Family moves to a larger home within the same community

Patrick and Jennifer Beedles like their neighborhood and their neighbors and they didn't want to leave them, even though they needed more space.

So they recently purchased their second home from the same builder -- Joe Keim Builders -- and in the same community -- Deerbrook in Aurora.

The Beedles purchased their first home in Deerbrook in 2002.

At that time, they chose the Davies floor plan, a two-story residence that provided plenty of charm and space for the needs of a couple.

In 2006, however, they became a trio when their daughter was born. They decided that they needed more square footage and began contemplating an empty lot that was literally out their back door.

"We had our eye on an open home site adjacent to our back yard and started thinking seriously about building a new, larger home about a year ago," said Patrick.

"Our Realtor tried to convince us to explore different subdivisions and other properties in the surrounding area, but we've grown quite attached to Deerbrook and the close-knit, sociable community here," he said. "Our neighbors are wonderful, and there's a nice mix of young couples, growing families and empty nesters that we enjoy."

They had grown to love the roomy, open floor plan of their first home, as well as its two-story great room and many of the finer architectural touches for which Joe Keim Builders is known -- and didn't want to lose any of them.

"Plus, we've been extremely happy with the construction integrity and craftsmanship that Joe Keim Builders offers," he said. "So when the opportunity arose to claim the available lot behind us, we jumped on it."

This time they chose the Sheffield floor plan, which has four bedrooms, three baths, a three-car garage and a larger kitchen.

"The Sheffield is almost like the 'Davies Deluxe' in that it retains much of the character and layout of our previous home, but with more square footage and storage space," said Jennifer. "I love the extra-large walk-in closet in our master bedroom, for example. It's probably larger than the dorm room I had in college."

In addition, the home site they selected allowed for the construction of a lookout basement, which has easier access to the backyard and lets additional sunlight into the lower level.

Patrick is particularly effusive about the ample elbow room in the new kitchen, which also features upgraded granite countertops and staggered-height cabinets. They also had Keim tweak the layout to accommodate a double oven and a bigger cook top.

"Cooking is my hobby," said Patrick, a sales representative for a technology firm. "Our lifestyles have changed over the years, and we find that we like to entertain guests and eat at home more often now. After a long day, it's therapeutic to prepare a nice dish and then kick back and relax with a glass of wine in the kitchen."

The Sheffield also provides other extras that the family didn't have before, such as a formal living room, a home office on the first level, a deep basement (an upgrade the family opted for) and a slightly larger yard for their child to play in.

"Our new home gives our daughter a lot of room to run around in and have fun," said Jennifer, who is enjoying her new career as a paralegal. "She likes to play chase with us in the middle of the house. It's her favorite game."

It really wasn't a tough decision for either of them to build with Keim again, they said, and were able to move into their new home in late August.

"I like the flexibility that Joe Keim Builders offers -- the ability to customize a standard floor plan and arrange a living space to best match your lifestyle," said Patrick.

"They go out of their way to make sure the home meets with your complete satisfaction. And they don't cut corners on workmanship or materials. A user-friendly flow pattern was important to my wife, and I value built-in quality and eye-catching architectural appeal -- all of which you can count on with a Joe Keim Builders home," he said.

Deerbrook is now in its final phase, with only 74 of the community's 292 original home sites remaining. Many of these available sites will accommodate walk-out or lookout basements, and each is between a quarter and a third of an acre.

Buyers can choose from two different series of homes. They range in size from 1,613 to 2,900 square feet and begin in the lower $300,000s.

Deerbrook also has a few inventory homes available for immediate delivery, priced from $316,500.

To reach Deerbrook, take I-88 and head south on Route 59, go west on Ogden Avenue (Route 34), south on Farnsworth Road, turn left on Hafenrichter Road and right on Pine Creek Drive to the community. Visit the on-site sales center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information, call (630) 898-9477 or visit www.JoeKeimBuilders.com.