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
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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