Three Home Projects For the New Year Featured In These Weekend Open Houses

Not everyone can handle a fixer-upper or a flip property, but there are a few things we all can do to get a fresh start this new year.

Whether it’s new construction or a well-loved velveteen rabbit of a home, we can all be intentional this year about taking some small and meaningful measures to do those things we always meant to do. We’re talking about energy efficiency, creating a workspace, or building a garden. 

The homes we’ve selected in this edition of CandysDirt.com Open Houses of the Week lend themselves to those projects and more. 

Energy Efficiency

The best of the best in energy efficiency are homes built by Alan Hoffmann’s Hoffmann Homes. 

The new build at 2127 Autumn Sage Place is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom masterpiece on a 9,000-square-foot lot in Casa View. 

Priced at $979,900, the amount you’ll spend for luxury is washed in the energy-efficient savings. This modern farmhouse was built like a giant Yeti cooler with insulated concrete forms. It has high-efficiency air conditioning, a tankless hot water heater, and a natural gas fireplace. 

This home is not only energy-efficient, it’s also built to meet some other 2023 goals. It has cabinet and closet space for days, a huge lot begging for an herb garden, and an open floor plan designed for a convenient work-from-home atmosphere. 

Hoffmann is the go-to guy in Texas when it comes to sustainable building, so you can count on solar pre-wiring and a water filtration system. 

Green programs include Net Zero Ready, Energy Star, and Green Built Texas certification. 

Contact Realtor Matthew J. Harris with Rogers Healy and Associates for a private showing. 

Create a Workstation

A Realtor.com homeowners’ poll showed that the most popular home projects for 2023 include energy efficiency, building a garden, switching out old fixtures, painting worn-out tiles, paying down the mortgage, and creating a workstation. 

Working from home spiked during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and many never returned to the office. 

Newer construction is built for the work-from-home phenomenon, with outdoor retreats, extra rooms that can be used as offices, and open floor plans so the toddler tea party isn’t adjacent to Mom’s Zoom meeting. 

But the builder of the 1968 one-story at 6114 Berwyn Lane just might have foreseen the future of staycations and home offices. 

The four-bedroom, three-bath in Caruth Meadows near Southern Methodist University was recently remodeled and listed at $875,000. Upgrades include quartz countertops, tile backsplash, and Thor stainless steel appliances. 

Realtor Isaiah Newhouse with DHS Realty is hosting open houses from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29. 

Garden Party

Green thumbs rejoice at this lush front yard at 7216 Arbor Oaks.

In addition to saving money, gardening can improve one’s mood and mental health, according to a University of Minnesota study. 

Realtor.com offers tips for first-time gardeners on how to get started. 

The interior of this $879,900 Arbor Oaks beauty ain’t bad, either. 

The Prestonwood abode features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a swimming pool. 

At first glance, this may look like an odd choice for a garden home. The back of the house appears to have little green space. There’s a small stretch of turf, with concrete and a deck around the pool. But don’t be deterred from gardening. Isn’t it better to have the fruits of your labor on display out front where the neighbors can be jealous? 

Upgrades throughout the 1977 home include quartz countertops, Thor stainless steel appliances, wood floors, new tile, updated windows, new hardware and lighting, new paint, and fresh landscaping.

And if you can’t get enough of the great outdoors in the garden, Preston Ridge Trail is about a four-minute walk away. 

Realtor Isaiah Newhouse with DHS Realty is hosting open houses from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29.