We arrived in Hilton Head on a beautiful cloudless Saturday in March. To be precise, it wasn’t really Hilton Head. It was a small town called Hardeeville, positioned perfectly between Hilton Head Island and the vibrant, historic city of Savannah, just 30 minutes away.
Our resort, Camp Lake Jasper, was delightful and our lake side spot, shown below, made up for the lack of activities offered at the resort.
Hilton Head was not on our radar as a place to live, so we did not contact a realtor prior to our arrival to show us around. We assumed it would be touristy (it wasn’t), crowded (it wasn’t) and expensive (it was). While we loved the area and it may have been beneficial to see a few places, I think it’s more of a vacation destination for us rather than a place to call home.
Our stay in the area was short; just one week, so we wasted no time. We grabbbed our bikes and headed to the ‘Island’ for a day of biking on the dedicated bike trails in Sea Pines, a beautiful enclave of upscale homes, many of which are steps to the beach.
Our ride eventually led us to the quaint waterfront area of Harbour Town, where we enjoyed a delicious brunch of pancakes and stuffed French toast at The Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe, listened to a wonderful, impromptu concert for a bit and browsed the interesting, albeit expensive, shops in the area.
The next day we headed to the romantic and ultra southern town of Beaufort, where we took a carriage ride and enjoyed learning about the history of the town and some of the gorgeous antebellum homes that dot the landscape.
Another day, back at the resort, we rented a canoe and paddled on the lake.
Although we were reluctant to leave beautiful Hilton Head, I must admit I was anxious to see Asheville. I’m a mountain girl at ❤️, and would love nothing more than to live in a home with sweeping mountain vistas. Actually, that’s not exactly true. If there could be some water in the mix, THEN I would love nothing more. Like this maybe?
*sign*
(BTW, this mansion is from ‘The Night Manager’, an excellent series on Netflix. And the leading man, Tom Hiddleston, is some serious eye candy.)
Our resort in Asheville, ‘Mama Gerties’, was, not surprisingly, VERY hilly. In fact, when we left the resort Fisherman had to disconnect the tow bar on BAM so we wouldn’t risk damaging it backing up into the hill. But the payoff is beautiful views. I would imagine in the Fall it would be spectacular, but in March it’s just brown and boring.
We started our house search almost immediately upon our arrival in Asheville. The plan of attack was to see homes close to downtown Asheville the first day, then the Hendersonville area, a pretty town about 25 minutes south.
None of the homes near downtown appealed to us. For starters, they were in neighborhoods, not gated communities, which we prefer due to the activities that are often offered. That’s something that is important to us. And like any city worth its salt, prices are much higher the closer you are to the action, and we quickly realized we would have to seriously settle on the house in exchange for the convenience of the location. Not gonna happen.
So a couple of days later we went to Hendersonville. It happens to be the town where our realtor lives, so she knew the area well and spent the entire day with us. We had lunch at a traditional southern style restaurant, walked the downtown area and visited two communities.
I didn’t take any photos of the houses we visited, but here’s a few from the listings that were our favorites:
This house, located in a pretty community called Carriage Park, was nearly 3,000 sq feet. That’s more space than we need or want at this point, but its charm was hard to resist. The only thing that wasn’t hard to resist was the kitchen. I like to cook, and I like to bake. If you do too, you know how handy a large island can be, and the kitchen in this house lacked an island and overall seemed like an afterthought. For a house this size, I would expect more of a ‘cook’s kitchen’.
This next house stole my heart from the get go, but its charm quickly evaporated when we visited. The yard in the back is practically non-existent, and although it is around 1700 sq ft, which is just about perfect for our needs, the layout (and the kitchen), didnt work for us.
So while we liked Hendersonville, particularly the downtown area, we didn’t see anything that compelled us to pull the trigger and we weren’t convinced the communities were as active as we would like.
Next up was Connestee Falls, a gated community located in Brevard, about 40 minutes south of downtown Asheville. Connestee Falls reminded us of where we live now, but a bit nicer. The homes are all well maintained and each one is unique. There is a lovely clubhouse that overlooks a professional level golf course, a pool, four lakes, several planned activities (not the least of which is a very active pickleball group) and the charming town of Brevard is less than a 15 minute drive.
