The housing market has undergone sweeping changes in recent years as cultural, economic and social shifts have dramatically altered what buyers want in a home. 

Inspired by booms in health and wellness, eco-friendliness, hybrid working and new-gen tech, buyers are increasingly drawn to innovative new builds and bold renovations to enhance their lifestyles. 

Just as petrol-powered cars are making way for hybrid and electric vehicles, EV chargers are becoming a standard feature of modern garages. 

Saunas, steam rooms, ice baths and magnesium pools – once reserved for only the most luxurious health retreats – are now top of buyers’ wish lists in the wake of a post-Covid health kick.  

A boom in foodie culture has seen commercial-grade kitchen appliances, including combi-steam ovens, Zip taps and tricked-out butler’s pantries, embraced by a new generation of home chefs. 

The way we work is also influencing a new era of home modifications, with work-from-home spaces being super-charged to accommodate sound studios, salons and podcasting platforms. 

Lifestyle comforts and conveniences, too, are getting a contemporary twist. Gas-fuelled fire pits and places have come to the fore, as have wine rooms and cellars, touch and movement activated lighting, outdoor kitchens and security features like keyless entry and CCTV phone apps.  

These cutting-edge mod-cons have featured prominently in a number of luxury property sales of the past financial year, capturing the imagination of buyers and re-shaping the residential landscape. 

Kollosche’s  $7,300,000 sale of ‘The White House’ at 43 Markeri Street last November blew the suburb record out of the water by $2,000,000. While the sale was significant, it was also indicative of a discerning new market. 

At-home leisure was a major selling point in the Markeri Street project with an infinity-edge mineral pool, hot and cold magnesium plunge pools, a steam room, home cinema, games room and well-appointed gym.

Records were also broken this year at nearby 84 Oceanic Drive, where a contemporary waterfront home complete with heated magnesium pool and spa, basketball court and sunken firepit fetched $7,700,000. 

On Friday 16 August at 11am in Mermaid Waters Jamie Harrison will lead the private auction of ‘El Nido’ at 24 Montego Court, which ticks just about every box on the modern buyer’s wish-list.  

The contemporary masterpiece offers a concealed butler’s pantry, an upstairs bar with Zip tap, outdoor BBQ and pizza oven, waterside fire pit, an arched pool, integrated indoor-outdoor sound system, plus keyless entry and a security system.  

The lust for lifestyle-led homes is also evident in the wave of cutting-edge new projects, driven by buyer demand for amenities and features that support low-maintenance living. 

Luke McPhee, Kollosche New Projects Sales Manager, cites Dune Main Beach – a stunning new luxury beachfront development on Main Beach Parade – as a prime example of the idyllic modern existence. 

Residents will enjoy hot and cold plunge pools, a stone sauna, yoga lawn, a commercial-grade gymnasium, a theatre, and high-end shared dining facilities that can be reserved. 

“Residential developments such as Dune are about freeing up your time to live a better life,” says Luke.  

“We value time and life more today than I think we ever have and there has been a collective realisation that there’s more to life than mowing lawns on a Sunday morning. 

“People are looking for convenience as luxury, and that’s what makes these modern amenities so appealing. 

“And when you buy into a new development you are also buying into a community as well, and that gives buyers a sense of purpose that helps to establish new relationships that are built around a simpler kind of living.”