What Makes a Home a LUXURY Home?

What makes a home a luxury home? Mansion Global’s Lucy Cohen Blatter asked Barbara van Beuren, one of the country’s few women real estate developers. Van Beuren, a registered architect, co-heads up New York’s real estate development firm Andrew along with her husband Stephen Glascock.

The firm’s projects include a hotel to condominium conversion at 110 Central Park South; a Yorkville condominium, Citizen 360, on NY’s Upper East Side; 207 W79th, a condominium in a landmarked building on the Upper West Side; and a major site currently in progress in Hamilton Heights for two 11-story buildings.

Dream Property?

• A home in which the rooms integrate the indoors and outdoors including the landscaping
• Contemporary design that utilizes natural materials
• A warm climate with abundant light dancing in the space
• If not water views then a pool

What does luxury mean to you?

• Luxury is quality rather than quantity
• Luxury means well crafted, well detailed, well designed, well located

What area will be the hub for luxury properties?

• Accessible areas…areas that one can easily get in to and out of
• Accessibility to great climate, culture, activities, restaurants

Where are the luxury markets in the world today and why?

• “Follow the money and you’ll find luxury homes.”
• London, New York, Hong Kong, San Francisco

The most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?

• Technology that is integrated into one platform to control the home’s environment
• Technology that controls the home’s air, light, energy use, security system, entertainment, sound, etc.
• Access to workout spaces

 Best piece of real estate advice?

• “Make sure you don’t fall in love with anything. That’s when you’re going to make mistakes.
• Understand a property, do your do diligence be able to say no and walk away.”

Best areas for real estate investing?

• Attributes that make the space valuable – views, high ceilings, light, good proportions
• Anywhere near parks and water views
• NOT no-man’s-land

Currently best resale value in NYC?

• Tried and true areas
  • 5^th Avenue
  • Central Park West
  • Highline
  • Chelsea
  • Tribeca
  • SoHo
  • Downtown
• Parts of Brooklyn