The community is quite large, and our realtor sent more than 43 listings. It took forever to sift through them, but I narrowed them down to a bakers dozen. The one thing that stood out was the varying prices. There’s truly something for almost every budget, starting with a small ’round’ home for $90,000 up to well over a million for custom homes on or near the water.
Here’s our takeaway on Connestee Falls: IF we choose to live there full time (we probably won’t), this would have been the house for us. At just under 1700 sq ft, the size was perfect, but more importantly, the floor plan was wonderful. Here’s what I like and don’t like about the house…
I prefer side or back loading garages, but this one wasn’t too bad as it doesn’t stick out and blends with the house.
Love this back porch and view of the lake, but once the trees fill in, the views will be obstructed.
Not my favorite kitchen, but workable. I’d have to do something about that chain from the fixture though. My eye keeps going to that and it would drive me crazy!
Love the ceilings, fireplace, wood floors, just about everything in this space.
Another view of this beautiful room that leads to the back porch.
This house was priced too high for us to consider it as a second home, and frankly this area of the country is too chilly in the winter to make it a destination for that time of year, so unless we moved to this area full time, this home is not in the running.
On the other hand, this next one definitely could be a part time summer home, if we lived in Venice and wanted to escape the summers. It was affordably priced, had a nice layout and a gorgeous garden!
There was so much more to the outside spaces than what you see here. The owners, who are elderly and are looking to live permanently in Florida, built a pretty gazebo at the end of the path on your left. It was truly a serene, inviting yard that I would LOVE to get my hands on. The inside needs some updating. Ok, a LOT of updating…remember those ubiquitous cream colored cabinets with oak trim from the 80’s? Yup. It has that. But I love a project!
Now let me show you a few highlights of Asheville. If you go, you HAVE to visit The Tobacco Barn! It’s a huge antique market that has just about anything and everything you could ever think of for your home.
We also visited The Basilica of Saint Lawrence, a national historic site located in downtown Asheville. Here are excerpts from the brochure:
“The term Basilica is a special designation given by the Holy Father to certain churches because of their antiquity, dignity, historical importance or significance as a place of worship. Presently. there are 56 Basilicas in the United States.”
“The building is remarkable, there are no beams of wood or steel in the entire structure. All walks, floors, ceilings and pillars are of tile or other similar materials. The roof is of tile with a copper coverings.”
Rafael Guastavino, an architect from Spain, came to Asheville in the mid-1880’s to work on the Biltmore House (more on that below). He liked the area so much that he bought land and built a house near Black Mountain, a community northeast of Asheville. In 1905 his design of this Basilica went into construction and was completed in 1909.
Guastavino’s patented building method can be viewed today in many structures such as Grant’s Tomb, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, Carnegie Hall, and the Chapel at West Point, among others.
We took a drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway one day. Unfortunately it was cold and windy, but here’s one quick shot for you. Pretty much the entire drive afforded views like this!
Did you know North Carolina is known for its white squirrels? Excuse the blurriness, but this was taken with my phone while in a moving car and he didn’t exactly stay still for his close up. We were with our realtor and she was super excited that a white squirrel made himself visible to us. Apparently, they’re quite elusive.
Nothing like a vintage Woolworth counter for lunch, and of course I had a grill cheese and egg cream.
We couldn’t leave Asheville without a trip to Biltmore. It wasn’t the best time of year to enjoy the gardens, but they did have some pretty flowers in bloom.
They also have a quaint shop where you can buy all sorts of goodies, including this caboose for your yard for just a few grand :).
Biltmore is huge and a must see, but our take on it is it doesn’t quite have the ‘wow’ factor as the houses in Newport. The best time to go would be right about now, but I understand their Christmas decorations are wonderful! They also have fabulous bike trails that we would have liked to take advantage of, but it was too cold.
So here’s where we stand: we loved Asheville. It’s a fabulous city, perfect for artists or anyone who loves the arts and/or nature. The restaurants are AH-MAZ-ING (if you go, bring yoga pants. Just sayin’), the mountains are beautiful and there’s lots to do. But here’s an example of how a positive can also be a negative…the mountains are challenging. Connestee Falls, by far our favorite community, is VERY hilly with nothing but winding roads. It does snow in Asheville, although not much, but nevertheless we have heard from residents that at times the terrain can be challenging.
