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A unique stand-alone property is a “must” to attract buyers in today’s homebuying market, according to Jeff Little.

That’s why the Stokesdale builder put a different spin on a classic style with his latest spec home.

While the 3,300-square-foot, painted white brick house at 8012 Perlette Court in Arbor Run is not groundbreaking, it does shine in a neighborhood populated with warmer tones.

“I have built this house design before; what makes this particular house unique are the finishes, both exterior and interior,” Little says. “The painted brick exterior is something not widely done, especially in this price range. The interior has many faux finishes that homebuyers in this area have not seen.”

Jeff Little Construction recently finished the $529,900, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom house. A spec is a home built without a sales order. More common in previous years, they can be a risky proposition in today’s economy. So the team of Little, designer Jennifer Biggs with Renaissance Designs and Kathy Smith with
Re/Max Realty Consultants decided they needed to think outside the box to make the home stand out.

“We both felt like the taupe color bricks and the brown and neutral colors were really kind of ­— I don’t know, they’ve been done so much that we thought about going in a direction with the lighter colors and the painted brick,” Little says.

Little turned to Biggs because their past collaborations have been successful with buyers. She talked him into a different direction because of that. “This house might not be the home for everybody, but you only need one buyer,” she says. The intent was to capture the essence of the Hamptons in New York or Old Irving Park in Greensboro.

Instead of the warmer tones she usually favors, Biggs opted for soft grays, with an ebony finish over the white oak floors, and soft blues and creamy whites on the walls.

The house also has many of the features home design experts say buyers are looking for: a large kitchen, open floor plan and outdoor living area complete with fireplace.

Special touches were added with faux painting and glass tile work. “It almost looks like rainwater on the walls” in one room, Biggs says of the faux painting.

Her favorite elements? “I love, love the kitchen and keeping room,” she says of the black granite countertops and white cabinets in the kitchen. “I just think it’s fun.”

In the keeping room, there’s a stone fireplace, painted pine ceiling and a mantle made from wood recycled from a tobacco barn in the region.

Smith thinks the faux finishes by Gwen Ware of Bohemian Spirit Faux Art, as well as the airiness and the brightness of the house, will help it sell even in a tough market. “It’s just a little different than what you see in your typical spec house,” she says. “This is more like a custom house. Because of the market the way it is, you just have to give people more.”