If you can’t find the home that you love: love the one that you are in…

When I bought my house in 2017, it had been one that was sitting on the market for a couple of months with no interest. Of course, as luck would have it, when I decided to make an offer the listing agent informed me that another offer came in. Yes, it immediately became a multiple offer situation. It happens to realtors too. I offered just slightly over asking and stuck to my guns. My thought was that the other offer had the same thought in mind, this was a good buy at the asking price but not much more than that because there was lots of work to be done.  I have said this before and I will say it again “you make money in real estate when you buy”, and if this deal didn’t work out for me I would rely on my other motto “there is always another deal”. My offer was accepted.

The sale of the home came with plans approved by the Ontario Municipal board to build a new house in it’s place. Getting plans through at the OMB is a stressful and costly process, so this was a huge bonus for me. My intention was to build a contemporary home to my comfort and taste, and most of the red tape had already been cut through by the Seller (this was already a small luxury). While I didn’t like the look of the proposed house, I could at this point change the look of the house as long as I stayed within the outline of the OMB plans in terms of size, height, density etc.

I had the stellar location secured and while I had to stay within the confines of the approved plans there were various ‘sine qua non’  (without which, not) elements that meant luxury to me:

→  A wood-burning fireplace - to cast a warm glow on the face and in the heart
→ A stand-alone Tub - Soak. Relax. Repeat!
→ A smart toilet – because every ascent starts at the bottom 
→ A make-up table/desk - a place to primp n’ prime
→ A Wine cellar – a collection of things that get better with age
→ Custom unique railings – an accessory to every floor
→ A dance floor to spin vinyl – when in doubt dance it out (life motto)
→ Tall ceilings - to inspire creativity
→ Big windows - to let the light shine in by day, and out at night

→ Heated floors - to keep the tootsies warm

The devil is in the detail when building a luxury home, the subtle sophistication and clean lines are a product of excellent craftsmanship, design and quality materials. I hired Steve Lindy Architect to do a re-design and my builder Dariusz Kondratowicz, HBR Group Construction and I couldn’t have been happier or more thankful to have this dream team in place. They absolutely delivered a first-class luxury home from beginning to end, and we all had a wonderful synergy when working together.

Everyone has a different definition of luxury and this is a very subjective concept, it can be very personal. Brands like Christie’s ( our affiliate) are synonymous with luxury, and you can find their ideas of luxury real estate defined in this article.

This is a subject I am so passionate about and had trouble keeping this blog to one page. Having the ability, to buy and create my personal living space was a luxury that I am grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

What do you love about your home?

Have you developed or renovated a property?

What means luxury to you?

Send me a note.