According to Redfin’s Alec Traub, a real estate agent in Los Angeles, “The higher the price point, the more features luxury buyers expect.” But some of these features vary from past luxury must-haves. Take a look.
Great privacy is now the top ranking amenity among luxury buyers. These buyers are simply not interested in seeing their neighbors nor are they interested in their neighbors or paparazzi seeing them. The more gates, walls, hedges, protective landscaping there are, the better.
Everyone still wants a pool…only a smaller pool that doesn’t take up an entire back yard.
Luxury buyers want two of everything. Two washing machines and dryers, two dishwashers, two trash compactors, two of everything so that no one has to wait for clean clothes, clean dishes, or empty places to put garbage, etc. The faster our tech platforms, the less and less patience we have to wait for anything.
Guest suites that can be used by anyone for anything are necessities. Friends, family members, business colleagues and associates all need places to stay and luxury buyers want them all to stay at their homes. Bedrooms with en-suite baths can be used for nannies, grandparents, etc. and needn’t be detached from the home, just available within the perimeters of the home. And when guests or whomever else are not using the suites, the suites can be used for gyms, studios, home offices, whatever.
Smart security devices and apps are as important as privacy features. Luxury buyers want remote controlled everything…lighting, pool temperatures, drawers for jewelry in closets or not that require unlocking/locking from a phone… smart security amenities are bounded only by our imaginations.
Luxury buyers want upscale and/or imported design features. Italian Ceasarstone or imported from most anywhere quartz counter tops are more highly valued than granite; Miele appliances are more desirable than GE; electric water heaters are more in line with top tier homes; pocket doors are more discrete than sliding doors.
The line is fine between ultra and discrete customization. Not everyone wants a tennis and/or a basketball court and not everyone wants a music room but for those who do, build it and the next owner can choose to keep it or install some other more appropriate, specific must-have in its place.
