PUBLISHER’S PICK: BUILDER SURREY HOMES
Surrey Homes is building in several local communities, including Silver Oak near Lake Apopka, where single-family homes are priced from the $260s. The Bristol model is a two-story, 2,295-square-foot home with three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a two-car garage. Near the entry is a great room with an attached flex room (above). The Bristol also features a spacious second-story master suite (facing page) with a large walk-in closet and a sitting room.
SURREY HOMES FINDS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO DELIGHT BUYERS
A
s his career progressed, Christian Swann was doing just fine. A 1988 graduate of Rollins College, Swann was specializing in subdivision development — land entitlement and all that it takes to turn raw tracts into homesites for builders. Something, though, was missing. While he called that business “fun,” he didn’t feel that he was building a foundation for his own future. His work, he says, was “deal to deal.” Over the years, Swann had been involved with numerous homebuilders. So, he got to observe the process through their perspective. After a while, he decided to join their ranks. The result was Surrey Homes LLC, a company he cofounded in 2009. The fledgling venture closed on its first home in January 2010. “It was always a dream of mine to start a company and grow it into something substantial and long-lasting,” explains
4 H O M E B U Y E R // C E N T R A L F L O R I D A E D I T I O N
Swann, who grew up in Orlando. Swann jokes that he’ll take credit for the Surrey name — “if such credit is deserved.” His family is of English descent, and he always liked English names. In addition to being a four-wheeled, horsedrawn carriage, Surrey is a county in southeastern England. Whimsical moniker aside, Surrey Homes’ growth has been the real deal. And, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swann expects “we’ll be in a real growth spurt in 2021.” Currently, Surrey Homes is active in three communities. But this year Swann anticipates that number to double, with home completions increasing from 70 annually to approximately 200 annually in both 2021 and 2022. In Apopka, business is particularly brisk. As 2020 concluded, Surrey Homes closed on its final home in one community, Lake Forest Estates. Meanwhile, the company is still building at Silver Oak, near the new AdventHealth facility and Lake Apopka. Single-family homes are priced from the $260s, and there are two models from which to choose. One is the Bristol, named for a city in southwestern England. At 2,295 square feet, it’s emblematic of the company’s style. The Bristol has a kitchen with an island, an attached dining room and a large pantry. The dining room has a sliding glass door that
leads to a lanai. As you enter the home, you walk into a flex room attached to a great room. There’s a spacious second-story master’s suite with a large walk-in closet and sitting room. Also on the second floor are two full bedrooms — one at the front and one at the rear — and another full bathroom. The Bristol is practical livability with a bit of something extra, says Swann describing the home. In Brevard County, Fox Hammock in Titusville and Savannah Landing in Merritt Island are Surrey Homes’ newest communities — for now. Later this year, as those communities get underway, work will begin in downtown Orlando’s trendy Milk District on a project tentatively called Trinity. The cozy infill neighborhood will consist of nine single-family homes and 31 townhome units. Trinity is slated to start by the end of March, with single-family homes priced from the high $600s and townhomes priced from the low $400s. “Those opportunities don’t come along every day,” says Swann about Trinity, which will be located on bustling South Street. “That’s going to be a winner.” Swann will then turn his attention to Horizon West in Winter Garden, where single-family homes on 52 lots are planned with prices in the mid-$400s. Then it’s onward to St. Cloud, using
acreage purchased from the Osceola School District for an asyet unnamed community of 150 to 180 homes priced from the $200s. Through it all, leveraging 30-plus years in property sales, Swann believes he’s building on a foundation that highlights one simple company trait: that’s practicality-plus, which means livability with design flair and attention to detail. Plus, as Swann says, Surrey focuses on “execution and delivery of a quality home on time.” Surrey Homes’ staff includes an architect — not especially common among builders of comparable size. So everything is designed in-house, with award-winning floorplans that are designed to please every type of buyer. “There’s thoughtful planning, every step of the way,” Swann adds. “You’re not conducting a final walk-through with the customer while you’re carrying a punch list of 15 things that haven’t been done yet. Instead, you’re conducting an orientation to a fully completed home.” This year, Swann and Surrey Homes are pinning their hopes on that proven process — along with a healthy dose of optimism for the future. Says Swann: “We have a lot of stuff coming online in 2021 and beyond that.” —Michael Candelaria WINTER 2021
5