Gray Oaks

What initially made you decide to build in Gray Oaks?

It was the perfect location for us and we know we liked this area. We like the idea of having a neighborhood that has some particular character to it. Not just a bunch of typical Indianapolis two story homes. We kind of met those criteria and then we fell in love with the model floor plan and our lot so it was kind of a tri-fecta. We were ready for something smaller more manageable lot wise.

Now that you live here, what do you like the most about living in Gray Oaks?

Location, we really like our neighbors. We like watching the neighborhood grow. We were one of the first half dozen or so to build in Gray Oaks. It’s kind of a little contained community. That sounds kind of Stepford Wife-ish doesn’t it? But really, we like living here. You can go for a walk and see your neighbors and you don’t have to be super friendly. It’s just a nice little community. By the way, we love the GetGo.

What’s your favorite thing about your home?

I think it turned out exactly the way we had envisioned accept maybe a little bit better. It was exactly the feel and look we were looking for. Even though we had a pretty good idea that we wanted something like the model, we feel like our home is totally different. It’s totally ours. And we love our kitchen and how it came out. It really fit with our lifestyle because it all centers around cooking and eating. We really enjoy everything about our kitchen.

Tell us about the building experience with Old Town.

I have to say that it was an overall positive experience. Anytime that you build, with any process that’s that involved it’s always going to have its ups and downs, but overall a good experience. We got the home that we wanted. Yea, there’s some punch-listing, but they recognized that and things were taken care of. If you want to know our general opinion, it was a good experience. And we really enjoyed picking things out, decorating our home and making it ours. A majority of their vendors were very helpful, nice people and were very knowledgeable about their products. I think that’s really a good place to start for sure.

You don’t want your vendors to be a bad reflection of your product. We got a lot of help from Marble Uniques and ADS, they were very helpful. They really helped us make the home what we wanted. And the flooring people, Angie, she was really helpful with suggestions. It’s overwhelming, I mean building a house just gets overwhelming and when you have to kind of pair it down into certain things the vendors are great. As long as you have someone who can kind of guide you, because we knew what we kind of wanted, but that’s their business not our business. We got exactly what we wanted at the end of the day. We don’t look back or wish we’ve done anything differently.

Share with us the thoughts and feelings you had when you got to walk into your home fully completed.

That’s a process because we still don’t consider it quite completed. First of all, it certainly was a relief, that we didn’t make any big mistakes in picking out stuff. Secondly, this is really cooler than I thought it was going to be. It’s really better than we thought. And how much different it felt, like we were saying before, if we go back to the model now we’re like “Oh my god, we could not live there.” You know it was the house that we kind of modeled this one after.

It still feels so much like ours, it’s so different that we go back and look now and it’s like, no, we need to go back to our house. I think I really enjoyed seeing how that whole process evolved. You don’t relax or feel good until the landscaping is in and everything is done it’s like, “Thank goodness!” This looks kind of like the way you wanted it to look. It’s just like Dawn (their neighbor) said, when they first moved in she felt like she was on vacation. “This feels like living in a resort.” It was a really sweet thing to say. Like she’d have to go home in two weeks. It’s a great feeling actually. I don’t feel like it’s a resort, it just feels like, this is our house. It feels good and we’re totally satisfied.

Would you recommend us to your friends?

We already have. The gal in my book club who now lives next door, she called me and asked, “Do you mind if I move into Gray Oaks?” I thought, I can’t really control that, but of course not. Another friend of ours is building over by Ace hardware, they have a lot over there. They’ve been through our house many times and looking around the neighborhood. That’s happened more than once with our friends. So yes, and you hear things about every builder or every experience whether you buy a used house or a new house there’s always going to be something, but just for the complete process, it’s still a good one.

It’s shocking how many people our age are building houses here. It’s Gray Oaks for a reason because we have gray hair. But yes it is shocking, there’s a lot of people building new homes, but you kind of get what you want then, finally, and you don’t have to worry about kids and schools and what district you’re in. Not that you would have to worry about that here and that’s another thing is the re-sell value due to the location is great. So the answer to your question is yes.

The Huff family found the home design and location that was right for them. Make the move and write your own building story with Old Town Design Group.

What initially made you decide to build in Gray Oaks?

We wanted to live close to the high school and new home construction on the east side of Carmel is limited.  Being in a newly developed neighborhood was enticing.  After visiting the model at Gray Oaks, it was an easy decision to build here. I think craftsman style is the theme of the homes in Gray Oaks and ours is no exception.  We chose warm, earth tones to compliment the architectural style.

Now that you live here, what do you like the most about living in Gray Oaks?

The size of the neighborhood makes it easy to know everyone.  The location is perfect for access to shopping, entertainment and restaurants.  We are in close proximity to Keystone Avenue as well.

What’s your favorite thing about your home?

It will sound a little crazy, but our pantry is amazing.  Nate created a space that extends our kitchen and offers both a computer desk and shelves to hold EVERYTHING! At this point there is nothing we would change [in our home].  Our home suites our family perfectly.  With the help of the Old Town team, we thought through each area carefully.  The spaces we created offer indoor and outdoor family time.  We can entertain friends and family in several comfortable areas.

Tell us about the building experience with Old Town.

From the time we walked into the model and Janel greeted us with her amazing smile to the day we met at our new home for the closing party, it was a great experience.  Everyone at Old Town was professional, thoughtful and most of all had the perspective that our home was their most important task at hand. The most common answer to any question was “this is your home and our goal it to build it just the way you want it”.

Our site manager, Kevin, was amazing.  Since we lived close by during the build process, we were at our home site frequently. He thoughtfully explained each phase, consulted with us regularly and made the changes we needed.  Kevin made us feel like part of the team.  He was always available and ready to help.

Our area supervisor, Tim, was incredible as well.  He was regularly checking in to be sure we felt comfortable and that all was going as planned.  When a question or issue arose (although there were very few) he was quick to respond.

Janel was always the smiling face to brighten every meeting.  Her expertise helped coordinate all of the moving parts.  She checked in regularly throughout the build process and has been an integral part of creating our perfect home.

The rest of the Old Town team guided us through the various parts to make sure everything came together timely and perfectly.  We are thankful to all of them.

Share with us the thoughts and feelings you had when you got to walk into your home fully completed.

We loved showing off our new home to family and friends that day.  Having the Old Town team here to celebrate with us made the day complete. We felt proud to share this beautiful home with everyone.

Would you recommend us to your friends?

Absolutely and have on many occasions throughout our build process.

The McMichael family found the home design and location that was right for them. Make the move and write your own building story with Old Town Design Group.