As families get busier and schedules become more hectic, it’s always nice if your home can help simplify life. That’s what comes to mind when owner Nikki Mills thinks about her beautiful house on a peaceful street.
“It’s the ‘easiest’ home I’ve ever lived in, especially with regard to raising children,” says Mills, who is relocating to Texas with her family. “I love that everything is where it should be, with no wasted time or effort. When our kids come in the back door, there are cubbyholes for their backpacks, coats and books so those things aren’t underfoot upstairs. There are laundry rooms on the ground floor and second floor, so the kids can do their own wash. 
The spacious kitchen and dining room have made celebrating a snap, too, Mills says. “We love entertaining, especially at the holidays. We find that our guests don’t want to leave the kitchen because it’s so inviting.” Her young son and daughter have been learning to cook, and the well-equipped kitchen has given them a great start. “They enjoy having their friends over to cook and bake. It’s been wonderful for them to learn about food in this lovely space.”
She adds, “I think of this as a holiday house, and a great one to winter in. There are three fireplaces, and the house is fun to decorate. We always put up lights and trees at Christmas, and I love getting out the Spode china.” Mills says the home’s layout makes it easy to have dinner parties and cocktail parties, or just relax and enjoy family time. “It’s so cozy—we like to open the windows in summer, but it’s also wonderful in the winter when we’re having a lazy weekend indoors or making chili and watching football,” she notes.
There’s an expansive, grassy backyard perfect for outdoor games and activities, and having all that ‘fun space’ has helped her family connect with their neighbors, Mills says. “It’s a house of happy memories for us.” She and her family lived in an older home before, and decided to move into a new house that was low-maintenance. “This one completely filled the bill,” she says. “It was custom built for the developer of the neighborhood, so the quality is high and every space is well planned. Nothing was done as an afterthought.”
listing price | $1,395,000
listing agent | kathleen lovett of janet mcafee real estate