Posts Tagged ‘new home’

To start the New Year in “visionary” style, regional home builder – Paran Homes – is pleased to present significant savings at a number of its communities throughout Metro Atlanta for a limited time. The hope is that these savings will bring the concept of new home ownership into clearer view for home buyers at a variety of levels to kick off 2020. In nearly all instances, in order to qualify for these savings, homes must be closed by January 31, 2020 and where savings on closing costs are involved, a preferred lender must be used. Communities featured in this “Kick Off 2020” promotion include:

• Magnolia Court – Located in Marietta and featuring homes priced from the Mid 400’s, this stunning Cobb County community is showcasing savings of up to $23,000 off the original list price on its featured homes + $5,000 off closing costs *All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $5,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Offer valid on contracts for lots 1 and 2 only and must close by 1/31/20.Certain restrictions apply, See onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice.

• Chestnut Farms – Representing a stunning collection of 36 luxury homes priced from the $400s to $600s in Kennesaw, this distinctive community is offering $10,000 Any Way You Want It* on select homes. *Up to $10,000 in design options on select inventory only. Must close by 1/31/20. Cannot be combined with any other offers.Some restrictions apply and offer can be removed at any time. See onsite sales consultant for further details.

• Gladstone Landing – This stylish newly opened Active Adult community in Snellville is offering two-story townhomes priced from the mid $200s along with refrigerator, washer and dryer, custom blinds and up to $5,000 off closing costs for a limited time. *Offer includes blinds, refrigerator and washer/dryer. All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $5,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Offer valid on homes that can close by 1/31/20. Certain restrictions apply. See onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice.

• Heritage Pointe – This Gwinnett County community in the heart of Lawrenceville that boasts terrific single-family homes priced from the High $200s is offering THREE great incentives that include $3000 Any Way You Want It + up to $5,000 IN CLOSING COSTS! + $1500 Brokers Incentive for a limited time *Design options up to $3,000 and closing cost up to $5,000. Broker bonus valid at closing only. All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $5,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Offers valid only on homes that will close by 1/31/20. Cannot be combined with any other offers Some restrictions apply, see onsite sales consultant for further details. Specifications and features are approximate and subject to change without notice.

• Kingsland – An incredible community of homes priced from the Mid $200’s this South Fulton treasure offers accessibility to Hartsfield-Jackson International Atlanta Airport along with Up to $8,000 in closing costs for a limited time. *All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $8,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Offer valid on contracts closed by 1/31/20. Certain restrictions apply, see onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice.

• Traditions of Braselton – Showcasing home priced from the Low $200s to $700s+, this exciting amenity rich master-planned community is kicking off 2020 with Up to $50,000 in savings + $5000 in closing costs on select homes. * Offer valid on select inventory homes only. Must close by 1/31/20. All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $5,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Some restrictions apply, cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer can be changed or canceled at any time.

• Millwood Farms – Representative of one of Paran Homes’ newest communities in Marietta featuring gorgeous single-family homes priced from  the Low $400s, Cobb’s Millwood Farms is offering up to $10,000 in closing costs + a $2,000 co-broker bonus on select homes *All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $10,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Agent bonus to be paid at closing. Offer valid on select homesites 24, 11, 12, 14, 25, 26 and 27 only. Valid on contracts closed by 1/31/20. Certain restrictions apply, see onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice.

• Oakleigh Pointe – This stellar Paulding County community is offering several exciting new floor plans in addition to Up To $8,000 in closing costs for a limited time on its single-family homes priced from the Mid $200s *All closing costs paid for by seller/preferred lender up to $8,000. This excludes the prepaid items (taxes & insurance.) Offer valid on contracts closed by 1/31/20. Certain restrictions apply, see onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice.

• Seaboard Junction – This gated lifestyle-centric Active Adult community in Loganville featuring entertainment-friendly villas priced from the High $200s is offering $10,000 Any Way You Want It on select home sites *Offer valid on select homes, lots 43, 45, 48, 57 and 62 only and must close by 1/31/20. Certain restrictions apply, See onsite sales associate for further details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices and offer subject to change without notice

To learn more about Paran Homes and its growing collection of beautiful communities throughout Metro Atlanta, please visit www.paranhomes.com.

