Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Amenities like gyms and theaters give houses an edge

Buying a home is more than finding a place to sleep at night. It’s a purchase that revolves around your lifestyle. And especially with metro Atlanta’s long commutes, home buyers are looking for houses where, once they’re home, there’s no reason to get back in the car to do what they want to do.

That’s why some builders and developers are stuffing amenities into homes of all prices. Agents are playing up the gyms and saunas, pools, home theaters, outdoor kitchens and other unique extras to give their listings an edge in the market.

Some builders, such as Mike Deppe, are creating homes with entertaining in mind. His $1.599 million home at 2686 Jamerson Road in Marietta has secret passageways and rooms; a finished basement with a two-lane bowling alley, virtual golf, media room and wine cellar; and a gunite pool with hot tub.

“It’s a playhouse,” said Pat Deppe, Mike’s wife, who also works in the family-owned building company.

Mike Deppe, who has been building in the Atlanta area since 1986, said he adds such amenities because he would rather come home from work and stay home, instead of going for entertainment.

Theater rooms, for example, have sold many of his houses, said Deppe, who is building in Heyward Square, the Enclave at Adams Oaks and Walton Glen neighborhoods in east Cobb County. He makes sure to have a movie playing when showing the home. That way, potential buyers can experience it.

Deppe said about 20 people have come through the house - including rapper Bow Wow - since it was listed last spring. “[Amenities] really help it, as far as getting people to look at your house,” Deppe said. “People really want to see the bowling alley.”

Agents say sellers need to show potential buyers what special areas are used for, by keeping gym equipment in a workout room or home theater equipment in view. “There [should be] no confusion about what it was,” Williams said.

Rapkin added that sellers also need to recognize that those special amenities won’t appeal to all people. And remember that some amenities, such as gym equipment, can be taken with you or used in negotiations, while others, such as pools, cannot.

Some buyers aren’t necessarily looking for amenities in a home, or on a property, but find those features swaying their decisions.

“It really made the house stand out above all the others we were looking at because it had all these extras,” said Regan Buckner, who recently moved into a Hoschton home with a sauna, workout room and media room. Those extras have provided entertainment when the Buckners stay home with their two young children.

“We don’t go out like we used to go out. We want to be able to spend time at home and still have a good time,” she said.

Rapkin says buyers from out of state, particularly the west coast and Florida, expect features common in homes there. “I think we are getting showings we otherwise would not have a chance at,” Rapkin said.

A home in Dunwoody with an outdoor kitchen received five showings in the first two weeks of January, said Becky Morris, and agent with Jenny Pruitt & Associates. Among the features in the executive estate home at 245 Farmbrooke Court, which is listed for $1.05 million: a heated pool and spa, professional-grade Lynx grill, wet bar and refrigerator. The homeowners also added outdoor speakers, an irrigation system and an automatic mosquito misting system.

“Buyers really love the outdoor living right now,” Morris said.

Unexpected Benefit

Location: Cruce Lake neighborhood in Hoschton

Buyers: Jonathon and Regan Buckner, and kids Joshua, 6, and Brady, 3 1/2

Moving from: Buford

How long they looked: On and off for about six months

What they wanted: More space, a large yard for kids, and a subdivision with lots of children

What they got: A four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home on a 1-acre lot with a hot tub and finished terrace level with media room, sauna and workout room, for $260,500.

How they found it: John knew a friend of the seller and had looked at the home soon after it was put on the market. Regan thought it was too far out, and she was looking for a swim-tennis community. “In the course of looking for a house, he kept comparing everything to that house. Then once he finally got me up there, I was like, ‘This is only 15 minutes from the mall,” she said, referring to the Mall of Georgia. “This is not much further up there. It just seemed like for what we were looking at, we could just get so much more of our money if we went out a little further.”

Enjoying the extras:Regan, who participated in California triathlon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in September, has used the sauna and gym. “This stuff had been sitting in the corner of our office in our old house, and we really didn’t get to use it that much. Now we have a room just dedicated to that,” she said. Also, they negotiated for the screen and projector in the media room to stay. Now, Fridays are pizza and movie night with the kids. If the boys are good, they get to use the hot tub, too.