Category Archives: Hospitality

Today’s Luxury Buyers Aren’t Looking for Bigger Homes. They’re Looking for Better Living.

If there’s one trend I’ve watched reshape the luxury housing market over the past several years, it’s this: buyers are placing less emphasis on square footage and more emphasis on lifestyle.

That might sound surprising in an era when larger homes once dominated wish lists, but today’s buyers are asking different questions.

Instead of, “How big is it?” they’re asking, “How will this home improve the way we live?” The answer often has very little to do with the number of bedrooms. Luxury today isn’t about excess—it’s about intentional living. More buyers are looking for homes that allow them to slow down, entertain family and friends, enjoy their surroundings, and spend less time maintaining a property and more time experiencing it.

Privacy, in particular, has become a premium. Outdoor living has become an extension of the home. Single-level living has become desirable not only for retirees, but also for busy professionals who appreciate convenience and are planning ahead. And more and more, people want spaces that are beautiful, functional, and built around everyday enjoyment—not just special occasions.

Buyers Are Investing in Lifestyle

I’ve noticed that many buyers are making decisions based on how they envision spending their weekends rather than simply comparing square footage or price per foot. They imagine:

  • morning coffee on a covered patio
  • summer afternoons by the pool with grandchildren
  • hosting holiday dinners where the kitchen naturally becomes the gathering place
  • parking the RV without worrying about storage fees
  • welcoming overnight guests without giving up their own privacy

These lifestyle features create lasting value because they improve daily life in ways that can’t be measured on a spreadsheet.

A Perfect Example

One of my current Gig Harbor listings captures this shift beautifully. Set on nearly an acre just minutes from downtown Gig Harbor, this property offers the privacy and serenity of country living without sacrificing convenience.

The centerpiece is a resort-style swimming pool surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds, creating an outdoor retreat that feels more like a private resort than a backyard. A spacious covered outdoor living area extends the enjoyment well beyond sunny summer afternoons, providing the perfect setting for entertaining throughout much of the year.

Inside, the home continues the same thoughtful approach. The vaulted great room is filled with natural light and flows effortlessly into a gourmet kitchen designed for gathering rather than simply cooking. The luxurious primary suite offers comfort and privacy, while the bonus suite above the garage provides ideal accommodations for guests, extended family, or a private home office.

Perhaps one of the most valuable features is something many buyers don’t fully appreciate until they’ve experienced it: true one-level living. Daily life becomes easier when the primary living spaces are all on one floor, while the bonus suite over the garage remains available when guests come to visit.

It’s a home designed to support the way people actually live—or want to live.

Close to beautiful Wollochet Bay

Looking Beyond the Numbers

Real estate has always been about more than bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage. The homes that create the greatest satisfaction over time are the ones that fit a family’s lifestyle.

As a managing broker, I believe one of my most important responsibilities is helping clients look beyond statistics and envision how a property will serve them for years to come:

  • Will it make everyday living more enjoyable?
  • Will it create opportunities to gather?
  • Will it provide peace and privacy?
  • Wll it enable us to live a lifestyle we envision and value?

Those are the questions that today’s thoughtful buyers are asking. They know they are not simply purchasing a home; they’re investing in the life they want to live. And, that’s exactly why exceptional lifestyle properties like this one continue to stand apart in any market.

If you’ve been looking for a home that offers luxury without pretense, privacy without isolation, and a true resort-style lifestyle just minutes from Gig Harbor, I’d be happy to show you this remarkable property.

Current Offering: $1,675,000
MLS #2543131

Doug Lawrence
Better Properties Gig Harbor
📞 253.341.5287

(Close) Quarters for the Holidays

As much as I love summer and sunshine, winter—and the holiday and festive occasions it presents—is by far my favorite time of year. I am a sucker for the lights and music and the food (and did I mention the food?)! But for me, the “the most wonderful time of the year” is all about family and friends.

My wife and I have a large family and we love to hang out together. We also like to maintain an open-door policy with that rather large family and any of their friends. This offer of hospitality will often include an overnight stay or two at Stone’s Throw, our home.

If the holidays will be bringing overnight guests to your house too, you may be looking for some ideas about how to accommodate them. With that in mind, here are some helpful ideas to provide the warmest and most inviting guest spaces for the holidays. (Guest room not required.)

  1. Create a warm welcome and environment. Fresh towels, chocolates on the pillow, and a bottle of water or two close by, and do not forget an extra amazing cozy blanket.
  2. If your living room doubles as your spare room, be creative by creating an area that lends itself to sleeping. Add a screen for privacy and invest in a good quality airbed. Add as many bedroom-type touches as is practical. Create a little nightstand and a place to charge a cell phone.
  3. Also remember: when your living space doubles as a sleeping space, be sensitive to your guests’ need for rest. When we have a houseful, we often will give our master bedroom to guests and we will use the airbed in the living room. This especially helpful if your guests have a little one. Plus, it allows us to move about late at night or early in the morning and not disturb our guests.
  4. Make an effort to provide a space for luggage and personal belongings. No one wants to have to keep moving their stuff every morning and back again in the evening. A luggage rack or closet, or even a private corner of the room, are some ideas.
  5. Be sure to help your guests feel at home. Share house rules if any and direct them to all provisions and amenities (food, drink, hot tub, Wi-Fi password, TV remote instructions, etc.)
  6. Keep yourself sane. Go for your walk or run in the morning and drink your glass of wine in the evening. Be flexible with everything else.
  7. Not everyone loves your furry friends as much as you do. If you are a little tight on space this holiday, consider boarding your pets to allow for less congestion. We will be boarding our two dogs for a few strategic days this month.

I love this time of year and I look forward to sharing it with family and friends both near and far. I hope you, too, are able to take the most of this amazing opportunity to enjoy this time of year—along with all who will gather in your home.

Doug Lawrence is a licensed broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington, serving Pierce and Kitsap Counties and referring across the United States and around the world.  Whatever your real estate needs may be, now or in the New Year, you can find him at www.douglawrencerealestate.com.

(c) 2017 Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

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