Lifestyle Community: Concord Mill, Austell

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

For her fifth home purchase, Pamela Williams decided to downsize but stay in Austell. Williams, 55, who retired from the Army in 2005 and works as a global health specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chatted about her new home in Concord Mill, the metro area’s only Jim Chapman Communities neighborhood that is not age-restricted.

Q: How does this home compare to your previous one?

A: My house I had before was bigger and had a lot of yard work. I got tired of yard work. It was time for me to scale back some and let somebody else do yard work (lawn maintenance is included in the homeowners association fee) and me maintain my nice little cozy place.

Q: When you toured the models, what appealed to you?

A: I have a really unique entertainment center. I needed a nice large wall for it. (The sales agent) took me upstairs and showed me the bonus room, which had the perfect wall for my entertainment center. But I said, “You don’t have a bathtub in the master bedroom and sometimes I just love to soak in the tub.” She called me later and said the builder said they could give me a bathtub. We talked and I put some ideas of what I wanted my home to look like, inside and out. She said they could do that. She set it in motion and talked to the builder and they agreed to make it the way I wanted. I was there every step of the way of construction. All (of my) other houses, they were already built or they were being built and I was stationed somewhere else and I only saw the finished product. This one was exciting.

Q: What is one of your favorite spots?

A: I have a screened-in porch. It is really cool because I have my plants out there and I’m putting a swing chair out there. Usually early in the mornings my little doggie (Maxwell, a Pomeranian) likes to go out and lie in the grass. I can just sit there with a cool breeze coming through the screen and relax.

Q: What items have you purchased for the home?

A: I went to an antique shop and picked out a sofa. It is an odd shape. The front of it is shaped like a C. It was red velvet when I purchased it. I had it reupholstered in black and gold. It is absolutely gorgeous. I went to Castleberry’s Fine Furniture and they had (stools for the kitchen counter) with a black base and the seat was a real pale yellow and black. To look at it, it’s almost like I planned this and bought them at the same time. It just worked out that way.

Q: What advice do you give other people buying new homes?

A: Talk to some of the neighbors. When I was looking around at the property, one of the neighbors allowed me to come in and look at their house. They showed me the layout. They had the porch. I said, “This is so nice. It’s so intimate and it’s cozy." That helped me to say, “Yeah, okay, I think I like this community.”

At a glance

Pamela Williams’ home has three bedrooms, three baths and about 2,500 square feet of livable space. She moved in during July.

Concord Mill

Address: 3783 Olson Drive, Austell 30106

County: Cobb

Information: 404-556-2703, www.jimchapmancommunities.com/concord-mill

Price range: $186,900-$200,900

Homes: 22

Square footage: 1,848-2,500

Standard features: Two-car garages, gas fireplaces, granite countertops, bar and Whirlpool stainless steel appliances, covered porches, vaulted ceilings in the master bedroom

Amenities: None

Homeowners association fees: $125 a month

Developer/builder: Jim Chapman Communities

Broker: Jim Chapman Realty

School district: Russell Elementary, Floyd Middle, South Cobb High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take I-20 west to Exit 44 (Ga. 6/ Thornton Road) toward Austell. Keep right at the fork to continue toward Ga. 6/Thornton Road and merge onto Ga. 6/Thornton Road. Turn right at Maxham Road. Continue on Austell Road. Turn right onto East-West Connector. Take next left onto Floyd Road. The community will be on the right.

Recent sales

$195,000: 3762 Olson Dr., Austell 30106. A new four-bedroom, three-bath home with a covered patio and hardwood floors in the dining room.

$200,010. 3754 Olson Dr., Austell 30106. A new four-bedroom, three-bath home with a screened porch.

For sale

$204,690: 3796 Olson Dr., Austell 30106. A new four-bedroom, three-bath home with stainless steel appliances in the kitchen and a covered patio.

$210,270: 1337 Hesse Lane, Austell 30106. A new four-bedroom, three-bath home with a covered patio and a screened porch.