A million dollars doesn’t get you what it used to but at this point it feels like some home builders are just taking the piss. I cannot fathom who walked into these model homes and decided to drop over a million dollars. Let me take you on a small tour.
Design a Decent Laundry, I’m Begging You
I will forever be vocal about the laundry room because I spend a lot of time there and they never get it right.
The laundry room above is an empty room. Prisons have more sophisticated options than this. There is plenty of space to add a bench for folding or a deep sink. Instead it’s a bland white room with an excessive amount of open shelving. Builders love to shove these on the walls and call it great storage but it’s not as functional as they try to make you believe.
Even closing the shelves, with built in cupboard doors, would make a huge difference to the space.
The staging team must have had zero budget because nothing, not even the lone sad plant, is making this room feel worthy of a million dollar home.
You Have a Least Favourite Child, Right?
If your kids aren’t already aware of your favouritism they’ll know once you assign their bedrooms. I have never seen a home with such unequal secondary rooms. Whoever designed these clearly doesn’t have kids or siblings otherwise they’d know that family wars have been started over much less.
Bedroom 2 has a nice walk-in closet and an ensuite. Bedroom 4 also has a nice walk-in closet but no ensuite. Bedroom 3 has a standard sliding wardrobe. Go ahead and rank your kids.
The rooms felt tiny despite measuring at the US average although that could be due to the styling choices. Floor to ceiling grey ruffles such as the ones in the bedroom below isn’t what I would use to open the space up.
Similar to the laundry examples above the staging for these model homes are either too much or nothing at all, there’s no in between.
Blocky Bathrooms
Arguably the most important rooms, the ones that sell the house, are the primary suite and the kitchen. At least they are for me. And this primary bathroom isn’t what I would expect in a million dollar plus home.
At first glance I thought it was unfinished. From the bedroom all you see is an almost blank wall.
I did like the dry bar at the entryway but it is, of course, an upgrade with added expense. The rest of the space is under-utilised, there’s no flow. It reminds me of Lego blocks snapped into place.
Why is there a 3rd vanity? It’s not designed as a make-up vanity with a space for a seat so what purpose does this small space have? If there was leftover square footage in the bathroom why didn’t they do something show stopping? Put the bath against the back wall or extend the shower, either of those options would make a great feature.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t long ago that a million dollars would buy you an absolutely stunning home. Now they’re still out of reach but substandard quality too. Builders will argue that materials cost more, that the land is in a premium area.
All these things can be true. However, these million-dollar homes, from layout to staging, feel like a first draft and it’s disappointing.