underground utilities.

Homeowners fees: $100 per year

Developer: G. McTyre

Builders: Grace Ventures and RACE Construction

Broker: Realty Executives West

Schools: Allgood Elementary, Herschel Jones Middle, Paulding High

GETTING THERE:

From downtown Atlanta: Take I-20 West to Exit 44 (Thornton Road). Turn right. Go approximately 20 miles to West Avenue. Turn left. Go about 1/2 mile to sales center on the left.

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'This is it'

Isabelle Sexton, on staff in Children's Ministry at North Point Community Church, says she has always liked houses. "I enjoy the aspect of going in and looking at the floor plan and figuring, 'My life would work in that house. Then I could sell it and move on.' Now that I've gotten older, I've found this house and decided, 'This is it!' "

* What she bought: A two-bedroom ranch with an office and two full baths. She has a living room, eat-in kitchen, sun room, two-car garage and laundry room, all in about 1,800 square feet.

* Why she bought: "To be honest, I loved the whole idea of not having to cut my grass," Sexton laughs. "I fell in love with the floor plan here and liked all the models. I felt it was calling my name. I was downsizing, my kids are all grown and moved out, so I wanted something smaller and easy for a single lady to take care of. My last home was a four-bedroom two-and-a-half bath ranch, less than a mile away. It was too big. Now I have my own little individual house; it's just small.

* How she found it: "I happened to go past and saw the development going up. I knew I wanted to move to something smaller. I didn't want to carry that big house with all the heating bills and everything else, including cutting the grass. I looked around at some other areas that had ranch homes and it took me almost a year to make the decision to move here.

* What's the appeal? "I like the sense of community here. Since the homes are two- and three-bedroom, we have more folks in my age bracket. The floor plan is just wonderful --- warm and cozy. It's open and cheery, and it just struck me as perfect. They cut our grass and put down the pine straw, do the fertilizing. But I also like to do things myself, and with a ranch I can paint everything inside and out. Storage can be an issue, but I've got a huge master closet and a little storage space in the attic. My son put up shelves in the garage and that helps with things like Christmas decorations. It's really just perfect for me."

AT A GLANCE

Kingswood

Address: 4890 Kings Common Way, Cumming

County: Forsyth

Information: 678-965-4170; www.pulte.com/atlanta

Price range: $230,000s to $300,000s

Number of homes: 162

Square footage: 1,705-2,136

Lot sizes: 1/4 to 1/3 acre lots

Standard features: Hardwood foyer, covered porch/lanai, ceramic tile flooring, plush Shaw carpeting, separate seated shower in owners' suite, low-maintenance exterior.

Amenities: Low-maintenance swim/tennis community; 2 lighted tennis courts, clubhouse; lawn maintenance included.

Homeowners fees: $115 per month includes all four sides landscape maintenance plus swim/tennis and clubhouse facilities.

Developer: Pulte Homes

Builder: Pulte Homes

Broker: N/A

Schools: Cumming Elementary; Vickery Creek Middle; Central Forsyth High

GETTING THERE

From downtown Atlanta, take I-85 to Ga. 400 north. Take Exit 13 (Bethelview Road/Ga. 141) and turn left. After crossing Ga. 9, turn right at Castleberry Road. Continue on Castleberry for approximately 1.5 miles. Kingswood will be on your right.