This week, we got an email telling us we absolutely needed to look at a new home on the market — one that everyone can go look at during an open house from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. today.
However, we got an early sneak peek of this home at 9317 Midway Road, and can tell you it’s worth every bit — and possibly more — of its $1,999,999 price tag, mostly because it’s just so darn smart.
First, let’s take the bones of the home, which is unique right out of the box because of its Insulated Concrete Forms construction. “This gives it the high energy efficiency and basically makes the entire home a tornado shelter,” owner Brian Wilks explained to us. “The roof is bolted on to the cement wall securing the roof and flying debris cannot penetrate the walls.”
A TPO roof reflects the sun’s rays during the summer to keep the roof cool, too.
That energy efficiency that starts with the infrastructure extends to what makes the home run — two Tesla Powerwall batteries and solar panels power the home.
“There are only two homes in all of Texas that have Tesla batteries that are used to power the house; the other house is in Austin,” Wilk told us, adding that the large garage also has three electric car chargers.
In addition, it has a 7kw solar system that provides juice to the home during sunny days, too. In fact, Wilk said his electricity bills have been as little as $30 a month.
But this is also really cool home to look at — the living room, kitchen and dining room are one large, open area, and the living room opens up to the backyard, with it’s covered patio and beautiful pool.
When we took a tour of the home with Realtor Bob Plessinger of Keller Williams Dallas – Park Cities, he also showed us how well this house is built for entertaining — with the flick of a switch, that covered patio can become a screened-in porch.
And with another pull of a lever, a canopy can unfurl to keep that pool area shady, too.
In fact, this house is full of cool switches, and Plessinger had fun showing us how much of the house can be powered by the push of a button, the flick of an app, or even the touch of a fingertip — the front door lock can be opened with fingerprint, electronic code or key.
And even more is automated. LED exterior lights are on an astronomical timer so that you never pull up to a dark house, for instance, and the garage door will automatically close after four minutes.
Inside, the polished concrete floors throughout the home marry sleek, modern finishes with easy care. The kitchen features a Miele plumbed coffee maker inset into the wall, and lots of touches that make it perfect for the cook who loves to entertain, including electric open gull wing kitchen cabinets that open and close at a touch.
A guest room has its own access to the pool area, and also features an en-suite bathroom that also opens to the pool, making it a great feature for guests who come over for a dip. All four bathrooms feature porcelain or natural stone flooring and each one is so unique that we had a hard time choosing our favorite.
OK, that’s a lie. We loved the master bath, with it’s heated radiant floors, huge shower, sleek, transparent bathtub, and unique tub filler. But seriously, every single bathroom had some unique feature — no plain Jane powders here. And even more incredible, each bathroom also features floor-level lighting that automatically comes on at night, or when it detects motion in the room.
The master bedroom was generously sized, and features a huge closet with plenty of custom shelving and space, and motion-sensing lights. And the three other bedrooms also received impeccable attention, from ample, organized closet space to plenty of room for any kind of furniture layout.
Outside, the heated saltwater pool has a bench stepdown into the pool and a shallow beach area with built-in chaise lounges.
The large backyard is beautifully fenced and also features raised garden beds for vegetable gardening — and the attention to detail the house enjoys extends there, too, with a screen to keep the tomatoes from bolting in Texas summers, and a sprinkler system.
And the location can’t be beaten, either — the home is within walking distance of a lot of Midway Hollow favorites, including several restaurants, a Starbucks, and (eventually) a Central Market. And despite the fact that it’s on busy Midway Road, once inside the home the thick ICF walls and carefully installed windows keep the home a quiet sanctuary.
