When searching for that perfect luxury home, keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to wait for a vacation to really kick back and enjoy time with your family and friends. You have to find the home that will allow you to feel like you are on vacation every day.  Luxury homes should be enjoyable for everyday living as well as entertaining.  They should include both family gathering spots as well as plenty of private cozy nooks for everyone and anyone.  This applies within the home, but also using the outdoors as an extension of the home with outdoor living/entertaining areas.  In the luxury market, these outdoor spaces can be just as captivating as inside living areas.

Luxury outdoor living areas generally focus around a sparkling in-ground pool.  The pools vary in size and shape, but they add so much to the outdoor space.  They are usually surrounded by beautiful patio tables, comfortable lounge chairs and plenty of umbrellas to provide shade from the sun.  This is also a place for a spa and perhaps a waterfall, spectacular lighting, and plenty of vibrant, grand landscaping.  Also common around the pool area are other necessities for entertaining…  outdoor kitchens, (for a great piece on the latest trends in outdoor kitchens, check out this article by Rismedia) built-in grills, fireplaces, bars, and surround sound music systems.

Picture this….after a hard week of work, waking up (before the kids, hopefully) on a beautiful summer morning to enjoy your early brew and read while lounging next to your exquisite sunlit pool.  Ahhh..Monday seems so far away….

And if it happens to be raining, you don’t have to stay inside. Outdoor entertaining spaces include covered porches, patios, gazebos, and verandas… often with multiple places to relax and multiple sceneries for dining al fresco.  Pool houses are very popular and can simply include a changing area and maybe a kitchen or they may include more extreme living spaces with multiple bedrooms and additional entertaining areas. All great ways to enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer in almost any season or weather.

If you are lucky enough to live on the water, then the views and perhaps your own beach might be part of your entertaining space.  Many luxury homes on the water have been custom built and specifically designed to capture every single view.  This includes a completely seamless indoor-outdoor connection with walls of windows and multiple decks and plenty of entertaining areas overlooking the water and capturing those wonderful water breezes.  

For the more sports-minded vacationers (vacation at home that is), we have also seen the luxury homes transform to meet your every desire… from the more popular inclusion of tennis courts and basketball courts to putting greens and baseball fields.  Where there is a will and a flexible budget, there is usually a way!!  Again, you work hard to play hard, so you definitely deserve it!  Your luxury home should be a reflection of you and should include some of what you enjoy most.

Check out a sampling of William Raveis’ luxury homes and exceptional properties here.