Buyers of high-end new homes are tending to spend more time at home, and this is reflected in requests for integrated features that allow luxury homeowners to comfortably spend extensive leisure time in their homes.



This often means creating lavish activity space such as spas, massage rooms, saunas, yoga/meditation rooms, and steam rooms, according to Susan Schreiber of DiamondSchreiber Homes. DiamondSchreiber Homes, a well-known and respected builder of ultra high-end luxury homes, is currently building several custom and spec homes in Chicago’s North Shore Suburbs.



Facilities for fitness and physical recreation are also expected in the new home. Expanded exercise space often includes two or more separate workout rooms, indoor lap pools, and indoor sports courts for basketball and tennis. The sports courts are often placed two stories down underneath the garage and feature amenities such as locker rooms, spas, and sports bars with TVs.



Many new home buyers are looking for impressive space to entertain at home. Party rooms for the children and outdoor living rooms with fireplaces and fully-equipped kitchens are just a few buyer wants. Sports bar space with a full kitchenette and multiple plasma TVs to watch many sporting events at the same time provide a relaxing atmosphere with well-stocked, easily-available refreshments.



Schreiber has also noted that custom home clients are dictating what will become the “new necessities” in luxury homes. They want elevators to serve all three levels and down an extra level if there is a two-story sport court underneath the garage. A large finished storage area provided next to the elevator in the lower level will accommodate extra guest seating and table leaves for entertaining.



Another new requirement for entertaining and family living is multiple kitchens with additional ones outdoors, in the lower level, and master suite. Manufacturers such as Viking now have entire product lines, including cabinetry, designed for outdoor use. These kitchens, coupled with outdoor fireplaces are often used to create open air Great Rooms.



In many areas the scarcity of land dictates that basements to give way to exquisite lower levels. Thanks to high levels of finish, amenities, walls of windows, and oversized stone or brick window wells, lower levels feel equal to the rest of the home in every way.



Practical space that is expected includes multiple home offices, a computer work station in or next to the kitchen, kids playrooms, and home gift-wrapping centers with present closets to lock away gifts from curious eyes. The laundry room is gaining more prominence in location and importance. Often features, materials, and name brands are the same as those found in the kitchen.



Decorating trends in kitchens and bathrooms have changed with kitchens becoming even larger and a preference for multiple islands. White cabinetry and white marble countertops, though impractical, are resurging in popularity with a trend toward retro design. In the bathrooms, decorative glass tiles in the baths are on almost all want lists. More private space for household members and guests are requested in the form of separate his-and-hers master bathrooms, private bathrooms for each bedroom in the home, and an additional guest powder room in the lower level. Practical concerns about disease prompt home buyers to put handle-less faucets in the powder room at a minimum.



A recent survey by Coldwell Banker found that security systems were the most prevalent concern of 85 percent of luxury home buyers. Luxury new home buyers are looking for extra security items like camera surveillance viewable on all TVs in the home, panic rooms, and walk-in safes for valuables and files.



Although many items such as media rooms, great rooms, and wine cellars are still on almost all luxury new home buyers’ lists, they are adding more options and choices than ever. Buyers are willing to pay for the comfort and luxury of a home that perfectly suits their family’s needs for home living and entertaining. Builders of high-end custom and spec homes will need to keep pace and informed about such features to assure future success.

Copyright:
This article originally appeared in the Business Builder Newsletter at www.sellnewhomes.com