Next week we are visiting Wilmington, NC. If we love the area enough to pull the trigger, we would live there full time. If we don’t we will most likely buy something small in Venice, Florida and do 6/6. Perhaps someday in the future we would then sell our cabin and spend the summers in the Asheville area, most likely Connestee Falls. I’ll just need to keep up with my pickleball, sprained ankle be damned.
So here’s my pros and cons…
Hilton Head
PROS
Very pretty, upscale feel
Near the beach
Located within driving distance to Savannah and Beaufort
CONS
Not much to do at night. Looks like they roll up the sidewalks by 9
Very expensive
The communities were very ‘cookie cutter’
It just ‘felt’ like more of a vacation place, rather than a permanent place to call home
Asheville
PROS
Artsy City with lots of opportunities for taking classes at UNCA
Great restaurant scene
Temperate climate
Beautiful scenery
CONS
Mountains can be tough to navigate, especially if you want to bike, which we do
Home prices near the city are high
A long way to a major airport
I noticed food prices are higher here than almost anywhere else we’ve been to, including NY
Winters can be chilly and windy
No beach!
In other news…
It’s a dreary, rainy day today. I spent some time making a cake, then attempting to learn how to knit. I’m pathetic at it, and I think I’ll stick to what I know for now and leave the knitting to the experts.
So here’s my retro ice bowl I mentioned last week. It was super easy to do, but Martha was waaayyyy off in her instructions. I figured it out by googling instead. Making you hungry much?
Fortunately, it didn’t totally melt, so we put it back in the freezer for yet another use.
I have some photos of our drive home through the Shenandoah Valley, which is a beautiful, bucolic area! I think I took more photos of that while sitting in the passenger seat than our entire trip combined! I will *try* to post them next weekend and also give you an update, but if not, shortly after returning.
tammy j says
oh my goodness! I hope I can make a coherent comment! because all kinds of thoughts flitted through my head while I read this post!!!
OMG… she’s riding a bike with THAT kind of seat? I love the hg wells quote.
and she’s in a canoe again! in the middle of a swampy looking water way that is ridden with water moccasins. the woman knows no fear! what is with her desire to get bitten by a reptile? and just so you know. I know those wormy things aren’t really worms. right?
and the kitchen with no island makes me feel claustrophobic. and I neither COOK NOR DO I BAKE. your ice ring w/shrimp is gorgeous btw.
and isn’t it funny how houses match our chemistry? they do! I love the old people’s grey one. take all the kitchey things (I never know how to spell that word) off the front of it… and oh my. there is just something about it. I like it! and you could do so much with it! inside and out. it’s perfect for your faery gardens!
and NOW I WANT a grilled cheese sandwich AND AN EGG CREAM! I haven’t had an egg cream since I was totally hot and about 22 years old. seriously. LOLOL but it would HAVE to be in a diner with red and chrome stools like that one. I just love egg creams.
we’re getting closer and closer to the wire. I still have money on venice. it’s very exciting to share your adventure you know. 🙂 XO♥
Rita C at Panoply says
Another great synopsis, Doreen. One more con I forgot about HHI – alligators! They have become more and more a problem in recent years, esp in Sea Pines. And was the damage from Hurricane Matthew pointed out or noticeable, I wonder? That’ll (obviously) also be a consideration for your coastal locations. Asheville hills- because we live in a flat section of our town, it’s easy to forget about the hills, but our city (and state, in general) is FULL of hills (in fact, our state song lyrics chorus ♪♫Oh those hills, beautiful hills….♪♫ is a dead giveaway. Each time I drive our hills, I swear I’ll never live in them again (I have), and even if you only get ONE snow, it’s treacherous if you must drive them. However, that little home you liked has a great appearance.
I still like Venice as your first choice – if not f/t, then certainly 6/6. I have not been to Wilmington, but I have friends and family who have and liked it as well as Wrightsville Beach. I’ll be curious to read your 4-1-1 on the area.
Have a great weekend.
(PS I agree with Biltmore compared to Newport, but we have seen the Biltmore at Christmastime – breathtaking).
Cecilia says
Wow, lots and lots of info. Such beautiful areas. I can see why you didn’t like that one kitchen…not well laid out. I remember looking at a house 3000 sq ft and the hall bath was tiny. It barely had room for the tub and toilet. In a house that size, it should of had a bigger bathroom. Crazy. Anyway, I like how you’re keeping what y’all want in mind…I’d have to be able to ride my bike too, handle the roads in bad weather, etc, etc. Best of luck with your search!
