Luxury Homes Division

This is an exciting time for luxury homes… Technology is making features available in the home that were previously only seen on TV shows like The Jetsons. We’re uncovering the 7 hottest home trends that are currently sweeping luxury real estate.

After a long, slow recovery period for the housing sector, there are a number of encouraging signs that we may finally be creeping up from a buyer’s market back into a seller’s market.

Realtor.com, for example, is reporting that one in three homes are selling in under 30 days for the first time since the recession of the late 2000s. And the average price for an American home has reached $275,000 for the first time in history.

Mortgages are also easier to get than at any time before the slump, foreign investors are flooding the market, a new wave of millennial entrepreneurs is looking to buy, and luxury real estate prices are actually coming down.

This is all good news for the high-end luxury homes market.

Trends Sweeping the Luxury Real Estate Market

This is also good news for New Hampshire.

Many of the typical luxury hot spots are simply full: New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, London. Millennials can’t get the condos they want, and more established families can’t get their dream homes.

Normally this would result in a long commute as people move out of the city, but the modern business person can do his or her work from a home office.

Which is yet another reason to buy or construct in beautiful suburban or exurban surroundings. And what could be more beautiful than New Hampshire?

Here are the latest things buyers are looking for in the 2017 Luxury Homes sector.

1. The Ranch House is Back!

The elegant multi-story home is passe right now. One-story homes are back in vogue, preferably large ones on huge expanses of land.

Garages should be as big as possible, and a real plus on your compound is an entirely separate home with bathroom, game room, kitchen, and patio used just for entertaining.

It’s not a guest house: it’s specifically set up to entertain friends while keeping them out of your most intimate areas.

As far as all that goes, the more land you have, the better.

2. Arena-Size Sports

Speaking of which, the “man cave,” which once started out as the modern answer to your dad’s den, has over the last decade evolved into an entertaining spot of its own.

But a big screen TV, a dart board, and a pool table just won’t cut it anymore. The modern luxury homeowner wants to be able to play a full-size game of basketball, tennis, hockey, even BMX riding.

The outside pool has become the indoor natatorium, recessed into the floor so that it can disappear entirely when needed and sometimes even equipped with a surf simulator.

The idea is to enjoy your favorite sports on a regulation-size field, no matter what the weather. Which in New England makes perfect sense.

3. The Closet As Room

This trend started a few years ago, as folks begin to venture into their walk-in closets and rethink them — and also to repurpose their pantries as cook prep areas.

Both have since become another room in the house, with full lighting, stylish cabinets, and an island of some sort in the middle to draw it all together.

The idea is to turn a storage room into a room with just as much personality as any other in the house: warm and inviting, spacious and dedicated to a theme.

4. Caves for Everyone!

Again, as the man cave expanded it started to trigger ideas from other members of the family: woman caves became more prominent, for one thing.

These days, luxury real estate requires special rooms for the kids and even the pets. There’s a sports arena for Dad, the workout room for Mom, and a full-scale indoor playground for the kids so they can stay active even when the weather is bad.

And that pet cave? It can come complete with heated floors, a comfy bed, toys, TV, shower, and heat lamps with which to dry off!

5. The Spectator Kitchen.

After decades of rock star chefs, foodies, and cooking reality shows, just about everyone would like to cook for friends and family.

Time was when you or your staff would disappear into a separate kitchen and then come out with the finished product, but these days folks like to see the process in action.

Which brings us to the spectator kitchen or kitchen theater, a large kitchen with an island that can seat several. You can actually prepare the food with them as you chat, offer some appetizers, and then move everyone out to the dining room when the main course is ready.

6. Inside, Meet Outside

One way designers have been thinking outside the box is to stop treating the home as a box. The new trend in luxury realty is to inject the old inside-outside dynamic with some fluidity.

Full wall-size windows are very much in vogue. If you have a bathroom that doesn’t look out onto anything but a view, large windows are actually practical for letting in light when you’re at the vanity.

Another trend is a second kitchen near the patio with a retractable wall that can turn inside into outside with the push of a button. Year-round, round-the-clock entertaining and recreation is the ultimate goal.

7. The Smarthome

We’ve been promised a Home of the Future since automation first reared its head in the 1950s. That moment appears to finally be here — and homeowners want to take full advantage.

Luxury real estate homeowners aren’t satisfied with a security system they can monitor from their phone while on vacation. They also want to be able to change the lighting and temperature, and also run their appliances from anywhere in the home.

The more integrated the entire system is, the better. That includes home assistants like Alexa and sound systems built right into the walls of the home.

Luxury Realty: Still Cutting Edge, Wherever You Are

When major changes are made to technology, design, and functionality, luxury homeowners will get them first.

Merging tech with new design, today’s luxury homeowner can create an entire atmosphere for almost any occasion. They can also change it in a second without worrying about the weather, the neighbors, or any heavy lifting.

These types of homes are popping up outside of the bigger cities for the first time. It’s easier than ever to enjoy the beauty of the New England countryside while still having it all!