Spooky mansions from classic horror stories are the first thing that comes to mind for many people when they think of Victorian houses. While this image isn’t incorrect, it’s only a small fraction of how a Victorian house can look.
Though it’s one of the most easily recognizable architectural styles, many people don’t realize just how diverse Victorian-style houses can be. This diversity continues to grow now that there’s a newfound interest in this style that’s leading many homebuilders to construct new homes based on Victorian house plans that recall the luxury and glamour of the era.
A small, modest suburban home isn’t the dream for everyone. Some people like to spoil themselves with the top tier of luxury, and a luxury house plan is how they choose to do it. Bespoke homes aren’t anything new, but it may seem like a big task to build your own luxury home, even if you use prefabricated floor plans. But the end result is a lavish home fit for royalty — and that’s exactly how you’ll feel living in it.
Imagine a sprawling mansion influenced by the villas in Tuscany or a stately home that looks like it’s right out of the French countryside. The possibilities are endless when you build your own home, and when you use prefabricated house plans, you can afford to splurge a little and really make it your own — a home you can be proud of and comfortable in.
For some, a simple cottage is enough to satisfy those criteria. For others, there’s no option other than a notable luxury house.
What Is a Luxury House?
There’s no universal definition of what constitutes a luxury house, but three factors generally set luxury homes apart: quality, size and features.
A luxury home is built using the very best materials money can buy — materials that are aesthetically pleasing as well as sturdy and durable. A luxury home is designed to withstand harsh climates and renovations. It’s created to last, making it a great long-term investment for many.
The size of the house is mostly where the divide between a luxury and standard house comes in. While there’s no guideline for how big a luxury house should be, luxury houses tend to be much larger than the average home. The goal is to have a home large enough to ensure every household member has their own space, which means that bedrooms and communal living spaces tend to be much more spacious.
Depending on the size of your household and the needs of each member — as well as the size of your plot of land — your luxury house could range from a modest 2,500 square feet to as big as you can possibly build.
The exclusive features often built into luxury homes are possibly the most notable way to differentiate a luxury home from a traditional home. As technology continues to advance, so do these features, which can include smart home monitoring, spas, cinemas and anything else the homeowners want quick and easy access to at home.
True luxury homes can be rare in the housing market, making these houses even more desirable. And when it comes to custom-built homes, no two are ever alike.
Though some people invest in luxury real estate for the potential financial gain, many more choose to use luxury house plans to build their homes because they crave convenience, comfort and quality — three things that differ from person to person and can take multiple forms.
5 Benefits of Living in a Luxury House
Building from luxury home plans provides many benefits that you usually can’t get in a traditional house. Here are five benefits of living in a luxury house:
1. Privacy
Privacy is one of the most coveted features of any home and though most homes offer it, you can gain more control of it and customize it in a luxury house. That doesn’t necessarily mean high-tech security systems, though. Luxury homes are typically bigger than standard houses, which means everyone has the space they need, whether that’s a bathroom for every bedroom or a living room, a family room and a study so everyone can engage in their own hobbies without getting in anyone else’s way.
Some luxury houses also boast a unique privilege that most traditional houses can’t afford: a walled perimeter. These walls help make your home a sanctuary from the outside world and let you enjoy your outdoor spaces without worrying about prying eyes.
Whether you live in a secluded area or a dense urban core, a luxury house can provide you with the privacy you seek without sacrificing any scenic views.
2. Comfort
From spacious living to built-in amenities, luxury houses have the room to include everything you need to be comfortable. When you build using luxury house plans, you can also customize the plans to your liking.
Some people like to include spa bathrooms, complete with hot tubs and saunas, while others prefer to have at-home entertainment in the form of a movie theater or bowling alley. The possibilities are endless when it comes to customizing for your comfort, and your imagination is the only limit.
3. Technology
Now’s the time to take advantage of the technological advancements that continue to enrich our lives. Technological innovation is already making homeowners’ lives easier and safer, and luxury homes are often the first to try out new technology, whether it’s automated appliances or environmentally friendly measures, like solar generators.
On top of being the height of comfort, luxury homes are also the epitome of modern living, and these technological features are designed to make your life comfortable and convenient.
4. Investment
A home — any home — can be an investment, but custom-build homes can become better long-term investments due to their exclusivity. Thanks to the many benefits and additional features, like open floor plans and unique amenities, you can sell it for a hefty profit down the line.
Or, if you don’t plan to sell it, it’ll be an excellent and incomparable heirloom for your kids and grandkids to have.
