If you had nearly unlimited funds to design a home, what amenities would it include?
That’s a question Manny A. Varas watches his ultrawealthy clients answer day in and day out. The master builder and developer at the Miami-based construction company MV Group is known as “the Billionaire’s Builder” for helping celebrities and CEOs like Jennifer Lopez and Giorgio Armani create the home of their dreams. Varas is currently building roughly 15 homes in the $50 to $100 million range, and said about six of his current clients are billionaire families.
As tech billionaires — many of whom are from the West Coast — flock to Miami, Varas said he’s seen a shift in home trends. Now, bolstered by a rise in interest in holistic living and longevity, biophilic integration and wellness amenities are the stars of the show.
With homes valued at eight figures and beyond, each decision you make could cost or earn you millions of dollars down the line.
Here are five home trends Varas is noticing among the ultrawealthy.
Keeping a client’s climate control settings uniform across their properties is a nice touch.
It’s common for high-net-worth individuals to own multiple properties worldwide.
When traveling from one climate to another, it may take your body an extra beat to adjust — but it might not have to in some homes.
“What we’ve done is transition the homes to make one circuit between all the different residences into an ecosystem that actually provides the same level of humidity,” Varas said.
“Instead of having a dehumidifier or a regular AC, what we try to do is balance your humidity level to your standard in order to have 50% to 60% humidity continuously within all the homes that you reside in.”
Recreational additions like theater rooms and bars are out, and wellness amenities are in.
A fully decked-out theatre room used to be the ultimate status symbol in any home; picture it featuring a large TV or projector, leather reclining chairs, and maybe even a popcorn machine. Now, however, homebuyers are trading their requests for recreation rooms for amenities that reflect a commitment to wellness.
“There’s been an increased demand for wellness and a decreased demand in bars, media rooms, and cigar lounges in what was the typical estate home,” Varas said.
What used to be a billiards room or cigar lounge is now a cold plunge or sauna, and the cocktail bar is now a spa.
High-end audio is making a comeback, with a twist.
While media rooms are becoming a thing of the past, one feature is making a comeback: the sound system.
But the days of speakers dangling from the ceiling or fastened to the walls are long gone. Now, the wealthy want to impress with their sound systems — they just don’t want you to know they’re there.
Varas said speakers can now be plastered into the wall so you can entertain without bulky systems in the way.
“Speakers in a lot of the common areas were virtually eliminated in the last few years because design evolved, trimless lights evolved, and then what didn’t evolve was sound,” Varas said. “We now have invisible speakers within the drywall… We’ve seen them be able to have ambient sound without being able to see any of the speakers or where the sound is moving from.”
Privacy isn’t just for the perimeter of the property.
Privacy has become an increasingly important request among the ultrawealthy. While billionaires like Jeff Bezos have set up entire compounds to keep intruders out, privacy inside the home is just as important.
“The privacy is room to room, and being able to have a conversation, whether you’re on the phone or hosting somebody, and having each of those rooms be completely private,” Varas said.
The need for privacy expands to everyone in the home’s ecosystem. Many of the ultrawealthy have staff on the premises at all times, so Varas said it’s also important for them to have space to do their jobs.
“When we have staff within the house, you want the staff to be able to function, but you want them to be able to function separately and still create your private space,” he said. “We’ve seen a significant change where we’re doing corridors completely sound insulated, so if there is staff within the house, they’re able to come in and out as a private ecosystem and you’re not noticing them and you don’t hear them.”
Having multiple kitchens is strongly encouraged — even if you don’t cook
Varas encourages clients to think not just about what they want in a home, but about what a prospective buyer might want in the future when it comes time to sell.
One of wealthy buyers’ biggest asks? Multiple kitchens.
Varas said almost all the homes he designs have a chef’s kitchen and a front-end kitchen. When he has clients who don’t cook much who only say they only want one kitchen, he tells them the next owner might want two.
“There is an enormous amount of people who love to entertain in the kitchen,” Varas said. “Not having an open kitchen and just having a back-of-house dirty kitchen would not be correct from a resale and valuation standpoint.”
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