A retirement home with nature views and solar panels
The Allyns - Asheville, NC
By Farima F.—August 30, 2024—5 min read
When it was time to think about their retirement home, the Allyns' love for nature helped them choose Asheville, NC, as their new location. See why they're loving their Clayton modular home that's equipped with solar panels.
Have you ever walked into a home that just felt like, well, home? A place you can envision just relaxing in with good food and conversation. The Allyn's house is one of those homes.
Rob and Katie Allyn are nestled just outside of Asheville, NC, in a beautiful neighborhood where you have mountain views and peaceful backyards. Katie is a nurse who works with physical therapy patients and Rob are retired from working in sales for more than 30 years. The couple loves to entertain, and Rob is the president of their neighborhood homeowner's association. The couple often host get togethers for their neighbors to spend quality time together.
The Allyns have enjoyed great food, craft beer and traveling together for more than 40 years. Now, they enjoy their life in Asheville, experiencing the culture of their beloved mountain town full of artisans, restaurants and breweries.
Searching for the perfect mountain retreat
After spending 30 years in Rhode Island, the Allyns decided they wanted to move somewhere peaceful where they could enjoy a fun city culture and still be surrounded by nature and family.
"My wife wanted warmer temperatures, and my younger brother and his wife were going to settle down here somewhere. So, we grabbed an apartment for 6 months and started looking for land," said Rob.
The Allyns began the
search for their ideal land
. They knew they wanted a mountain view, a private backyard and a driveway that wasn't steep. They also dreamed of a life where they could settle into their new town and still experience all the things they loved to do together. Finding a location that met all their desires proved to be more difficult than they thought, until one day when they were driving and saw a sign for a beautiful neighborhood.
A home with all the options
They walked into a model home for the neighborhood and met their agent, Steven, who worked for the developer of the community. They looked at different floor plans and layouts and began planning out their dream home.
"It had a lot of options. We could expand the plans for more space, pick out the flooring and a fireplace. The whole process was flexible," said Rob.
What the Allyns didn't expect was all the flexibility that modular homes had to offer. They chose several upgrades and even rearranged their floor plan to optimize how they wanted to use the space.
"We were familiar with modular homes but didn't know that they had this level of amenities like the crown molding and high ceilings," said Rob.
Rob and Katie were able to customize their backsplash in the kitchen and even the placement of their fireplace. They also got the chance to work with their agent to make the driveway level despite living on a hill.
Katie was given the opportunity to visit Clayton's Bean Station home building facility to see her dream home as it was being built. Their current home isn't the first they have built, but it is their first modular home, and both Katie and Rob were impressed with the time and quality that was put into building it.
"You get quality products with a modular home when you choose the right manufacturer, and Clayton has a great reputation," said Rob. "When you look at some of the advantages such as shrinking the timeline, you're getting the house you want faster."
A place full of memories
As you walk around the house, you will quickly notice photos of family trips and travel expeditions that Rob and Katie have enjoyed together. The couple loves experiencing life and sharing it with others. They enjoy hiking trails in the Appalachian Mountains and are always sure to take photos so they can continue displaying memories on their walls.
Although they don't plan on stopping their adventures any time soon, the Allyns did choose this home to retire in. Katie's work as a nurse has shown her what happens as you begin to lose mobility, so they kept that in mind while they planned out their home by ensuring the house was easy to navigate and all one level.
Adding solar panels to help protect what they love
Because of their shared love for nature, they wanted to do what they could to help protect their environment, so they decided to install solar panels on their home after about five years of living in it.
"I believe in the use of solar power, and there were also financial incentives with the state," said Rob. "It ended up costing us only about half of what the total installation was."
North Carolina is one of the top states for incentives for installing solar paneling. According to Forbes.com, North Carolina offers a tax exemption for residential properties, low-interest loans for installation and a rebate program with Duke Energy, a local energy company.
The Allyns have had solar panels for five years now, and even though they previously conserved energy, they went from spending about $800 a year on utilities to $200.
"I love knowing we are contributing to [being] carbon neutral, and obviously love it financially," said Rob.
Now that they're retired, they love having smaller energy bills while conserving energy. They also love to share the news of the benefits of solar panels with neighbors and friends, but Rob mentions there are things you need to consider before committing to them.
"You have to be prepared to not immediately benefit from it [financially], said Rob.
Rob added it takes about seven years to reach a point where you're able to see the return on investing in the cost of the panels, so he recommends knowing you’ll at least be in your home 10 years before you choose to install them.
Rob and Katie have now lived in their home 10 years and love it just as much as they did when they first moved in.
The house even reminds Rob of his childhood home on his parent's farm. Although they live in a community, the area still has the country charm he loved growing up in.
"You have open space down here. I love being able to get out and walk. We like to walk around and be social," said Rob. “I can walk out on the deck and hear the cows mooing sometimes, and it brings me back to my childhood."