KB 1/3/20

Moving into a new home is an exciting time. Moving into a new home right before the holidays take it to an entirely new level. Whether celebrating your first Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Hanukkah in your new home, it’s always fun to welcome friends, neighbors and family to join in a seasonally themed inauguration of your house. Needless to say, food and music will likely play major roles – possibly even a favorite holiday film or two, but if you really want to fill the rooms and hallways of your home with laughter, you might want to incorporate a few fun holiday games. Best of all, Paran Homes has trolled the internet in search of the best holiday party games so you don’t have to!

Gratitude Game

This great Thanksgiving Day suggestion comes from Country Living Magazine. It involves multi-colored pick up sticks and a color-coded instruction sheet to match. With five suggested Gratitude themes, you can place a corresponding color next to each command. For instance, Brown for “Name a Person You are Thankful For”, Orange for “Name a Place You are Thankful For”, Green for “Name a Food You are Thankful For”, Blue for “Name a Thing You are Thankful For” and Purple for “Name Anything of Your Choice.”

To play, hold all the colored sticks in your hand and drop them so they fall randomly. Everyone gathers around the sticks and takes turns trying to pull sticks from the pile without making the other sticks move. As they successfully pull a stick, they must follow the command on the instruction sheet you created. The person next to them repeats the cycle. If one of the other sticks moves, they lose their turn. At the end of the game, the person with the most sticks wins!

Please Pass the Corn

For this Thanksgiving-themed game from PlayPartyPlan.com, you’ll need candy corn, popsicle sticks, several pie tins/shallow bowls and a table or kitchen island. Played in pairs, this game requires both players to place popsicle sticks in their mouths. On one end of the table is one contestant and a bowl full of candy corn, on the other is another contestant and an empty bowl. The goal is to empty one bowl into the other using only the popsicle sticks.

The first player can use their hands to place a candy corn on the stick in their mouth, they must then meet the other team member in the middle to transfer the corn from their stick to the others, without dropping it. The other team member must then drop the corn in the empty bowl, and this continues until the bowl full of candy corn is empty. As you become more skilled at the transfer, you can add more than one candy corn to your stick. The team that finishes first – with the fullest bowl – WINS (in other words, you don’t get rewarded for DROPPING your candy corn on the floor).

Santa Limbo

This Christmas party game suggestion comes from Shutterfly and involves a group of three or more guests, a limbo stick and a collection of throw pillows. Have participants put a “Santa belly” under their shirt using one of the pillows. Have two guests hold the limbo stick at a starting height, and then everyone can try to limbo underneath with their Santa bellies in place. Once everyone has tried, lower the stick slightly and have those who made it through go again. Continually lower the stick until one winner remains! For added fun, have everyone don Santa hats, play Christmas music and take lots of photos!

Stocking Guessing Game

Another great Christmas-themed suggestion from Shutterfly, this game comes complete with PRIZES! Stuff a stocking with fun little gifts you pick up that would have broad appeal for kids to grown-ups and boys to girls. Put a notepad in front of four or more participants, tie of the top of the stocking so no one can see inside and then pass it around so everyone can have a chance to feel the objects inside. They can then write down their ideas (but don’t let anyone peek) and pass it on to the next person. Once everyone has filled out their guesses, open the stocking to reveal what’s inside. The person with the most correct guesses wins the contents of the stocking.

Ornament on a Spoon

A fun Christmas game for larger gatherings, it’s the same concept as Egg on a Spoon – with a seasonal twist. According to Shutterfly, you break your group of 8 or more players up into teams for a relay course – with or without obstacles. With an ornament on their spoon, the first person will go through the course and return to pass it on. Players can only use their spoons and NOT their hands when passing the ornament. If someone drops their ornament, that person needs to return to the beginning and repeat the course again. Once the ornament is successfully passed off, it’s the next person’s turn and so on until everyone has completed the course. The first team to complete the course WINS!

Dreidel Scattergories

This Hanukkah-themed take on the popular Milton Bradley game of Scattergories comes from SignupGenius. You’ll need a timer and a list of categories – like food, animals, movie stars, colors, careers, clothing, TV shows, flowers, countries, etc. – written onto pieces of paper or index cards that are facedown. All the players will need a pad of paper and a writing utensil. And – of course – you’ll need a dreidel.

Flip a card to reveal the category and then spin the dreidel and whatever letter it lands on – N,G, H or S – your players will have two minutes (set your timer) to write down as many things that come to mind that start with the letter facing up. For example, if the category is food and the letter is N, they might write down nachos, nuts, noodles, etc. When the two minutes are up, each person counts the number of fitting answers and tallies their score. Repeat all the above until all the categories have been fulfilled. The person with the largest score wins.

