I’m Alison Wojnarowski with the W Real Estate Group in Raleigh NC, let’s dive right in.

Starting with the Pros of living in Fuquay-Varina NC, Pro #4 involves Fuquay-Varina’s beautiful parks.

PRO #4 – Parks

For its’ size, Fuquay-Varina has some pretty great spaces to enjoy the outdoors.  It has quite a few playgrounds around for the kids, and the newly built Fleming Loop Recreational Park has a really fun playground, walking trails, and sport fields.

There are also a couple great nature preserves around in the Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental park, which has amazing trails running through the woods, and the Hilltop Needmore Preserve, which has miles of paved trails in a more open environment.  

You’re also not too far from Bass Lake in Holly Springs.

Raven Rock is one of the best state parks in this area and is south of Fuquay-Varina.  There are hiking trails of all skill levels and it has some amazing views!  You can easily spend your whole day there exploring.  

Next up, Pro #3 of living in Fuquay-Varina NC, are the benefits from I-540 completion.

PRO #3 – Benefits from I-540 Completion

While Fuquay-Varina isn’t quite as close to the newest portions of I-540 as some of the other suburbs, it will ultimately see a great benefit once the outer loop is complete.  

First off, it will provide much quicker access to the RDU airport, RTP, and the northern part of the triangle in general.  Right now, residents have to rely on either Hwy 55 or 401 to get to the major highways, which do take some time.

Also, home values will appreciate and more development will occur, as the area between Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh will become more developed overall, and you’ll feel more connected with the greater Raleigh area.  

The same thing happened to Wake Forest when I-540 was completed, as North Raleigh rapidly expanded and it now feels fairly connected.  

Moving on to Pro #2, Fuquay-Varina NC has some of the area’s best breweries!

PRO #2 – Breweries

You can’t talk about Fuquay-Varina without talking about breweries.  The Aviator is one of the area’s most popular breweries, and has multiple spaces in downtown.  It provides fun atmospheres both indoors and outdoors, and frequently has live music.  

Vicious Fishes has another large space in downtown Fuquay-Varina that has both indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as the Fainting Goat Brewing Company. 

And, Holly Springs is just a few minutes north with its’ popular Carolina Brewing Company and Bombshell Beer Company breweries to enjoy.

If you love craft beer, you can’t go wrong in Fuquay. 

On a side note, with these spaces being in the heart of downtown, it also gives you a chance to explore Fuquay’s historic downtown areas, as they are arguably the best historic downtowns in the Raleigh area.

PRO #1 – Affordability

Moving into the #1 pro of living in Fuquay-Varina NC is its’ affordability.  

While home prices all over the Raleigh area have rapidly increased over the past few years, Fuquay-Varina remains pretty affordable.

The average home value is around $500k with a price per square foot of $200, so your dollar goes further in Fuquay than many Raleigh’s other popular suburbs.  And, Fuquay has some pretty good new construction and established neighborhoods for families to enjoy as well.

Coupled with good parks, restaurants, and breweries to enjoy, this is one of the main reasons why Fuquay has been growing in popularity.  

Like some of its’ neighboring suburbs though, the affordability is not expected to last forever.  Once I-540 is completed and additional development follows, Fuquay will likely follow the same pattern as Holly Springs and rapidly grow in demand, thus driving up prices.  

That’s great news for those who currently own a home or are thinking of buying there soon, as you should see your home appreciate over the next 5-10 years.

Those are some of the things people love the most about living in Fuquay-Varina NC, but let’s talk about some of things that have kept people away from the area.  

Con #4 – Proximity to Nuclear Power Plant

Con #4 is Fuquay’s proximity to the area’s closest Nuclear Power Plant.

Like Holly Springs and Apex, much of Fuquay-Varina is also within the 10 mile radius of Duke Energy’s Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, which is referred to by the electrical utility as the emergency planning zone.

This means if there were ever an emergency at the power plant, those within the 10 mile radius would be the first that would require action.  There are also periodic tests throughout this 10 mile radius that occur every few months, but Duke Energy does provide advance warning.  

Nuclear Power Plants are ALL over the country and so many people live within these zones, some without even realizing it.  It has also provided the amazing Harris Lake, which is great for boating and and is a fun park for the family.

Personally, I know quite a few people who have worked at the plant or for Duke Energy, and I wouldn’t hesitate to live within the zone myself.  

Con #3 – Rural Feel

Moving on to Con #3 of living in Fuquay-Varina NC,  it has a more rural feel.  

Now this may be a pro for many people who prefer the more small town, rural feel, but for those who want a larger suburb feel, you won’t find that in Fuquay-Varina.

Outside of downtown and the main roadways and shopping centers, Fuquay-Varina will feel fairly remote.

While Holly Springs is just to the north along Hwy 55, Fuquay-Varina is the furthest suburb of Raleigh in the southern area, so there isn’t much develop to its’ west, south, and east.

The area to its’ north between it and Raleigh is also fairly remote, but as I’ve mentioned, that will likely change over time.  

There’s still plenty to do, but it definitely has a more remote feel than many of Raleigh’s other suburbs in the area. 

Con #2 – Lack of Luxury Neighborhoods

Next up is Con #2, the lack of luxury neighborhoods in Fuquay-Varina NC.  

In comparison to places like Wake Forest, Cary, Apex and Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina does not have many luxury neighborhoods available. 

Many of these other suburbs have larger neighborhoods with some of the area’s best custom builders building homes in the $1M – $2M range, and Fuquay hasn’t attracted many neighborhoods like this to date.

While Fuquay still has some amazing neighborhoods, the prices are generally more steady in the $400k-$700k range in general, and newer construction neighborhoods tend to stay under $1M.

This may not matter to some, but if you’re looking for luxury living in Fuquay, it hasn’t come yet.  But, I do believe it will happen in the future, as there is plenty of land in the area to be developed, and the other suburbs are beginning to run out of space.