Luxury. It’s what you crave in life, especially when it comes to your home. If you’re looking for a new home on your own, it’s not always easy to spot a truly luxurious home unless you consult with a reputable real estate professional who specializes in luxury properties.
Says the pros at Butler & Butler Real Estate, experts on luxury homes for sale in Woodinville, Washington, when seeking out a real estate agent, you need a company that’s devoted to the community at large. They compassionately and respectfully meet their client’s needs and wants, especially when it comes to luxury. They do this by planning, listening, educating, and ultimately delivering individualized service.
That said, what are some of the things you can do to turn your existing home into a luxury home now? According to a recent article by Consumer Reports, look no further than your kitchen. If you have a relatively spare-no-expense budget for building your dream kitchen, you could potentially dish out the cash for the most luxurious stone countertops, sleek, professional-grade appliances, plus the best hardwood flooring and end up paying for costly repairs down the road. Or you can make all your dollars count by avoiding high-priced traps while still making your property luxurious.
A modest budget of anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 will afford you a beautiful, brand-new kitchen that’s both efficient and functional. It might look expensive in the end, but more importantly, you won’t be bothered by expensive repairs when something breaks down. Your dream kitchen will combine quartz countertops, new appliances, and wood flooring to create a look of urban class and sophistication like you might find in a Manhattan skyrise.
Here are some tips on creating the ultimate luxury home by concentrating on your kitchen.
New Appliances
Said to be high-end choices, you can go with a professional-grade, 36-inch range that’s engineered with high-BTU burners, a built-in refrigerator with exterior paneling that matches your kitchen’s new cabinetry, plus a noiseless dishwasher.
Says a regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors, if purchasers enter into a high-end, luxury home and spot mid-range or even apartment-grade appliances, they will wonder what else is missing from the supposed luxury home.
Steam ovens, which cost several thousand dollars, should added to the kitchen since they are said to be a healthy way to prepare vegetables, fish, pork, beef, and some desserts. These new ovens are said to be growing in popularity among luxury home seekers.
According to a designer-architect out of Santa Monica, California, restaurants have been preparing foods by steaming them for decades. Today, the steaming technology is catching up to the residential market. Many new models combine convection with steam to lock in moisture while browning foods like meats.
Keep in mind not all luxury appliances deliver in the long run. While KitchenAid dual-fuel ranges are said to come highly recommended, its gas and electric models are prone to requiring frequent repairs. Jenn-Air’s cooktops, wall ovens, and electric ranges are also repair-prone.
New Flooring
For that high-end, luxury look, wood contains elegance and warmth. It can also be utilized in adjacent rooms to create a seamless flow. A certified kitchen designer for the National Kitchen and Bath Association states that if you drop a coffee cup on a wood floor, the relatively fragile cup “has a fighting chance.”
One popular luxury wood floor choice is antique wooden flooring that’s milled from old timbers taken from century-old structures. The wooden material is said to possess the exact luxurious character you might be looking for in a home, but they are also said to be susceptible to wear and tear when undergoing rigorous testing.
What this means is you might do better with solid wood flooring that comes with a factory finish. It costs a little more upfront, but it adds beauty to your kitchen and your entire home and lasts far longer than antique wood, saving you money in the long term.
New Countertops
When it comes to luxury countertops, authenticity is what you’re looking for. What this translates into is a natural stone, which is considered top-tier when it comes to kitchen designers. These days, people tend to be shifting away from speckled granite and going with wavy marble, especially in kitchens painted mostly white.
However, wavy marble is said to be prone to scratching and staining. This means marble might not be the luxury countertop of choice for some homeowners, or so claims a certified National Association of the Remodeling Industry design-builder from Washington, D.C. He also states that designers love to talk about the benefits of “patina,” but what they are really saying is that your marble is eventually going to suffer from wear and tear. If you wish to avoid this, think about going with a tougher but just as luxurious quartz counter.
Luxury homes are many people’s dream. Even if you’ve owned your home for decades and don’t plan on moving, you can make it new again and luxurious by paying particular attention to the kitchen. With a relatively small investment, you can add substantial value to your property.