5. Maintenance
Since one of the defining features of a luxury home is the quality of the materials with which it is built, you can rest assured that you won’t have to deal with the frequent maintenance that can accompany a house. Leaky roofs or clogged gutters don’t need to be common occurrences. And if you utilize technology to take care of chores, such as lawn maintenance, you can live a life of little home maintenance.
Aside from saving you time and headaches, you may also save money in the long run by not having to pay for minor maintenance every season.
Types of Luxury Houses
Everyone has a mental image of what a luxury house looks like. Maybe it’s a celebrity’s sprawling Beverly Hills ranch-style mansion or a gothic Victorian home full of turrets and gabled roofs. Both are a type of luxury house, but there are dozens of other styles to choose from.
There’s no specific architectural style to which luxury house plans are limited, so you can have your pick from many of them — or mix and match to create a truly unique design.
Here are some of the more common types of luxury house plans you can consider:
Traditional luxury house plans: Old and new come together in traditional-style luxury houses, which allows them to fit seamlessly into any neighborhood. Relying mostly on a traditional floor plan, including a designated kitchen, dining room and living room, a traditional-style luxury house can sit on a single level or have multiple levels. Porches are common in these houses, and they’re a timeless style that will stay relevant for years.
Modern luxury house plans: Classic and iconic are the two words to describe modern architecture. Built using modern materials like steel and glass, these homes boast lots of neat, clean lines and are known for their open interiors. Sometimes overlapping with minimalism, modern luxury house plans emphasize function and simplicity in everything from the floor plan to any decorative exterior features.
French country luxury house plans: Inspired by homes in the French countryside, both the farmhouses and the royal chateaux, French country luxury home plans combine the rustic beauty of rural living with the comfort of contemporary life. Carved arches, multi-paned windows and prominent roofs are all common features of this style, which is both aesthetic and functional.
Tudor luxury house plans: Lavish designs take center stage in this architectural style, making it one of the best suited for luxury homes. Distinguishing exterior features dominate this style, with giant chimneys and tall, narrow windows catching every eye. Arched doorways, often narrow, and paneled walls define the interior of this style that has been popular for decades.
European luxury house plans: If you can’t choose between Spanish, French and English architecture, European luxury house plans may be what you need. Featuring the best of the popular European styles, these homes feature roofs that meet the windows with a second floor hidden within the roof. The exterior is made of brick or stone to recall the look of Old World Europe and accentuate the luxury of your home.
Southern luxury house plans: Simple elegance sits at the core of Southern-style houses. Classic Southern features like wrap-around porches and tall windows give the house an airy and casual look. The interiors are just as spacious, typically featuring open floor plans that can accommodate everything from the casual get-together to the fancy dinner party.
Example Luxury House Plans
We’ve already mentioned that there is no limit to what style you build your luxury house in, so here are three real examples of luxury house plans that you can consider when building your new home
Traditional-Style House
Sprawling over nearly 4,000 square feet, this traditional-style luxury home has everything you and your family could ever need or want. Equipped with four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and an attached three-car garage, this home is spacious and inviting.
This home features a ground-floor main suite and an open floor plan that leads up the stairs to the remaining three bedrooms and two of the bathrooms. The second floor also has a media room and a common loft area.
The front porch and the rear porch are both covered and spacious. The back porch can also double as a deck if you opt to install a private pool.
Modern-Style House
Sleek lines and neat corners make this 3,730-square-foot home look timeless and chic. With three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a half bath, this luxury house is dotted with massive windows, encouraging a spectacular view as well as ample natural light.
The open-concept layout inside adds to this home’s spaciousness, and the ground floor main suite is tucked near the rear for the utmost privacy and comfort. Covered patios, a three-car garage and vaulted ceilings only add to this home’s luxury.
French Country-Style House
Live like a royal in this quaint yet spacious 3,938-square-foot home that looks like something straight out of a history book. Four bedrooms, three full bathrooms and a half bath make up the core of this home, with an attached three-car garage and covered porches at the front and rear adding to this home’s luxury. This home offers plenty of storage with a separate study and office, several built-ins and some additional unfinished space in the basement for extra storage or future expansion.
Enjoy the main suite on the ground floor, away from the remaining bedrooms and game rooms on the lower level. This house is ideal for entertaining and hosting guests, so you’ll never need to worry about overcrowding in this house.
FAQ About Luxury Houses
When building your own house from prefabricated plans, it’s normal to have questions. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about luxury houses.
What Makes a House Luxurious?
