How rooftop decks are becoming the must-have amenity
When Conrad Lifsey and his partner, Derek Loftin, who own a luxury RV rental company in Palm Springs, bought a house 2015 in a property development called Sol, what sealed the deal for them wasn’t inside, but up on the roof. “No other property in Palm Springs had a rooftop deck and it really set things apart,” said Lifsey, 52. “It’s a place we like to go at sunrise for yoga and sunset for cocktails,” he said.
In fact, three-fourths of the 46 homeowners in Sol have opted to add 150 to 300 square-foot rooftop decks to their property, said Rudy Herrera, principal of Family Development Homes in Palm Desert, Calif. It’s a $50,000 upgrade, but it allows views of the 10,000 foot-high San Jacinto Mountains, the sixth-biggest mountain range in the lower 48 states. “Given the views, it’s criminal not to have one,” he said.
Additions of rooftop decks have been accelerating for the past several years, said Pete Reeb, a principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting in Irvine, Calif. He said about 5% of projects he’s seen currently have rooftop deck plans, but said that number is likely to grow. Builders are finding great success in attracting buyers and beating the competition by offering thoughtfully designed and integrated rooftop decks in new home projects,” he said.
Click for full article on MarketWatch
Click for full article on MarketWatch
