Living on the Peninsula, there is a wide range of properties available that can be suitable to all needs and budgets. They range from $20 million+ large sprawling estates on 1+ acres in Atherton and Los Altos Hills to $1 million 900 sq ft houses with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Your budget and desired location will most likely dictate what type of house you live in and where you land, but it doesn’t hurt to have a nice-to-have list of features. If you are closer to the $1 million range, you will be much more limited in purchasing a house with your nice-to-have features.
In having designed and built several larger homes (3,800 to 5,200 sq ft) in the Bay Area, I’ve listened to friends’ and buyers’ opinions and here’s a list of features that they’ve liked:
- Mudroom – everyone needs a place to put shoes and jackets. The mudroom is perfect for this.
- High ceilings – 10’+ ceilings are dramatic and make the house look high-end.
- Architectural and interior design details – Architectural details can be fairly inexpensive and add so much perceived quality to your remodel. Make sure it correctly matches the style you are going with both in interior and exterior (which can be different).
- Flexible areas – Everyone’s needs are different (e.g. family size, working from home, significant vs minimal amounts of entertaining, etc.), so make areas that can be used differently (e.g. seating area vs work area). Installing built-ins do look nice, but they solidify the space and can be expensive. It’s better to add furniture (permanent or staging).
- Breakfast nook – People want a light-filled area to drink coffee and wake up or eat a meal without the whole family.
- Kitchen seating areas – The kitchen is probably the largest social area and the heart of your home, make it comfortable for people to sit and socialize.
- Great rooms – While some people still like compartmentalized kitchens, most people prefer kitchens combined with living areas because of the social nature of the kitchen.
- Laundry room central to bedrooms and next to master closet – Laundry is probably the biggest hassle in most people’s lives. Gathering laundry from all around the house, moving it to a remote location and then distributing it back again is not efficient.
- Steam sauna – While people may not use it much as they think, it is a relatively inexpensive feature that most find luxurious and can be great for athletes and those that need warming up easily.
- Backyard vs pool– A large expansive backyard accentuates the house and greenery makes it inviting. Pools are expensive. If you have the room for a pool or really just want a pool, go for it, otherwise, save your money for a good gym membership with a pool.
- Covered patios – Great place to put an outdoor kitchen and protect your outdoor furniture from sun damage.
- Wine rooms – Since wine is so popular especially in the Bay Area, it’s an important feature that homeowners love to show off.
- Kitchen appliances – When building a home, the cost of Subzero/Wolf, Miele, Thermador might deter you from them and maybe you don’t think that the features are even that great of those brands, but the market and your friends recognize them as quality brands so the several thousand dollar premium on each appliance is worth it. In addition, in a high-end home, go with the panel-ready appliances.
- Kitchen organization – This is also a relatively inexpensive way to add some wow factor to your house. Electric touch-opening trash cans, appliance lifts, spice racks, etc. are all items that can impress your friends or homebuyers.
If you have any other “wow” features that you want to add, email me for some feedback.