523 Hughes Rd, Hampstead, NC 28443

This coastal craftsman home was built to endure the strongest storms of the Atlantic while providing exceptional comfort and luxury. The exterior is wrapped in over 900 square feet of covered decking and includes a covered outdoor dining area. The home's foundation is built upon 55 pilings driven 27-feet below the finished grade. Each piling reaches the solid limestone slab beneath the house, so this home is truly built upon the rock. All the exterior framing consists of 2x6 studs placed 16" on center to bolster the home's hurricane resistance. The home has four bedrooms with a considerable bonus room on the top level. A central elevator makes this home handicap accessible. The interior was finished by master trim carpenters and cabinet craftsmen. Many features make this home an electrical and mechanical wonder. Redundant geothermal heat pumps maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions, while two state-of-the-art energy recovery ventilators provide a steady source of filtered fresh air to ensure the exceptional indoor air quality. The home has been insulated with the use of closed-cell spray foam insulation that provides R-7.2 per inch of thickness. The home achieves Passive House air change standards with an ACH of 0.55 at 50 Pascals of pressure thanks to a complete AeroBarrier operation before the drywall was installed. (A typical home might leak at the rate of 15 air changes per hour, and this home's leakage rate is only 0.55 air changes per hour.) The 400-amp service for this residence has a SquareD QO breaker panel on each level so that all circuits are organized by the living level. All 120-volt circuits are ground fault and arc fault protected to prevent electric shocks and reduce fire risk throughout the structure. The home is equipped with a 25Kw Briggs & Stratton standby generator on a 500-gallon propane tank so the house can remain powered for as long as a month without grid service. During a power interruption, the Briggs & Stratton Symphony transfer switch will keep all the home's refrigeration, lights, and heat pumps operational automatically. A dock was installed in 2020 that includes a 400 square foot covered gazebo. The 40-foot floating dock could easily accommodate two 25-foot vessels. The lighted pier was built with driven pilings to avoid the inherent weaknesses of jetted pilings. The frame of the dock was overbuilt to endure the strongest storms without failure. Lea-Hutaff Island and Figure Eight Island are a scenic 10-minute boat ride from the dock via Green Channel. The Atlantic Ocean is only a few minutes further through Rich's Inlet.