Los Altos Real Estate Blog

I love working in Los Altos Hills because there are so many fine homes that help make the town one of the premiere locations in the country.  While it's relatively easy to figure out the quality level in the typical home priced near the median price of $2.2 million, it becomes much harder as the home price reaches the $6 million range and higher.  As homes increase in price, they typically have exceptional features that increase both quality and cost.  This begs the question of how to determine quality in a luxury home in Los Altos Hills.

First of all, price is not necessarily an indication of quality.  Quality is something that can be seen and felt.  It's a reflection of two factors, materials and workmanship.  This article will talk about a few of the critical signs used to determine quality in a luxury home in Los Altos Hills.  A true luxury home in Los Altos Hills uses premium materials but is also built to last.  The craftsmanship must be first-class with few, if any, flaws.

Stonework - This is present in both the exterior and interior.  The first factor in stonework is the workmanship.  While a concrete paver driveway isn't cheap, a cobblestone or similar natural stone driveway requires more workmanship to install and it feels more luxurious.  Such stonework also carries a better feel for the exterior walls and interior surfaces and rquires a lot of skill to install properly.  The second factor is the quality of the material.  A marble floor made with Pietra di Vicenza or Bianco Carrara is far more valuable than one made with Crema Marfil.  One common option that significantly increases cost is the use of antique materials including fireplaces, marble columns, and carvings.  All require costly master craftsman many hours to properly install.

Woodwork - Most Los Altos Hills luxury homes have hardwood in two primary areas, floors and cabinets.  In some cases there may be decorative beam ceilings, carved railings, and other treatments as well.  As with stonework, the material used can impact cost but craftsmanship is especially important.  A high-quality installation should have no gaps between planks and no variation in level (warping). Most hardwood floors can be installed by a good craftsman and they'll look great.  However, a more complex installation may have inlays or variable plank width that requires a combination of careful planning and skillful installation.  Many luxury homes in Los Altos Hills have variable width floors because they add texture to the sight line in the room.  Common types of hardwood used include Brazilian cherry and redwood (Massaranduba) which are both extremely hard and durable.  While many hardwoods cost $8-10 per square foot, some exotic types can run over $100 per square foot.

Crown Molding - Many Los Altos Hills luxury homes have some amount of crown molding.  Installations can be as simple as being installed around the perimeter of the room to coffered ceilings with complex staggered moldings and indirect lighting.  Regardless of the type of installation, the material used isn't nearly as important as the quality of the installation.  A master craftsman has to achieve a precision connection between molding boards that, when painted, shows absolutely no lines.  In addition, those connections can't show over time.  A good sign of quality construction is a home with crown molding that doesn't have any cracks in the crown molding.

This is the first article in a series of articles on quality construction in Los Altos Hills luxury homes.  As a buyer or seller, it's important to understand that exceptional quality takes time and money.  My article on quality construction costs goes into more details on how much these things cost.