Hallmarks of a Luxury House: What Makes a Home “Next Level”?
Buying a new home? Perhaps you’re just spending your time looking through the real estate listings and dreaming of amazing properties.
Variety is the name of the game now, and there are more architectural styles than ever, as well as ways to kit out and improve your house. Certain features tend to be seen as those next-level luxurious ones that make people’s jaws drop to the floor or may even attract more buyers if a home is up for sale.
How Do We Work Out What Counts as “Luxury”?
One person’s luxury is another person’s distasteful, we know. That said, there are things that most people can’t deny are great features for a house, and that make it suitable for the high end of the market. These impressive home features include spacious walk-in closets, a modern and fully equipped kitchen, and luxurious bathroom amenities. Additionally, high-end homes often feature smart home technology, private outdoor spaces, and stunning architectural designs that set them apart from average homes. These features not only add value to the property but also elevate the overall living experience for the homeowner.
Spend time looking at the best houses in the world and you’ll quickly find that there are some things in common among a lot of these homes, both in terms of location and the qualities of the home itself.
Home buyers (and real estate valuers) are on the lookout for certain features that set a house apart. Real estate is a complex market, but look into some of the best and richest neighborhoods and you’ll see a pattern emerges.
Before getting right into the aspects that contribute to a great, luxury home, it is worth us explaining that some of these are subjective. Home buyers have their own preferences and that’s the way it should be, but without a set of predefined rules and patterns in the industry, it wouldn’t be possible to value a house.
Architecture
You may not know the first thing about architecture. Not a lot of people know this area in any detail, but consulting with a few experts in luxury real estate, we’ve found the home’s architecture often speaks volumes.
Architects, such as SDH Studio, who focus on making luxury homes often push the boundaries with unique shapes, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sustainable materials, creating spaces that are not just homes but masterpieces with an artistic edge.
Styles of buildings vary massively even from one part of the US to the next. American residents will find a lot of mid-century architecture. Ranch-style houses are also popular in some areas. Space goes hand-in-hand with architecture and often luxury homes are set aside in a lot of space, or in a neighborhood that is roomy and homes don’t overlook one another.
Some architecture is a matter of preference, but that doesn’t mean some styles aren’t preferred to others on the luxury front.
Smart Home Gadgets
This is an interesting one, as a lot of smart home functionality can be retrofitted, of course. In the 21st century, luxury is often associated with smart living. Some of this is part of the very fabric of the house.
Exclusive homes come equipped with state-of-the-art smart home systems that control lighting, climate, security, and often entertainment at the touch of a button or a few words spoken into your device.
Smart homes are becoming more mainstream, but the links to things like security systems, smart gates, and lighting are beyond what a lot of homes have. Deloitte’s study on the adoption of smart home technology shows that there are a lot of obstacles still for some people, and security cameras, such as the Verbier webcam, are the main priority. Homes with a lot of smart home functions may be seen as luxurious.
Space Inside
High ceilings and expansive rooms are top of the list for a lot of people looking for luxury. Luxury buyers will be looking to spend a lot of money on a home, and they should have a list of criteria. Why would you settle for less than a lot of space indoors when spending a lot of money on a home?
People love the spacious feeling they get from a home with high ceilings, and this is something they can’t really make up for in other ways. Decoration is important, but it can be changed. People looking to buy a house will always value the space that is inside it, and it is a sign of luxury if the ceilings are high and the rooms are airy.
Eco Considerations
Another thing that is becoming the norm but is currently seen more in high-end homes is the inclusion of eco-home features. Features like solar panels, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable building materials are becoming standard. Speculation tells us that eventually more homes will have to abide by some eco rules and they may be built with sustainability in mind. For now, it’s a top-end feature.
Conclusion
Priorities vary from one person to the next, and not everyone agrees on what makes a home nice and buyable. However, some things are definitely seen as luxury features, including smart home capabilities, large rooms, and impressive architecture.
Homes that offer these features come at a cost, but people who are looking to buy the best of the best won’t be too bothered about this, as they’re in the market for luxury.
