Buying Your Mansion On The Hill? Make Sure You're Prepared For A Life Of Luxury First
You have made it to a place in your life where you are comfortable in your career, you have a stable income, and it is time to buy the mansion that you have always dreamed of having. There is definitely no shortage of luxury real estate on the market no matter where you may reside or prefer to live. However, before you buy a property, it is incredibly important that you make sure you are prepared for such a change in residential status. It is not that only the elite and wealthy should own mansions with all their amenities, but owning such a property will come with a few sometimes unexpected financial responsibilities.
Are you financially prepared for higher utilities?
Homes with more square feet than usual will mean something you may not give a lot of thought to when you are considering the joys of so much space: utility bills. Larger homes are naturally going to use more electric, gas, and maybe even more water. Keeping your whole home cooled in the summer and warm in the winter can be a drastic change in monthly costs if you have been used to living in a smaller home. Plus, extra lighting, appliances, and other electrical features in such a massive space can contribute to higher power bills as well. Most luxury home buyers are fully prepared for this extra cost and will see it as a necessary budget adjustment, just make sure there is some wiggle room in your budget to cover the extra costs.
Are you able to handle the extra maintenance that comes along with a larger property?
That beautiful luxury home may be situated on a massive piece of land, which will mean more landscaping and exterior upkeep. Your luxury home may even have extra amenities like a pool, indoor spa, or a really long paved driveway. All of these are examples of features that will require ongoing maintenance and attention. If you don't have time to tend to these things on your own, make sure you will be able to afford to hire people to help you out.
Will you be prepared to handle the security concerns that come along with having a luxury home?
Luxury homes can be a prime target for thieves because they often assume that a larger, more luxurious home would be filled with valuable prizes they could take. Because of this, your new luxury home will have to have the security measures in place to keep it protected. This may mean paying for monthly security services, maintaining perimeter fencing, or even paying for surveillance installation.