Take a peek inside million dollar homes, even if you cannot buy
Let's say you're in the market for a home listed at $1 million or more.
What would you see in houses that merit this rarefied price range? Some stunning features, if a sampling of residences that will be open around the suburbs Sunday, Jan. 25, is a good representation.
These homes are for sale, so admission is free, and everyone is welcome. You don't have to be able to afford a million-dollar house to take a peek.
Each of these homes has something that the right buyer will fall in love with - multiple French doors, a butler's pantry larger than some kitchens, views of open space, a two-story sunroom, a swimming pool.
"I believe there's some perfect person for every house, and my job as a Realtor in upper bracket homes is to help people fall in love," said Cheryl Falbo of Prudential Starck, Realtors in Palatine. Her own Inverness house will be one of five open as part of the office's Million Dollar Home Showcase in Palatine, Inverness and North and South Barrington.
Of course, the condition of the home should be impeccable, but decorating is part of that, said Jay Rodgers of RE/MAX Professionals East in St. Charles, who will hold an open house in that town.
Here are some features these homes generally share.
Decorating: Homeowners in this price range know the rules or use professional help. Falbo actually painted her woodwork white rather than the authentic Williamsburg red, gold and blue years ago, soon after her family moved in. And the rooms are neutral - beiges and light sages with a bit of dramatic wallpaper such as white flowers on black in the dining room.
Finishes: These are important. If you're a fan of woodwork, step right up. A house in Palatine that is part of Starck's celebration has heavy oak molding and paneling, while Falbo's home in Inverness shows lots of white trim and beams from a 125-year-old barn. The house Rodgers is selling in St. Charles boasts a graceful spiral staircase.
Size: Yes, it counts. Most are in the neighborhood of 5,000 square feet - maybe larger, without counting the walkout basements.
Ceilings and fireplaces: The ceilings are tall, at least 9 feet, and the fireplaces plentiful, said Cindy Banks of RE/MAX Cornerstone in West Chicago, who will have homes open in Wheaton and St. Charles.
Kitchens and baths: They're new or updated, they're gorgeous, they're full of granite and other stone, and the bathrooms are plentiful."Buyers in this price range don't want to come in an redo everything in the kitchen or baths because that tears up the whole house," said Sue Gould, who is organizing the million-dollar tour for Prudential Starck, Realtors' Palatine office.
Extra rooms: Offices, sun rooms, sitting rooms, two-story family rooms, exercise rooms, you name it (and some you can't), they've got it.
Land: While Gould boasts that the Palatine house she has listed suits the family who wants a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood setting for their children, most of the properties are on an acre or more.
Style: Brick and stone are usually involved. Falbo's house was built in the 1960s as a perfect colonial Williamsburg house, and her family tried to preserve that look from the front when they built the huge addition. Banks represents an estate on the Chicago Golf Course in Wheaton, and the 1917 stucco home is by Jarvis Hunt, the architect who also designed the clubhouse.
The tip: If you have a home to sell in the $1 million range, the advice is the same as in all price ranges - declutter. Horizontal surfaces like the piano and mantel should be relatively clear, said Banks. After the room looks great, remove something - even something beautiful.