Last weekend I went to an open house to look at a custom home that is competitive to my listing. It was virtually the same square footage and lot size, had a view and was completed last year with travertine flooring, granite counter tops - all the buyer's check list of "have to have". On paper it was serious competition as I am priced higher. The home below is my listing at 37550 Avenida Bravura, Temecula Wine Country, not the competition, which shall remain anonymous. The home was built in 1994 - and lacks granite counter tops and stainless steal appliances.... but it has virtually no design problems. Seven major rooms to the view, all with full unrestricted views, formal dining and living separated from the family area, large maser suite and luxury bath with retreat and separate guest wing.
But take a brief tour with me of my competition and tell me if a buyers sees the problems I see in the architectural design of this home.
The home sits on a hill above the street but rather that creating a great street presence, the architect placed a flat wall to the street with no architecture - my first impression was the electrical meter box. Walking up the drive, my view was dominated by garage doors. In a tract home garage doors dominate the front elevation, why in a custom where we have large lots? Well, much of the lot is in steep slopes, you are really down to a small building pad, not much better than a tract home.
You enter the home into a large formal, octagon shaped entry. In this view home a blank wall blocks the view. What view you have into the house opens to the kitchen - not a very elegant entry experience. On both sides of the entry are den-like rooms - small, open to the entry and with no doors or closets. I understand one den, why two? The kitchen is spacious but did not seem to function well and the nook is just a corner, it is undefined , not very special or comfortable. There is no living room or formal dining room in this spacious home, just a great room and the dining area views directly into what can be a messy kitchen.
The master bedroom is well placed to see the spectacular view but the view is blocked by high windows, the architect created a furnishing wall for the TV. Moving into the master bath, a large bath tub fills up much of the center of the room, while there are view windows, they are too high to see through once you are in the tub. In a bath room large enough to create a his & her design, the two sinks are forced together with little counter space and no make-up counter. The powder room is compartmentalize into a dark alcove with no window and no door to shut for privacy.
Moving into the children's wing, the bedrooms are small and in two cases, you walk towards the wall created by the closets which restricts the entry and any view into the room. It is so 1970ties, secondary bedrooms in this price range should all have walk-in closets and small rooms look smaller when the entry is constrained. Walk towards a window and even a small room appears large. Oh, and then there is the yard, no family oriented yard, just the yard on the view side of the home that is small and unfenced.
OK, Ok, so I'm on a rant, but I rate the architecture of this home as a C- and a draw back to selling the home and supporting a good price. It was built last year but is it really competition to a home of fine design that has none of these problems? Would your buyers care about these design issues if the home is new and has granite counter tops? Arggg, I knew you would say yes.
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