Is the McMansion fading as the status symbol of wealthy Connecticut homeowners?
A McMansion going up at 148 North Ave. in Westport. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo
That’s the question raised by today’s Hartford Courant which said luxury builders across the state see a shift away from the large mansions so popular just a few years ago.
Many buyers are instead asking for smaller, but still pricey, homes with unique architectural details and the latest technological innovations.
While they still want spacious dwellings, a growing number of upscale home buyers – now estimated at 20 percent—are now asking for 4,000- or 5,000-square-foot houses instead of 8,000-square-foot mansions, the newspaper said.
The two-story foyer with a sweeping staircase is no longer as much desired. Bonus rooms are being eliminated from the blueprints.
Luxury buyers are trading size for pricey amenities. Smaller master suites with marble flooring and counters, steam showers and radiant heated floors. Cozy family rooms with the latest gas fireplaces and plasma televisions.
Houses with varying rooflines, expanded exterior trim, copper gutters, pergolas, terraces and front porches.
“There is a group that still wants a large home. But there is a new breed of buyers who have clearly expressed a desire for a house where innovation and quality matters more than size,” said David Litchfield, a builder with The Christopher Brian Co., based in Simsbury, who, like other builders, said the trend began about two years ago.
But a smaller house doesn’t mean a smaller price tag.
That’s because these buyers are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for custom details in their luxury homes. The use of Brazilian cherry floors, for instance, instead of traditional oak flooring can add $50,000 to the cost of the home, the Courant said.