A luxury house is most commonly determined by a combination of the house’s size, price and location. The materials used to build it, the uniqueness of its design and its amenities are also factored in.
How Much Are Luxury Houses Worth?
Luxury homes can sell for as low as half a million dollars, but they can be as costly as several million dollars. Building a luxury home costs approximately a million dollars minimum, but the location can heavily impact this as well.
What Does It Cost to Build a Luxury Home?
The cost of building any home will vary based on several factors, including the size of the house, customizations and location. It can cost as much as $200 to $500 per square foot to build luxury houses.
Where Do You Start When Building a Luxury Home?
Securing the funding for your luxury home is the first step to getting it built. Some opt to use cash, but many go for jumbo mortgages, which are loans that exceed the limit that the Federal Housing Finance Agency has set.
Once financing is secured, you’ll need to decide what sort of house you want to build. You can hire an architect to create an original floor plan for you that includes everything you want. You can also save some money by using prefabricated house plans, which you can modify and customize to your liking.
Find Your Dream House With COOL House Plans
At COOL House Plans, we offer hundreds of floor plans for houses of every size, style and design. Browse through our selection of luxury floor plans to find your dream house. If you can’t find exactly what you want, get in touch and we’ll help you find the right house for you — or help you modify any plans to fit your desires.
For more information, get in touch by calling our toll-free customer service number: 1-800-482-0464.
Sometimes smaller can be better, but if you are looking to downsize, a tiny house might be too small. That’s where small house plans come in. Whether you’re planning to rent, buy or build a house, a small house is likely your best bet if you’re looking to scale down. Popular with empty-nesters and smaller families, these houses afford all the benefits of a traditional freestanding home without the added maintenance of more square footage.
The duplex house is a type of home that often gets overlooked in favor of single-family dwellings. But duplexes are just as — if not more — efficient than single-family houses, and they can offer a host of other benefits that single-family homes simply cannot.
Those who do consider duplexes typically want to purchase an existing duplex. It’s less common for people to want to build themselves a duplex using prefabricated house plans. The latter option affords you far more variety and creativity in everything from the architectural style to the interior layout, giving you full control so you can ensure you’re getting the home of your dreams.
A-frame houses are some of the oldest and most iconic architectural styles. They’re found across the world and continue to pop up to this day.
These long-lasting, sturdy buildings initially started out primarily as vacation homes, but you can now find A-frame characteristics in many different houses. Some stay true to the original format while others use the sturdy A-shape of this design to provide support without sacrificing aesthetics.
When you think of cottages, you might bring to mind images of fairytale homes in the countryside or quintessential small-town English homes. While these common and very popular ideas of cottages are accurate, modern-day cottage designs are versatile and unique, with few aesthetic rules.
Today, cottages are no longer reserved for vacation homes or rural areas. You can enjoy a luxurious cottage by the lake, a small English-style cottage in the countryside or a medium-sized cottage-style house in a metropolis. The common denominator in all cottage houses is the quintessential charm of cottage living.
Whether it’s in an urban city core or a sparsely populated suburb, garage apartment plans offer a whole new range of housing solutions.
Garage apartments are an efficient way to optimize your land by building upon existing structures. Even if you opt for new construction of a detached garage with an apartment above it, you can do it easily, providing your household with bonus living quarters that can be repurposed as needed.
The French countryside brings to mind romantic images of rolling hills and cozy chalet homes, so it’s no surprise that Americans have been imitating that concept in French country house plans. Though French country homes have evolved over the centuries, especially when they made their way to the Americas, they maintain the rustic charm and eternal elegance that many people associate with rural France.
There has always been an old-world glamour to European architecture, so it’s no surprise that it’s become a common umbrella term for a large variety of architectural styles in the United States and Canada.
European house plans are popular with everyone from first-time homebuyers to empty-nesters looking to downsize. The range in styles, and their versatility and timeless elegance make European-style houses a long-standing favorite.
The tiny house movement has been in the news recently thanks to the growing number of people who have decided to give up their traditional lives for the tiny house life. But what exactly are tiny houses? And why are people so enamored by them?
The tiny house movement isn’t just a fad, as some people believe. It may be a more permanent solution to many environmental problems, as well as a way to avoid a life of debt and clutter. Instead, tiny houses encourage you to keep only what is necessary and learn to enjoy simple pleasures and live a bigger life.
And when it comes to joining the tiny house movement, you can either buy a tiny house or build one of your own. Both have their perks, but there’s a unique pleasure in choosing the layout of your tiny house and seeing it come to life.
