Buyers at Liberty Hall Estates in Stafford County, Va., range from families with young children to retirees, but they have at least one thing in common: They want plenty of space.
At Liberty Hall, they find that space in large single-family houses, with plenty of options, on 1½-acre lots. Good schools and a convenient location, near Fredericksburg (and with a Fredericksburg mailing address), also draw buyers, said Kim Ambrose, director of marketing for Atlantic Builders.
Last year, Atlantic Builders sold all 18 home sites in Phase 1 of the Meadows at Liberty Hall Estates. Phase 2 of the new section opened in February with 24 sites, five floor plans and two furnished model homes.
One furnished model, the two-story Finley, is “our newest home design,” Ambrose said. It “hits the sweet spot for growing families,” she said, with more than 3,000 square feet on the first and second floors and the option of adding 1,300 square feet of finished space in the basement.
Advertisement
The Finley comes standard with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room, and buyers have the option of turning the powder room into a full bathroom. The house also has a space on the second floor that is suitable for recreation or doing homework. The base price is $719,900.
The other model, the Bridgewater, may interest buyers seeking roomy one-level living. The basic Bridgewater model has 2,544 square feet on the main level, with the option of adding 1,899 square feet of finished space in the basement. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room, again with the option of turning the powder room into a full bathroom. The base price for the Bridgewater is $734,900.
Retirees Barbara and Rick Grady moved from a 1,300-square-foot townhouse in Arlington, Va., to a Bridgewater house last summer. “We wanted our forever house to be main-floor living,” Rick said, “and we wanted to have a brand-new house to enjoy for the next 10 or 20 years, not an older house where things could break down.”
Advertisement
The Gradys finished the basement, and they added and expanded rooms on the main level, bringing their house to 4,681 square feet of living space.
At first, Barbara worried that a large lot would be too much to maintain. Then she saw that the back three-quarters of an acre was wooded. The wooded area not only provided privacy and beauty but also left the site with a manageable backyard that could be fenced for the Gradys’ four English cocker spaniels. “We both fell in love with it,” she said.
Atlantic Builders operates a design center that includes kitchen and bath vignettes and other product displays. Barbara made full use of it when selecting finishes, fixtures and design modifications. “Barbara had a lot of fun in the design center,” Rick said.
She chose many upgrades, including an extended kitchen with more expensive cabinets and countertops, specialty bathroom tile, radiant floor heating in the main bathroom, a stone veneer fireplace in the great room, additional windows and a tray ceiling in the main bedroom, a home theater system, a backup generator, a security system monitored by a home security company, and luxury vinyl plank flooring in all but three rooms, which are carpeted.
Other upgrades included a morning room off the kitchen, a deck and a patio, and the Gradys finished the basement with a guest room/den, a full bathroom, a game room and a hobby room that uses foundation walls to double as a safe room. They went for a three-bay garage to provide storage space for lawn and garden equipment. With all the extras, the price came to $938,000.
The buyers expressed no remorse. “We love the house, and we love the area,” Rick said.
Advertisement
Fernando and Elizabeth Brea also spent time with the design center staff, selecting finishes and fixtures for their Bridgewater house. But they never set foot inside the design center. Fernando, who is in the Marine Corps, was stationed in Portugal, and the family of five returned to the United States shortly before moving into the house.
Share this articleShare“We went through the entire construction and design process by Zoom and iPhone,” Fernando said, “and did the design center on FaceTime.”
Schools: Hartwood Elementary, T. Benton Gayle Middle, Colonial Forge High
Transit: Liberty Hall Estates is about five miles from the VRE commuter rail station at Leeland Road. It is about 12 miles from the Staffordboro Commuter Lot, from which OmniRide offers express bus service to the Pentagon in Arlington and L’Enfant Plaza in D.C. The community is about three miles from Interstate 95.
Advertisement
Nearby: Shops, restaurants and entertainment can be found about 1½ miles away along U.S. Route 17 (Warrenton Road). The community is close to downtown Fredericksburg and historic sites in and around the city. Recreational sites include Curtis Park, Lake Mooney (formerly Rocky Pen Run Reservoir), Abel Lake, Gauntlet Golf Club and Jeff Rouse Swim and Sport Center.
Meadows at Liberty Hall Estates (Phase 2)
102 Coffman Dr., Fredericksburg, Va.
Phase 2 has 24 1½-acre Atlantic Builders home sites. The company is currently offering four two-story floor plans and a one-story floor plan, all with multiple elevations (exterior design options). A second one-story floor plan will be offered later this spring. Base prices currently range from $719,900 to $789,900.
Builder: Atlantic Builders
Features: All five models come standard with nine-foot-high ceilings on the main floor (eight-foot ceilings on most second floors), luxury vinyl plank flooring in the foyer and kitchen, sliding glass doors with interior grilles, a full unfinished basement with rough-ins (wiring and pipes) for a full bathroom, and an energy-efficient air conditioning and heat pump system. Kitchens have wood cabinets, granite countertops with an undermount stainless-steel sink, a Moen pullout faucet and Frigidaire stainless-steel appliances. Bathrooms have ceramic tile flooring and shower surround. The main bath has an elevated double vanity. A two-car garage and a professionally designed landscape package are standard.
Advertisement
Bedrooms/bathrooms:3 or 4 / 3 to 5 (including powder room)
Square-footage: 3,669 to 3,761 (including a rec room, provided now as an incentive, in an otherwise unfinished basement).
Homeowners association fee:$50 a month, plus $240 every six months for community septic system maintenance
View model: Virtual and in-person tours
Sales: Chris MacLaird, community sales manager, 540-369-5381, cmaclaird@AtlanticBuilders.com, or atlanticbuilders.com
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZK%2B2v8innKyrX2d9c36OaWpoamlkwKq6xqWcZp6RoratxYyhpq6rlah6r7HAq2SfqpWZsrO1wqSqm62inHq3rYysq5qqpJ67qHmWanByaGBk