Two Truths and a Fib

This game can be used for both Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations, but for Festival of Light-specific parties, test your party guests’ knowledge of the historical story of Hanukkah. Have everyone write down two true facts and one fib about Hanukkah – the real fun comes from telling the fib with such detail that it seems like the truth. Go around the circle and have each person tell their two truths and a fib. The other contestants should score which one they think is the fib on a piece of paper, then move on to the next person in the circle. Anyone who gets away with their fib without anyone catching on wins! To customize this game for Christmas, simply make it about the Christmas story. This idea also came from SignupGenius.

At Paran Homes, no matter the time of year, we hope you find many years of happiness in your new home. Best wishes to you and yours for a Happy Holiday Season!

In search of a new home in which you can host holiday gatherings for years to come? Check out our communities throughout Metro Atlanta and the Greater Nashville area! Many of our floor plans come with flexible living spaces or dedicated game rooms that are ideal for families who love to have FUN!

Image link: https://unsplash.com/photos/SUTfFCAHV_A

If you’re in a brand-new Paran Home (OR hope to be in one in time for Thanksgiving NEXT year), chances are you’re eager to open your home to holiday guests. While it can be an exciting time, it can also be undeniably stressful. Rather than risk a Turkey Day morning meltdown, we recommend taking advantage of the days leading up to Thanksgiving to organize in hopes of minimizing the stress. While there’s not much we can do to stop your mother-in-law from weighing in on your choice of décor or keep your uncle from diving headlong into the topic of politics, Paran Homes is proud to offer up the following five tips to hosting a fret-free Thanksgiving…

1)      Take a Cue from Expert Culinary Teams: Now that you have a gorgeous new kitchen by Paran Homes, consider this your command central for the big day and DEVISE A PLAN. Decide ahead of time which recipes you would like to make, print them out and even laminate them (to protect from spills), shop for all of the ingredients so there are no unexpected Thanksgiving Day runs to find an open store, and develop a task list for Thanksgiving Day attendees. You KNOW a select few will ask repeatedly what they can do to help. If you REALLY want to minimize your stress, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say “can you help chop this onion?” or “can you please stir the gravy?” While you don’t want too many people in the kitchen, it’s nice to have several people around you in the heart of the home, where great memories are made and wonderful conversations are shared. Your task list can also cover the post-meal activities, such as clearing the table, washing dishes, drying dishes and putting the left-overs in containers.

2)      Don’t Make a Rookie Mistake: While it’s fun and valiant to try a new recipe or two, Thanksgiving is the “big show.” You don’t want to disappoint yourself OR your guests by serving a dish that’s anything shy of fabulous. In the days leading up to Turkey Day, take a practice run of any new recipes you plan to try and use your family members as guinea pigs. Make a game of it and tell them that tonight, they are food critics. Give them each a pen and paper so they can write down their thoughts about the new dish(es). They can even share their ideas for ways to make it even better. This practice run will let you know which dishes will be making their debut at your Thanksgiving dinner and which won’t make the cut.

3)      Map Your Prep and Serving Stations: When we design our homes, Paran Homes takes great care in considering everything from daily life to opportunities to entertain. Many of our designs feature an open flow between the kitchen, breakfast area and family room, and many of our kitchens features loads of countertop space and large central islands. A number of our homes also boast separate and spacious formal dining rooms. If you plan to serve from a long buffet table in your dining room, then you’re all set to purely prep in your kitchen. If you need to use your kitchen for both prep and service, you’ll want to map out where the “magic” will take place. This “station” plan can also jive with your task list for guests – your mom can prep the sweet potato casserole at one section of the counter, your sister can chop ingredients and toss the salad at another section of the counter, and you can manage everything going into/coming out of the oven while supervising the stovetop dishes. Have everyone’s tools, ingredients and pans in place at their stations to ensure a smooth operation. Set your kitchen island as your service buffet for the moment that you’re ready to serve.

4)      Make Your Seating Chart: Seating charts aren’t merely for weddings, people! You know how many guests you plan to host and you ALSO know everyone’s distinct personalities. If you can’t fit everyone around the dining room table, consider expanding the kids’ table to the breakfast room. Depending on the size of your guest list, you may need to have a folding table set up to aid with overflow. Set each table ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to cook AND set up at the same time. Consider making place cards to place people where you believe they’ll feel most comfortable and have the most fun.

