What Makes A House “High-End”?

There are so many overused terms used in real estate marketing, such as: “cozy, hurry, opportunity knocks, cheery, cute!” the list really is endless. But I’ve begun noticing “high end” being thrown around for properties that might LOOK “high end” but really aren’t. So I want to take the shiny sticker off and go behind what really makes a house “high end.”

The Exterior

  • Hardie plank siding, energy efficient/double hung windows, elegant stone work, concrete or paver driveways instead of asphalt, trex/composite material decking

Plumbing Fixtures

  • Kohler, Moen, Rohl, Hansgrohe, Brizio – some more brands you’ve never heard of – those are considered quality, high end (read: expensive) finishes.

Appliances

  • Wolf, Viking, Thermador, Sub Zero, KitchenAid Pro, Jenn Air, GE Monogram

Lighting Fixtures

  • There’s builder grade, cheap lighting fixtures, and then there are LED lights, specialty lighting stores who make some very beautiful lights

Finishes

  • Carpet, hardwood, built-ins, wainscotting, coffered ceiling, tray ceiling, recessed lighting, etc. etc. Something that makes it feel like a little more than just drywall thrown together.
  • We all think of Granite counters as “high end” but they’re actually quite cheap compared to some of the new types of stone: Quartz, Silestone, Caeserstone, Marble, etc. Some of these offer advantages over granite like no sealing, higher temperature tolerance and more.

Just because it looks shiny and brand new, doesn’t make it high end, nor should you be paying a premium for it.