By Nancy Keates

Fed up with Los Angeles traffic, Brian and Carrie Levy knew it was time for a change. They also worried that their two children, now 28 and 31, would have trouble affording homes of their own if they stayed in the area.

In 2017, the Levys moved to Austin, Texas, spending their first two years in a downtown apartment. When Covid hit, Brian and Carrie decided it was time for more space.

They bought a home in 2020 for $1.9 million in a gated community in the city's West Lake Hills area. The leafy, upscale neighborhood is home to billionaires like Elon Musk and Michael Dell.

The renovation

The Levys loved the home's stone exterior. "It had a Texas look," says Brian, 58, who owns a food-processing business. But they wanted a swimming pool and the 1,500-square-foot attic was unfinished.

The renovation cost the couple several million dollars. The project added two bedrooms, a pantry, a see-through fireplace between the living room and dining room, a wine cellar, a formal bar and a laundry room.

Can't-miss features

The house features custom details, like baseboards without molding, alongside high-end lighting, materials and finishes — including inlaid brass tiles, marble and stone.

There are two offices, a formal bar, a media room and a 1,300-square-foot screened-in porch with heaters, a grilling station and a TV that descends from the ceiling. "We built our dream house," Brian says.

Reason for selling?

While they were renovating the Austin house, the couple lived in a gated golf community in Park City, Utah. They made friends and enjoyed the lifestyle so much that they decided to live there full time.

What they'll miss

Austin's food scene, the views of downtown and the chandelier they put in their family room. Also being able to drive to see their kids, who now live in Houston and Plano.

What they won't miss

The growing congestion in Austin.

Market snapshot

The median sales price for single-family homes in the West Lake and Rollingwood markets was $2.565 million between January 1 and May 31, up 6.6% from the same period last year, according to the listing agent, Gary Dolch of Austin Luxury Group.

Write to Nancy Keates at Nancy.Keates@wsj.com