Added amenities

*CREB®Now real estate news luxury feature*

Today's luxury homes boast more than just curb appeal

With the ability to purchase a home priced at more than a million dollars, most luxury homebuyers also have the ability to add even more amenities to their new homes.

With the kitchen, living room and backyard serving as the main entertainment areas in the home, CREB®Now asked some local businesses what they're seeing in the city's luxury renovations industry.

Kitchens

Venture through nearly any luxury home in the city and you're likely to find a kitchen that makes your own look like a rundown canteen. Showcasing everything from extravagant custom masonry to gleaming stainless steel, today's grandiose galleys provide far more than just a place to make dinner.

"It really depends what you're looking at for the size of the house. We've done kitchens anywhere from $20,000 to $250,000," said Chris Eden, general manager of Bellasera Kitchens.

"Business is quite strong. In the last year-and-a-half, we've definitely seen growth in our business. The new homes market has exploded. The renovations are still very strong. It's been a very strong market and it doesn't seem to be slowing down either."

Home Theatre and Automation

The deluxe living experience extends far beyond the kitchen. With cutting-edge home theatre technology bringing the cinema experience into the home, and home automation controlling any appliance imaginable, today's luxury homes are more Jetson and less Flintstone.

"The larger jobs are anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000 and even up from there," said Russ McKenzie owner of Cinergy Home Theatre & Automation.

"We're as busy as we need to be right now. There are quite a few jobs out there for sure. Calgary is a fairly wealthy oil and gas based town, so there's quite a bit of new money here and there seems to be a lot of people interested in [that sort of thing]."

Backyards and Landscaping

Homeowners are also choosing to extend the boundaries of luxury beyond the floor plan, adding outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and decorations to lavish up their lawns.

"Larger jobs typically can be anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000, depending on what they're wishing to have done," said Terry Norman, general manager of OnGrowing Works Ltd.

"Stone and timber would be the look that people are going for. People are looking for something more substantial in their backyard. Outdoor kitchens have integrated and fireplaces have overhead structures and privacy screens and things that entail those more substantial structures."