Looking for a condo upgrade, a homebuyer found the perfect little house in Germantown
Vickie Haguewood was entering a new stage in her life. Having raised three children, only one was now at home with her on a full-time basis, and one on a part-time basis as he’s in college. The other child had officially flown the nest.
“I was looking for a small upgrade from my condo, which I moved to in 2012. I was casually looking and the perfect little house became available — twice. I had made a lot of upgrades to my condo and had built up a good amount of equity.”
Vickie knew she wanted to remain in Germantown. “I love Germantown and my daughter goes to Houston High, so I had hoped to stay in pretty much the same area of town,” explained Vickie.
Also on her list of requirements were at least three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a primary bed and bath on first floor. Working as a physical therapist assistant, Vickie was keenly aware of the need to plan for accessibility with age. Also, she wanted a “cool” space for her youngest while enough room for all the kids to come home anytime. In the past, the other properties she had purchased needed a lot of work, so this time she wanted something that was turnkey, with no major renovations required.
Vickie contacted Emma Laird, a real estate agent with Heritage Homes Co. “Emma was the agent who was doing the open house for this place when it went on the market in 2022,” said Vickie. “I didn’t have an agent yet, so Emma became my agent. We put in an offer on this house; however, I lost out to another bidder. Emma and I spent the next 11 months looking at properties in Germantown, probably close to 20 in all. Then this same house came back on the market — I felt it was just meant to be.”
Vickie paid $425,000 for her house in Galway Green, with 1,800 square feet of living space. The traditionally style house, built in 1987, offered the requisite three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms.
“I love it all,” said Vickie “I love my master bath, with its double vanities and separate shower and tub. And I love the feeling of spaciousness in the living area with its vaulted ceilings. There are smooth ceilings and hardwood floors throughout. The kitchen came with many upgrades. It had stainless steel smart appliances and new flooring. The entire home had recently had all the ductwork cleaned. There were smart thermostats and much more. As I had hoped, the primary bedroom was on the first floor with all the other bedrooms upstairs. In this floor plan my daughter could have a large room and a cool teen suite area, as well as a long bathroom countertop that could house all her many products. And important to me, this house was located in the Germantown School District which included Farmington Elementary, Houston Middle and Houston High. The main difference between this place and my former home is that the last was a townhouse/condo and here I have a little house.”
Knowing that Vickie wasn’t looking for a long list of projects, when asked if there was anything she planned to change she said, “I love my large back patio and cedar fencing, which are perfect for backyard entertaining. However the yard is a work in progress. There are just a few little touches around the house that I’d like to do just to personalize it, but nothing major. This home had already been renovated and updates had been added. I may decide to update the fireplace at some point. I’ve only been here a couple months, but I’m very comfortable,” said Vickie. “I have very friendly and helpful neighbors and I love the location. I feel like I’m right in the heart of Germantown.”
Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The perfect little Germantown house became available — twice.
