Matt and Laura Adkins: New Family, New Home, New Beginnings

Some people wouldn’t consider making two major changes in the same year, let alone in the same month.

Matt and Laura Adkins accomplished both, just weeks apart.

Last November, they welcomed their first baby, Asher.

Two weeks later, they moved into a new home, with Christmas being only a couple of weeks away.

Matt and Laura didn’t know they would be a family of three in March 2015, when they signed the contract on the home that would be built in The Courtyards at Hayden Run in Hilliard, Ohio. Shortly after that, they learned about Laura’s pregnancy. The due date was estimated after the closing, and since first babies are often late—right?—the Adkins weren’t too concerned.

The couple was closely watching the calendar as the weeks and months ticked past. Matt, who has been a licensed Realtor for nine years, became a bit anxious as he simultaneously monitored the growth of his wife’s belly and the building progress of their new home—realizing that neither “closing date” was guaranteed to an exact day.

But Mother Nature doesn’t follow construction schedules, and baby Asher arrived in late November, 2 ½ weeks sooner than expected. The couple’s families live in the surrounding area, so Matt and Laura had plenty of help making the next big move with newborn Asher in tow. Since they were moving from a one-bedroom apartment to a 2,600 square-foot home, Matt says the moving wasn’t as tough as it could have been.

They’ve been in their Epcon Communities home for more than seven months now. Time has passed quickly. Asher is teething. His parents are juggling their full-time jobs and parenthood. The two 30-year-olds didn’t realize when they moved into The Courtyards at Hayden Run that the community was largely people aged 55 and up. An added benefit of having all these experienced parents and grandparents close by is the availability of enthusiastic babysitters!

Matt says he and Laura were first attracted to Epcon Communities because the homes were exactly what they had envisioned. The location was ideal, within ten minutes of everything the couple needs, and yet the neighborhood is very peaceful. As working professionals—he’s a Realtor who also works in retirement planning, and Laura is a hairstylist—they liked the benefit that comes with a low-maintenance lifestyle.

“The house has an open floor plan and nice-sized master bedroom suite with tray ceilings and a sliding door to the patio. We love the kitchen with the white cabinets, granite counters, tile backsplash, and hardwood floors,” says Matt, “and the price was really affordable.”

He says their Epcon Communities sales agent, Julie Falvo, and the construction manager, Chris Michael, made the process very manageable. The hardest part for the Adkins was choosing from the many options they were given. “Laura did most of the creative thinking,” Matt concedes.

They added the optional, finished basement to their two-bedroom Palazzo model. The basement features a full bath. The Adkins intend to convert some of the remaining space to a third bedroom.

Without the need to take care of the lawn and weeding, Matt and Laura can spend more time with Asher, as well as some pet projects. They’re currently focused on personalizing the private courtyard in the back of their home, where Asher will be playing before too long.