“How will this aid my lifestyle?”
Everyone likes nice things, but a common oversight is whether they serve a purpose outside of face value. When creating a schedule of priorities, an important factor to consider is whether the investment will be permanently fulfilling or gradually wither away.
Deciding now for later
When it comes to personal residencies, there are infinite components that need to be considered when weighing the opportunity cost between instant gratification and genuine permanency. When searching for a new home, it’s important to identify what features you can live with and those that need to be changed. It can vary from miniscule tasks such as repainting a room or changing out some tiles to undertaking an entire renovation. Creating a list of those priorities and checking them against a list of wants and needs can ease that process in a more cost effective and timely manner.
Anticipation is key
The initial list of priorities should pertain to necessities such as location and functionality. Someone might find their dream home but on a hectic intersection or a beautiful exterior encumbered by an impractical layout. Solidified or heavily involved aspects should always be top of mind when checking off your list. Upon ensuring the top goals have been met, dig deeper into your future functionality. A garage on the basement level may afford the ability to have a larger first floor, but to some walking up those stairs daily may become tiresome. A laundry room on the first floor may permit larger bedrooms upstairs, although bringing items up and down levels might be irritating. Dismissing underground utility runs or a backup generator can provide a nice cost savings, however it could become a nuisance in a time of need. Luxury amenities are usually associated with expensive materials and fancy finishes, but truthfully, convenience is the new luxury.
Genuine enjoyment
Searching for and incorporating certain attributes comes down to personal preference and enjoyment. A great benefit of building a custom home from scratch is the ability to allocate those wishes insightfully. Renowned luxury home builder, KOSL Building, mentioned how they balance convenience with luxury regularly. They explained how the size and layout of the home should start with the recognition of your lifestyle. “If you don’t have kids, are you planning to? If you do, are you anticipating more? Do you have relatives who may be staying with you one day? These are questions we always ask when discussing the massing phase of planning, for your current situation today can easily change in the future.” Elaborating how in situations where magnitude and budget are a constraint, utilizing space in a flexible manner is the best direction. “You can easily convert alternatively used spaces throughout the home with some proper planning. Additional bedrooms can be accomplished such as having a first-floor library with a bathroom or an upstairs office with a jack & jill. Having a breakfast room adjacent to a sitting room can become a large dinning room with operable walls.” KOSL also noted that they install many different smart features in their homes to help with daily tasks. “Certain amenities we incorporate may be viewed as ‘luxury’ but really, they are accommodations that should be a standard. This varies from central vacuum ports throughout the home, laundry shoots, scheduled radiant floor heating, wifi appliances, heated towel racks, Bluetooth appliances, car chargers, nexus lifts and much more.” Having built over 200 homes during the past 35 years, KOSL Building acknowledged that while many of these elements may be considered upgrades, they view them as the norm by todays standards.
Perspectives
Clearly, high end developers are envisioning themselves in the owner’s shoes by creating an environment that affords families the luxury of a convenient lifestyle. As technological advancements evolve and remote working continues to flourish, your home should become a personal oasis not just an elaborate showcase.
Do you have any convenient lifestyle tips? Comment below!