Amy | Stow and TellU says
Living vicariously through you and Fisherman. I think you two need your own show. You are really sharing some great information for anyone looking to know more about living in these areas. I miss the Woolworth counter, I can’t believe some of them still exist. Good luck on reaching a decision on what your next residence/ part time residence will be. Loved your favorite house from Connestee Falls, it kind of reminded me of the grounds you have at the cabin. Safe travels the rest of the way xo
Doreen says
So interesting to read your eval on Connestee Falls/Brevard!! Last Sept. DH & I spen 3 days with a couple in that very gated community!!!! The gal is a quilt client of mine whom I met while they were still living in Mason City, Iowa. A job change took them to this beautiful setting. I had never even been aware of such places. Gorgeous! I agree with your assessments, as I do a lot of baking and cooking which rivals my quilting stash for space needs!!!! Continue to follow your exploits……hugs…………..
Melanie says
Interesting info on all these places where you’re looking for a home! I think you two should be on HGTV! 🙂 Just from the outside, I like that smaller yellow house with the red door and then the gray house. I don’t have an island in my kitchen and I cook and bake a lot, but I agree the kitchen in the larger yellow house was just too crowded. Didn’t have a good layout. Have a great weekend!
Mary - the boondocks blog says
Oh Doreen where do I begin? First of all you should do this full time, you are so good at evaluating regions with pros and cons. I was all ready to say yes to Ashville but then you said the prices were as high as NY. Noooooo!! The whole idea is to get away from NY prices. So I guess we are back to the drawing board. I love that grey house with the lovely backyard.
And Doreen you made me laugh so hard when you mentioned The Night Manager. It was actually filmed in Mallorca. Maybe you should come and visit over the pond? I saw the series with my girl and it was really great especially the acting between Hugh and Tom!
Very pretty ice bowl, I’ll have to give it a try. I am looking forward to your next installment of “House Hunting with Doreen and the Fisherman”. See, I’ve even got a name for your show! 😉
Any thoughts on the Virginias? I’ve been to the Shenandoah Valley and loved it. But it was many years ago.
Carla TePaske says
Another well done post. You are good at this. I will need you when we decide to move.
I am still laughing about the light fixture…I am with you on that one.
Looking forward to the photos of Shenandoah Valley, we have friends who recently moved to this area.
Carla
Emily says
Oh wow Doreen I feel like I’ve been traveling and house hunting with you. I’m sure you were on overload processing all the information for your new home. Such lovely places and choices and I just bet it won’t be easy. I’m still holding out for FL for you, it seeems where you really enjoy during those cold winter months. Keep us posted…….(I was in Seaside last week, all week. Beautiful weather, seems we never going in the same direction)!
rue says
I thought for sure that you’d just be looking in Florida, so I was surprised by NC. My money is on Venice, but what about The Keys? I would pull a Hemingway and go there 😉
xo,
rue
AnnMarie says
I love hearing of all your adventures. You guys have this house hunting down to a science! If nothing else, you have had the pleasure of visiting so many great places.
Marilyn @ Pink Paper Cottage says
What fun hearing about all of your travels and choices, pros and cons, etc. I wish I was looking for a second home or vacation home or new home in a more temperate climate! Half the fun is the looking I think! From where you live now to Florida, I would definitely choose something very different from where you are now.. something with much warmer weather and NO SNOW! hee hee.. I would LOVE to live somewhere with no snow ever, or maybe only 1/2 inch each winter! I’m so sick of snow. Yes it’s pretty, but……. I always seem to live where there are hills and snow! Don’t like it. Your posts make me dream of lazy summer days in a tropical climate.. with warm breezes, sandy beachs or lakes…. it’ll be interesting to find out what you decide and where you end up and if you do a 6/6 or full-time to a new place! Thank you so much for sharing!
Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse says
It’s really fun following your footsteps in this house hunt, especially when we can see pictures of the houses!
Kim says
My sister has had a condo in Hilton Head forever. They go every year and now that the kids are grown with kids, they all go back together. Very vacation-y. Definitely, but lovely nonetheless. My husband’s aunt and uncle lived in Asheville for years and years, beautiful, but yes mountainous. Sounds like you guys are really weighing all of your options very thoroughly and having fun doing it!!
Julie says
Hi Doreen, I’m am learning a little bit about FL from you. It sounds like a fun time you both had exploring different parts.
