Variety Of Home Designs Appeal To Siblings At The Reserve In St. Charles

Open-concept ranch or traditional two-story? Brother and sister Michael McCarthy and Ashley Schremser may have different tastes in home styles but the siblings agree on one thing—The Reserve in St. Charles is the ideal place to build their new homes. The community offers a St. Charles address, familiar schools, big homesites, and first-rate construction from Meritus Homes.

For Ashley, the two-story Chesapeake suits her family’s lifestyle while Michael opts for single-level living in the Clover.

“We adore the open floor plan with the kitchen and family room flowing into each other, and the convenience of having everything on one level,” said Michael.

The 2,491-square-foot Clover has three bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths and an open-concept layout that lives large. The center of attention in this elegant home is the living room, which flows into the designer kitchen and adjoining dining room. An angled island, pantry and pocket office…perfect for planning meals or crafts…make the kitchen functional and fabulous. A covered porch in back is ideal for outdoor dining or simply relaxing. The owner’s suite has a walk-in closet and private luxury bath. One of the two secondary bedrooms also has its own bath and walk-in closet. In addition to a full basement, which Michael plans to finish in the future, extra storage space is abundant in the garage.

“With two young boys we prefer the bedrooms being upstairs, away from the bustle in the main living areas,” said Ashley.

The Chesapeake delivers…with four bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths spread over 3,188 square feet. The downstairs is versatile with a flex room that can serve as a study, library or office plus a craft room and mud room that provide more space for activities. The two-story foyer makes an instant impression and a butler’s pantry unites the dining room with the dinette and gourmet kitchen, which has a walk-in pantry and huge center island. The adjacent family room has a fireplace and is a cozy spot for relaxing. On the second floor, double doors make a grand entrance into the owner’s suite, which has a walk-in closet and luxurious bath with soaker tub and separate shower. Three additional bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet, share a hall bath. The laundry room is upstairs for convenience and the three-car garage loads from the side for curb appeal.

The Chesapeake and Clover represent two of the five designs Meritus Homes offers at The Reserve in St. Charles. Current base prices range from $550,900 to $607,900 for homes with 2,491 to 3,716 square feet of living space, three or four bedrooms, two to 3-1/2 baths, and two- or three-car garages.

According to Ashley, being able to personalize their home was one reason they favored new construction. The family upgraded flooring, carpeting and cabinetry to match their tastes and upgraded from a standard to finished basement so that her husband, who works from home, could have a secluded office.

“We looked at some resale houses in the area but none had everything—some had one feature but not another, and vice versa. Building allowed us to get everything just the way we wanted,” she said.

Michael agreed, stating that “Meritus Homes was willing to work with us to make design and structural changes, more than most big builders allow.”

For example, he made custom changes to his kitchen, reconfiguring one wall to accommodate a larger refrigerator and freezer—creating his wife’s ultimate gourmet kitchen. He also added a bay window in his dining room.

In all, Meritus Homes is building 88 semicustom single-family homes on homesites that span up to one-third of an acre at The Reserve in St. Charles. Approximately 75 percent have been sold and although a limited number of homesites remain, they include prime sites with several backing to open space. The neighborhood also boasts natural and recreational amenities such as ponds, bike trails and a park.

“Where we live now, we have houses practically right in our back yard, so we knew we wanted more outdoor space in our new home,” said Ashley. “Not only is our homesite at The Reserve in St. Charles much bigger, we back up to a berm with grass and trees for extra privacy.”

Michael’s home also backs to open space so his children have plenty of room to play ball and run around yet stay within sight. Having a yard was important to Michael and his wife, who moved to The Reserve in St. Charles from a townhome with their daughter and plans to have more children. They welcomed a son in May 2020.

“We looked at a few existing houses over a six- to eight-week period but nowhere else measured up so our decision was quick and easy,” he explained.

“We were on a timeline, wanting to move before our oldest son started kindergarten,” said Ashley. Having grown up in St. Charles and happy with the education she received in area schools…including St. Charles North High School…she wanted her children to attend schools in District 303, too.

“Despite everything that happened in 2020, we chose to stay on track with our plan to move in spring/summer 2021,” she continued. “Meritus Homes is doing an excellent job of keeping construction on schedule and we should close this month.”

Now settled in after about two years, Michael is excited to have Ashley as his neighbor and the cousins so close by. Both siblings are grateful to be near long-time friends and their parents who still live in St. Charles, too.

“It’s very convenient when we need a babysitter,” they agreed.

They also appreciate being only minutes from St. Charles’ quaint downtown as well as shopping, restaurants and everyday conveniences along the Randall Road corridor.

The Reserve in St. Charles is located on the west side of Rt. 31 between Red Gate and Silver Glen roads. To visit, take Rt. 31 and turn west onto Reserve Drive and proceed to the model and sales office at 775 Reserve Drive.

A decorated model is available to tour so home shoppers can see the stylish designs and feel Meritus Homes’ superior level of construction firsthand. Sales hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday (closed Thursday and Friday).

For more information, call (224) 634-4054 or visit www.MeritusHomebuilders.com.

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