If you’re looking to move from a rental property in the city to a luxury home in the suburbs, there are some things to consider and questions to ask along the way. Below, we’ve gathered some of our recommendations when moving from a condo or apartment in the city to a custom luxury home.
Ask for the Home Maintenance and Renovation History
If you’ve read our previous blog about buying your first luxury home, then this section may seem redundant to you. But we truly can’t stress the importance of asking for a home’s maintenance log and full history enough! Ensuring that the home you are about to buy has been well taken care of and properly managed prior to your purchase will save you a lot of stress and money down the road. If the home has been renovated it is wise to ask for copies of plans and permits. At Dibico, we provide all of our home management clients with an extensive maintenance log that details the work we’ve done, tracks their warranties and documents any projects. This not only helps with the upkeep of their home but can also help to sell the property when the time comes.
Hire a Designer or Architect to Maximize All Your New Space
You’re probably moving from a condo or apartment to a home so you can have more space for you and your family to relax and enjoy. But have you thought about what you’re going to do with all of that extra space? We suggest brainstorming all the ways you’re going to make the most of the upgrade in square footage – why not an in-home gym? Master bath with a claw foot bathtub and walk-in shower? Yes, please. A luxury closet that competes with a high-end store’s dressing room? Absolutely. Now’s the time to bring those dreams to reality when moving out of the city and into your custom home. Unless you have a really clear vision of how you want your new home to look and feel, and even if you do, we strongly suggest consulting an experienced interior designer or architect to help create a clear direction and plans for your home – even if you aren’t able to start right away or do them all at once – having a road map can help to reduce confusion and save money in the long run. Dibico works with many of Greenwich’s most celebrated designers and we are happy to make an introduction for you.
Create Your Ideal Outdoor Environment
The most common reason we hear from people moving to our area from the city is that they want their kids to have a yard and places to run and play. All this new outdoor space is one of the main perks of moving from the city to a new luxury home, so why not make sure it lives up to its potential? Give your kids the gift of the ideal playhouse or jungle gym, build the tennis court for weekend matches that you’ve always dreamed of or build a cabana or pool house that is part game room, part sports bar, and part guest house and make your home the place everyone wants to be! Create an outdoor environment that can be a hub for friends trying to escape the city or family to gather on weekends and holidays. From a fully stocked outdoor kitchen to a custom fire pit or water feature in your fabulous pool – the options are endless. We’d love to show you some of the past outdoor spaces we’ve transformed for clients!
Know the Importance of Preventative Maintenance
Having been building and maintaining luxury homes for 30 years we have one critical piece of advice: don’t wait until something breaks to get your home properly maintained. We can’t stress enough the importance of preventative maintenance vs. emergency repairs.
Managing a luxury home can be an intensive and time-consuming process, but just like a high-end sport or luxury car – it is critical to the overall longevity and well being of your home. With an increase in square footage, the addition of property and landscaping or a pool, and new systems for automation, safety, and security there is also an increase in maintenance needs.
At Dibico, our Home Management team handles everything so that you can rest easy. We are literally the only call you ever need to make for anything related to your home and lifestyle.
Congrats on making the move from the city to a luxury home! At Dibico, it’s our goal to help you have a seamless transition, and ensure that you get the ultimate return on your investment – a spectacular home and the time to enjoy it! If you’re interested in our home management or renovation services, give us a call!