I love that ice bowl and what a beautiful presentation for a party.
Have a wonderful end of the week and a Happy Mother’s Day.
Julie
Jane says
I’m loving your views on these towns, Doreen. I think we’ve been to Hilton Head, just for one night. It gets to be a blur over the years when we do these road trips. The other places…no. Well, except Asheville. I’ve never found one thing to not like about it but then again, we don’t live there full time. I see it gaining more tourists with each year and the traffic is getting difficult. As in any place, the locals have a love/hate relationship with tourism. Love the economics, hate the crowds.
All of these homes are pretty darn cute but I hear you on the kitchen. I love a nice sized kitchen or at least plenty of counter space.
Te Shenandoah Valley is spectacular. I, too, sat upright trying to get pics from the car!! lol! We stayed at a B&B there and it had an amazing view from the wraparound porch as it sat on a hill.
Loving Venice so far.
That is a cool ice bowl! Did you give us a link that I missed?
Dewena says
You saw Beaufort? I’ve always wanted to visit there after reading Pat Conroy’s work. I’ve lurked on their chamber of commerce site.
Just like Tam–no one better to be like!–I would take the gray old people’s house, inside not even seen.
I’m sorry the NC hills weren’t at their best for you. If you’d only waited a little later the white dogwoods would have been magical. That’s my favorite time to go there, even better than rhodie time.Of course I love the Blue Ridge even in stark midwinter.
How did Wilmington go? Or have you not been there yet? On pins and needles here, wondering where you’ll end up.
If anyone did a thorough job of research of areas to move to, it’s you two!
Dewena says
I must modify the above comment. I left out that autumn was my very favorite time to be in the NC mountains but then you live in the Berkshires which makes anyplace look anemic in autumn. Remember, Doreen, not much fall foliage in Venice in October, I bet?
Poppy says
You have certainly done the leg work, talked to the experts, and done your preliminary homework and now you are once again on the road as I type, exploring yet another opportunity. Looking forward to those pics of your previous drive home and your latest news! Hoping you find what your little hearts desire!
xxx
Poppy
Kelly says
Ive never been to Hilton head but hear it’s nice. I don’t play tennis and my husband doesn’t golf. I’ve heard that’s what a lot of people do there. I’ve been to Asheville before and it’s very nice. Sounds like you’ve done your homework to find a second home. I’m sure you will narrow down a place soon.
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
this series has been such a fun read 🙂
Loved that photo with you in the canoe ( all of them but that just struck me as so relaxing 🙂
Yea I tried the knitting thing a few years back. OMG I could have hand quilted half a quilt in the time that it took me to realize that I was absolutely useless at it 🙂 The knitting needles turned out to be great for turning pillow cover corners though, haha! And I suppose I could stab a burgler in the neck with one ? 🙂
Red Rose Alley says
Doreen, I loved browsing through all these houses. Lots of inspiration on here. I really liked the kitchen with the white cabinets, such a charming space. And these flower pictures are stunning. Such vibrant colors, wow. That shrimp looks so Yummy. I haven’t had shrimp in such a long time.
Happy Mother’s Day, Doreen. I hope you have a restful and special day.
~Sheri
Red Rose Alley says
Doreen, I just wanted to answer your question……..the girls in my post are both my daughters. Not actually girls any more, they’re in their 30’s hehehe. One has long brown hair, which I think is the one you’re taking about, and one has long blonde hair, who is the youngest.
Have a nice Mother’s Day weekend.
~Sheri
handmade by amalia says
The Tobacco Barn caught my eye but it was hard to choose. A great post.
Amalia
xo
Amy says
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed your version of House Hunters, Doreen, and can’t wait to see what you ultimately decide. You have whet my appetite for a trip to Hilton Head, that’s for sure! I’d love to get to Asheville, too. Wow, that shrimp bowl!!!
Nancy says
I love the yellow house with the red door. Very cottagey, very charming. It looks like you stayed in some beautiful spots. Your travelogue/house hunt reminds me of our trip through Oregon 4 years ago when we moved from Colorado. We were on the road for about three weeks before we landed here and had our home built. We live here full-time. I’d like to get away for a couple of weeks in the winter to a warmer climate. Maybe Arizona. Lots of people from here go there for a month or two. We wouldn’t buy a second home, though, unless we inherit a large sum from an unknown relative. LOL