5)      Set Guests Up with Delightful Distractions: You’re going to be BUSY making the Thanksgiving feast, but you don’t want a house full of bored (and hungry) guests. Have light snacks set about and plan games/activities to keep them preoccupied while you work your magic. Video games, board games or holiday-themed crafts are always a hit with the kiddos, older guests might enjoy watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or sports on TV, and you’ll have a select group with you in the kitchen. You may also want to set up a ball jar, pen and paper squares where people can write the things for which they are thankful and pop them in the jar. The host of the meal can read these notes during the meal and guests can take guesses at who wrote them. If your family observes Christmas, you may want to set up an area where they can create their own ornament. If you plan to set up your tree soon, you can either add all of these new ornaments to your tree for your first Christmas in your new Paran Home or allow your guests to take their ornaments home as a keepsake of their Thanksgiving at your house.

From all of us here at Paran Homes, we wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

At Paran Homes, we build our homes to last with loads of living spaces, inviting bedrooms and convenient flex spaces in which your family can bloom and grow.  Is there anything more exciting – and somewhat terrifying – than bringing a brand-new baby home from the hospital and through your front door for the very first time? You quickly realize all that you DON’T know about raising a baby and keeping them safe. Blink your eyes and they’re crawling. Blink again and they’re up on their feet and walking… then running. A mobile baby presents a whole new world of unbelievable joy (and potential disasters.) With many of our new home owners at the baby (or grandbaby) stage of family life, Paran Homes is tickled pink (or baby blue) to share these expert tips on the latest techniques and tools for babyproofing your new home beyond the age-old baby gates on the stairs.

Get a Baby’s Eye View: The best way to assess all the prospective dangers your baby might face is to get down on their level. Go room to room throughout your home and get down on your hands and knees. Crawl all throughout the space, taking note of any possible issues along the way. You should do this BEFORE they start to crawl. Pay particular attention to sharp corners where they might hit their head – like the fireplace and coffee table – and address those with cushioned bumpers.

Be Wary of the Bathroom: At some point, babies learn to pull up on things to enjoy the view. If they do this on the bathtub, they could slip on the tile and hit their head on the way down. Non-skid rugs could prevent the slip and also cushion their fall. The best measure to take here is to never leave your child unattended in the bathroom, particularly when soaking in the tub – not even for a minute. A baby can drown in just 1 inch of water. Other measures for this room of the home that Parents.com recommends are to keep your water heater set to 120 degrees or lower to prevent scalding, place a soft cover over your faucet head, and lay down non-slip strips in the bathtub. Parenting Magazine also suggests installing toilet locks to protect baby’s fingers from getting smashed, as well as another potential drowning risk.

Be Particularly Careful in the Kitchen: Stove knob covers prevent the risk of baby accidentally turning on the gas or possibly burning him/herself. A stove guard can protect your child from pulling boiling pots and pans down on themselves.

Keep ‘Em Out of the Cabinets and Drawers: Whether in the kitchen or the bathroom, cabinet doors and drawers can present their own realm of dangerous prospects. Cleaning supplies, chemicals, sharp or breakable objects, heavy appliances that can topple and more that lurk behind those baby-sized doors or fun sliding drawers pose lots of potential risks. The best way to avoid disaster here is to invest in childproof safety latches made specifically for cabinets and drawers, then place them throughout your home.

Stay Indoors, Kids: While the “get outside and play” mantra will begin soon enough, those shiny doorknobs on the front and back doors, as well as all of the interior doors of the home prove incredibly alluring to small children. Rather than allow them to turn the knob and walk on out the door unsupervised, it would be wise to purchase childproof doorknob covers. These will also limit their opportunities to shut their sweet little fingers in the door, as well.

Don’t be Blind to the Dangers of Blind, Drapery and Electric Cords: The cords that hang down on your blinds or window treatments can be rather tempting to toddlers. In addition to the fact that one good yank could potentially bring the entire set of blinds or draperies down on your baby’s head, those cords could prove a strangulation hazard. The same holds true for dangling cords from small kitchen appliances.

A Shocking Discovery: It just so happens that little baby fingers can fit neatly into the holes of an electrical outlet – posing a shock risk. Placing covers over the outlets renders them virtually invisible and dramatically lowers the potential for baby to try and place other objects inside. But because the individual plastic electric outlet covers could also be a possible choking hazard for little explorers, Parenting Magazine suggests using sliding covers instead.

That is NOT a Ladder, Little One: Small children – once they become mobile – love to use stationary objects to pull up and will even attempt to climb them. This is particularly true of bookcases and chests of drawers. To prevent them from toppling on top of your baby, secure them to the wall with sturdy anchors.

