What Builders Are Putting in Luxury Homes (and Condos)

Luxury building has come a long way since the 1980’s. Back in the day, it was considered luxurious for a home to have an ensuite master bedroom and a rec room big enough to fit a pool table. While buyers still want these things in the million-dollar homes, if you are a builder, then you really need to up your game.

In fact, it would appear that the market for luxury homes, and condos, is beginning to heat up once again and this signals the start of an arms race for home builders who want to attract buyers. What are builders putting in these homes? Read on to find out.

What’s Cooking

The ‘kitchen of the future’ is the truly something to behold. Gone are the days when just having an island is considered awe-inspiring. Today, cooking is entertainment – if you don’t know how then just hire a personal chef – as such, you need to set the stage with a grand kitchen. Counter space is expanding so fast that in some luxury condos it covers more square footage than most small homes.

That is not a joke, many of today’s luxury kitchens cover 2,000 square feet – big enough to cook for a gallery of spectators. Part of the reason for the evolution of kitchens in luxury homes is that this room has increasingly become the center of our homes. Funny how things go full circle but the days when the radio and then the television drew everyone into the living room are long gone. Today the kitchen is where family and friends meet to eat and the share their lives.

Closets on Steroids

It used to be that walk-in closets where a big deal, but today’s luxury closets are more akin to high-end boutiques than a place to keep your clothes. In fact, they have been transformed into dressing rooms, a place where closets have closets, and drawer, and other places to store everything from Hermès handbags to $20,000 Rolex watches.

What does a builder need to know about closets in luxury homes? For starters, bigger is always better. Some closets are 500 square feet or more. Second, the master suite is now home to his and hers walk-in closets. Why not, add a washroom as a finishing touch as well.

In addition, the walk-in is not just for the home’s main bedrooms. Today’s rich kids have walk-in as big as the bedrooms that most of us had to share when we were kids. As such, you need to think about how you can go all out. For example, a second master suite for guests, something that knocks the socks off any six-star hotel resort that the buyers of luxury homes would visit while on holiday.

When in doubt, add some natural lighting to the closet via a skylight; what better way to let in the rays while your buyers are choosing the right outfit to wear for the day.

The Sporting Life

There is nothing worse than a so-called ‘luxury’ property which eats up 80% of the available area on a property. Not only does it give a sense of confinement, one where the house dominants the plot. Instead, today’s buyers want a good mix of indoor and outdoor space.

Maybe it is a heated, salt-water swimming pool or a fire pit with a wood fueled, brick oven stove off to the side for good measure. Don’t forget to leave area for a putting green, a basketball quart or even a half-field lacrosse pitch. Today’s luxury buyers are looking for ways to not only enjoy their homes but also the land around it.

If you are building out in the country and have acres to spare, then consider a firing range. What could be better than a space to practice archery or something more explosive? Remember, build it and they will come.

When a Two-Car Garage is Considered Quant

It used to be that a two-car garage was a sought-after amenity by luxury buyers across the country. Why not? The days of his and her cars were a big deal in the 1970’s. However, today’s buyers demand something much, something like the ‘glass house’ from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Think of it as a mix of a museum and a man-cave. The garage has evolved into a place not only where luxury buyers park their cars but where they showcase their collection. Don’t forget the touches, things like ample storage for tools specially treated floors, and even a lift – this way the future owner of your creation can work on their baby.