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Not every upgrade needs to be practical. Some are just really nice to have.
Here are a few luxury home features I’d seriously consider.
Double Dishwasher
If you entertain a lot or have a big family, I can absolutely see the appeal of having two dishwashers.
You can have one running while you’re loading the other, and after a big dinner or party, you’re not staring at another sink full of dishes waiting for the first load to finish.
Heated Driveway
If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow and ice, a heated driveway is one of those upgrades that’s a little excessive but it honestly improves your quality of life, and safety.
Definitely not a cheap upgrade, but I can understand why people who have one, always say they could never live without it.
Laundry Chute
A laundry chute is old-school, but I still think it’s a great idea in the right house.
If your bedrooms are upstairs and the laundry room is downstairs, you can send dirty clothes straight down instead of carrying baskets through the house.
The important part is planning the location early. You need a clear path between floors, and the chute needs to be designed and built to meet local fire and building requirements.
Hidden Safe
If you want a safe in your new home, I’d figure out where it’s going before drywall.
That gives you the opportunity to plan the space, framing, anchoring, and access instead of trying to hide a giant safe somewhere after you move in.
And personally, I wouldn’t advertise its location to everyone walking through the jobsite.
Link: https://geni.us/snapsafedoor
Towel Warmers
Towel warmers can help towels dry faster and, of course, get them nice and toasty so you can dry off in pure luxury.
One complaint I’ve heard is that some take close to an hour to really warm up, which means you may need to plan ahead and turn it on before your shower.
Some models have timers and automations, which helps, but if you’re not on a regular shower schedule, you may not use it as much as you think.
Still awesome, just worth knowing before you spend the extra cheddar and use up a 240V spot in your panel.
Link: https://geni.us/towelwarmers
Heated Bathroom Floors
If you’re already installing tile or stone in the bathroom, radiant floor heating is one luxury upgrade I’d at least price out.
Instead of stepping onto cold tile first thing in the morning, the floor itself provides comfortable, even heat from below.
This also takes a 240v to power, so plan accordingly.
Circular Driveway
A circular driveway can make a big difference if you have the space for one.
You can pull in and leave without backing all the way out, and it can make guest parking and traffic flow around the front of the house much easier.
A serious upgrade you don’t realize you’d appreciate until you’re constantly backing up all the time.
Curbless Shower
A curbless shower gives you that clean transition where the bathroom floor flows right into the shower without a traditional curb.
It looks great, but I wouldn’t treat this as something you can simply decide to do when you pick tile.
The floor elevations, slope, drain location, waterproofing, and framing all need to work together. Plan it early and make sure your builder and tile installer know exactly what you want.
Christmas Tree Closet
Okay, this one might be my favorite.
Imagine decorating your Christmas tree, rolling or sliding the entire thing into a dedicated closet after the holidays, and pulling it back out next Christmas.
No taking off every ornament. No stuffing everything back into boxes.
If you love this idea, I’d design the closet around the actual tree and think through the door opening, ceiling height, storage depth, electrical, and how you’re physically moving the tree in and out.
Which One Are You Picking?
If I could only choose a couple, heated bathroom floors and the Christmas tree closet would be pretty high on my list.
But this is the fun part about building. You get the opportunity to think about how you want to live in the house and plan for those features before everything gets locked in.
And if you’re looking for more ideas like these, that’s exactly why I created the Ultimate Home Building Checklist. I organized hundreds of the tips, upgrades, and easy-to-miss details I talk about so you can go through them before your builder gets too far ahead of you.