Other helpful tips can be found in Babyproofing Basics on Parents.com or 20+ Tips for Babyproofing Your Home from Parenting Magazine.

From all of us here at Paran Homes, we hope you enjoy raising your baby in your new home! Haven’t found your family’s ideal home yet? Check out our communities in Atlanta, Nashville and !

Buying a new home – particularly one crafted by Paran Homes – can be an incredibly exciting adventure. One that nearly counters the daunting task of packing up an existing home in time for the movers to arrive. Whether moving from an apartment or a house, we’ve compiled a list of 10 tips designed to make the task of moving more bearable. Just remember, “a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” (Lao Tzu) In the end… HOME SWEET HOME!

1. Set a Budget: If you have the money in your budget to pay a moving company to pack up and haul your belongings to your new home, by all means do that! Of course, that money might be better spent on a new sectional for the family room or dining room table or master suite or… If you can find the time AND ENERGY to pack up the house yourself, it will definitely save you on the budget side.
2. Set a Date: This is typically a tight window if you’re moving from an existing house into a new home. You have not just one but TWO closing dates to work around. Hopefully, you’ll have a little wiggle room between the two so you don’t feel pressed for time. In the event that there is TOO much wiggle room between your closing dates and you find the need for temporary housing, you may want to research storage units or portable moving containers to store the bulk of your possessions.
3. Find a Reputable and Licensed/Insured Moving Company: Even in this digital day and age, word of mouth continues to reign supreme. If you know anyone whose made a move in the last couple of years, ask them who they used and what they recommend. In the event that you’re not getting the results you hoped for, start scanning online reviews and Better Business Bureau ratings. Once you’ve narrowed your list down to a few, ask for proposals to see who falls best within your timeframe and budget.
4. Give the 4-1-1 to Family and Friends: Moving is a very special occasion! One that is worthy of having “We’re Moving” announcements printed and mailed – featuring your move-in date and new address. You may want to do this a month to a couple of weeks before you move.
5. Host a Fond Farewell Fiesta: Like we’ve said, moving is a very special occasion. Goodbyes can be bittersweet. Make a concerted effort to say farewell to your neighbors by hosting a party – this is particularly important if you’re moving across state lines.
6. Take Small Bites When Eating an Elephant: Okay so we’ve covered the fact that moving can be a daunting task. In an effort to avoid becoming overwhelmed, formulate a plan and attack the art of packing one room at a time. As you do, check these rooms off your list to give yourself a constant sense of accomplishment.
7. Decide What You Want to Follow You Into this Next Chapter: As you formulate your plan and move room-to-room, decide what will be following you to your new home – and get rid of the rest. That’s less space taken up on your moving truck! Extra furniture, appliances, etc. can be donated to your local Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity or Goodwill – many of which will pick-up, free of charge.
8. The Kitchen Should be the Last Thing to Go: Unless you want to spend a small fortune on takeout and dining out, you should leave the basic essentials of your kitchen intact until the last possible moment.
9. Mark All of Your Boxes as Clearly As Possible: As challenging as packing can be, unpacking is equally intimidating. By having your boxes clearly marked at the get go, it’s easier to prioritize which boxes you’d like to unpack first. Instead of simply marking a box “Kitchen” – take a few seconds more to add WHAT is inside, such as utensils, plates and bowls.
10. Capture the Moment:  It’s all to easy to get swept up in the act of moving that we often forget what a special occasion this is! Be sure to take a moment here and there to snap a photo of your kids playing around the moving boxes, your former home empty of your family’s possessions, one last front stoop photo, the family gathered around the SOLD sign in front of your new Paran Home, before-and-after images of your new home without and with furniture, etc… You’re making history and Paran Homes is proud to be a part of it!

Need a Recommendation for a Great Moving Company?

Take-Away Movers in Norcross is Paran Homes’ Preferred Moving Company! We regularly use them to move into – and out of – our model homes and sales centers throughout Metro Atlanta. Take-Away is currently offering an exclusive 10% discount on their moving services for new Paran homeowners (Discount Code: Paran10). Need new furniture? When you schedule a move with Take-Away Movers, they’ll send you a coupon for 20% off Ashley Home Store! and also can offer a discount at Ashley Home Store. To schedule YOUR move into a new Paran Home, contact Take-Away Office Manager, Latoya Wilson at 678.606.9050. Want to learn more about Take-Away Movers and the services they offer? Visit their website at www.takeawaymovers.net.

Best wishes to you and yours as you “make your move”!