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Hey! My husband and I are researching the areas surrounding Greenville. We are interested in finding a home on at least 2 acres in a safe area not too far from the basic necessities, grocery, doctor, dentist, good hospitals, etc. No children, so school isn't a top priority. We would consider a community if the lots are large enough to provide privacy & allow chickens. Towards Spartanburg would be fine also. We were also researching Anderson County, but it looked like the crime rate was pretty high. Not sure how accurate that is. Also how are the winter months? Any input on the general area is appreciated. Thank you!!
Hey! My husband and I are researching the areas surrounding Greenville. We are interested in finding a home on at least 2 acres in a safe area not too far from the basic necessities, grocery, doctor, dentist, good hospitals, etc. No children, so school isn't a top priority. We would consider a community if the lots are large enough to provide privacy & allow chickens. Towards Spartanburg would be fine also. We were also researching Anderson County, but it looked like the crime rate was pretty high. Not sure how accurate that is. Also how are the winter months? Any input on the general area is appreciated. Thank you!!
We're in Tigerville, an area about 5 miles north of Travelers Rest, and 15 miles from downtown Greenville. We prefer the north and west areas because they are quieter and closer to the mountains. We bought property and built a house because existing homes with acreage are far and few between. Even finding suitable land was hard because a lot of the land is either too steep to be usable, flood zone, etc, and because we were on a very tight budget.
A few questions- Will you be working, or are you retired? Working from home? Much of the work in the area is near and below I-85. When you ask about the winter months- as compared to where? I've lived in CT, FL, and SC. I find the climate to be a good compromise. CT winters were too cold and dreary; FL was too hot. Winters are fairly mild, with snow being fairly rare and short-lived. Most winters have a few light snowfalls that melt by noon. Maybe once every ten years you get a 'big one', with some areas getting 8" or more, and roads closed for a period of days. Even in the coldest part of winter, there are plenty of sunny, mild days. Summers are hot and humid, but short enough to be tolerable. We haven't had any heat or A/C on for the last two months in our very well insulated home.
As for the area in general- it's conservative, politically speaking. Lots of churches- I joke that you can't throw a rock without hitting a stained glass window. I've never had anyone try to force their religion on me, though. Greenville is a great, very accessible small city. Lots of good restaurants. Easy to get in and out of. We've been to a number of good shows in town, and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra is quite good. Traffic can get bad in certain areas at certain times. We generally avoid I-85 as much as possible. There is a lot of truck traffic between Atlanta and Charlotte. In the north county, there is no traffic, and I enjoy the back roads in my little Miata.
There are lots of outdoor activities if that's your thing- hiking, kayaking, fishing, golf, apple/peach/blueberry picking, etc. The nearby mountains are noticeably cooler in the summer. Along Hwy 11, there are a number of parks, and this part of the state has numerous waterfalls.
For us, our church is the center of our social world. We're not much into night life or joining groups. When we were working, we didn't really make many friends, yet the folks in our church have been most welcoming and helpful. We're retired now. We're planning to start adult learning classes at Furman University once this pandemic is over. They have a sizable program, and the classes are very affordable.
If you have more specific questions, I can give more specific answers. Good luck in your search!
Thank you all for the input. We are both retired & will be wanting to enjoy the outdoors. Would like ventures into town to play tennis, pickleball, restaurants, etc. We love bike riding and wonder about any trails nearby. I've heard of Swamp Rabbit but never been there. We have lived in OH, TN & NC and felt the winter would be more tolerable than those places. We would consider building as well. Did you hire a builder or do it yourself? Just wondering how accessible good builders are. My husband has built homes before but we are at the stage where we'd probably hire someone for most of it.
I appreciate all the information!
I built my own house, and did everything but excavation, concrete, and drywall. I'm not a builder, so it took me forever. The area is currently in a building boom, so builders are busy. I have no idea what effect, if any the corona virus has had on building. I built my house out of ICF, and worked with a local builder who specializes in it. He's not cheap, though. I'm not even sure if he's still around, as I haven't been able to contact him in a few years. The fact that your husband knows about construction will help a lot. I had a lot of trouble finding good subcontractors. When they're busy building big subdivisions, your one-off project doesn't excite them much.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail runs from Travelers Rest down to Greenville, and is very popular. Living somewhere near Travelers Rest will give you easy access to the trail. TR is an up-and-coming small town with a number of local restaurants, a brew pub, and a farmer's market.
I built my own house, and did everything but excavation, concrete, and drywall. I'm not a builder, so it took me forever. The area is currently in a building boom, so builders are busy. I have no idea what effect, if any the corona virus has had on building. I built my house out of ICF, and worked with a local builder who specializes in it. He's not cheap, though. I'm not even sure if he's still around, as I haven't been able to contact him in a few years. The fact that your husband knows about construction will help a lot. I had a lot of trouble finding good subcontractors. When they're busy building big subdivisions, your one-off project doesn't excite them much.
I can only imagine that acting as your own general contractor would be a huge pain in the a**. Especially if you are new to an area and don't have a lot of existing contacts. So much more pleasant to hire a GC who has longstanding relationships with subs. Of course you pay for the convenience.
I was very fortunate to meet the right people early on. Through a friend that had had a house built nearby, I met a guy who did the initial land clearing and driveway for us. In turn, his uncle is a contractor who specializes in ICF construction. He did my excavation and concrete work. Through him, I was able to get a really good drywall contractor, and he also referred me to the best places in town to buy building materials. When I've tried to hire subs on my own, they either don't answer the phone, don't come out to quote, come out, but then never quote, etc., etc. I can't imagine trying to find an electrician, plumber, HVAC, roofer, painter, cabinet maker, etc. Of course, finding a 'good' GC is no simple task, either.
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We would consider building as well. Did you hire a builder or do it yourself? Just wondering how accessible good builders are. My husband has built homes before but we are at the stage where we'd probably hire someone for most of it. 
