What are the essential features that define a modern luxury home? It goes far beyond the traditional “location, location, location!”
The Luxury Marketing Institute recently identified 13 features considered nearly indispensable for a luxury home in today’s market.
Outdoor Living Spaces: Quality outdoor spaces are as unique as exclusive vacation resorts. A luxury home’s grounds can be customized to suit specific family interests. Still, certain features are common to all high-end properties: impeccably designed and maintained landscaping and amenities that support a particular lifestyle.
While outdoor kitchens and pools are currently popular, remember that they may be unnecessary if you don’t frequently swim or entertain. The details are up to you, but well-planned outdoor spaces that offer both privacy and entertainment top our list, and please don’t forget the importance of “curb appeal.”
Unique, High-End Finishes: Emphasize organic materials, natural finishes, and renewable resources. These will always remain timeless. Explore emerging trends such as biophilic design and view a home as a multifaceted opportunity to showcase your interests and lifestyle.
Spa-Style Bathrooms: Current luxury bathroom favorites include oversized curbless showers, multiple shower heads with adjustable LED lighting, aromatherapy features, and built-in steam units or saunas. Jetted tubs are somewhat outdated; freestanding soaking tubs placed in front of a window have more appeal today.
Fitness Facilities: Whether it is a dedicated yoga and meditation room, a fully equipped gym with state-of-the-art fitness machines, or a dance studio, capitalize on the growing emphasis on personal fitness. Consider including a mini kitchen with a juice bar and an under-counter fridge for ultimate convenience. Adding an après-workout lounger or a massage table can enhance the overall appeal.
Smart Home Technology: No explanation is needed for this one. Why would you want to miss out on the latest technological advancements that connect us with friends, family, and the outside world? Technology enriches our lives, broadens our knowledge, and simplifies numerous aspects of life. And despite what its critics may say, those devices still have “off buttons.”
Gourmet Kitchen: Kitchens were once considered the “heart of the home.” Today, they remain popular gathering spots, but their functionality has expanded in numerous ways. Modern kitchens should be fully equipped with time and labor-saving appliances, feature the best in contemporary lighting, and offer a combination of functionality, efficiency, beauty, and ease of maintenance.
Home Bar: Believe it or not, a home bar has become a “must-have” in a luxury home. If alcoholic beverages aren’t your style, consider a coffee and tea bar or an ice cream and soda bar that will surely delight “kids” of all ages!
Wine Cellar: Upscale homes today inevitably include storage for beloved vintages. If you have an extensive collection that requires a dedicated temperature-controlled room, it would be wise to seek professional planning assistance.
If space is only needed for a few special bottles, a conveniently located dark closet near a designated wine-drinking area will suffice. Contemporary wine storage towers can be integrated into a kitchen, den, or bar area. It all depends on their habits, needs, and preferences.
Home Theater or Multi-Media Room: The popularity of movie screening rooms may have diminished slightly over the past decade, but who can deny the fun of family screen time, complete with comfortable seating, popcorn, pizza, and soft drinks? Luxury homes invariably boast rooms where they can escape from reality, whatever that means to them.
Home Office: The pandemic brought many of us home, literally, but it also made us realize that working from home can be fulfilling and enjoyable. Today, as more and more of us are “telecommuting,” it’s almost imperative to have a home office. For most clients, a desk in the corner of the bedroom or a laptop on the kitchen table doesn’t work.
A Grand Primary Bedroom: A home’s primary suite should be a world unto itself. Popular amenities include a fireplace, access to the outdoors—such as a private garden, a hot tub, or the pool deck—bookshelves and a writing desk, a reading area with comfortable seating, and perhaps a wet bar, mini-kitchen, or snack center/coffee bar. Personalized creature comforts are vital.
Walk-In Closets: Belief in the adage that you can never have too many closets. Walk-in closets in every bedroom are the ultimate luxury, along with a room-sized storage room for out-of-season clothing, rotating artwork, holiday decorations, and travel and sporting gear.
Dedicated Guest Quarters: A luxury home always has a dedicated guest room.
Please get in touch with me if you are considering a move, even if you are considering buying or selling property in another area. I know top professionals in all areas of the United States who have their fingers on the pulse of local markets.
