Helping my clients find their dream home is one of my favorite things about being a Realtor. There are many factors to consider when looking for a house, of course, but a few that my clients bring up right away. Typically they come to me with some basics in mind: number of bedrooms, whether they want a view, a yard…
While it’s important to consider the practical aspects of a home during a search, it’s also just as important to enjoy the aesthetics of your home. That’s why I think it’s helpful to have an understanding of your style preference.
Recently there has been a lot of buzz around the idea of a “home search by personality.” From my experience, though, home style preference is a combination of personality and upbringing.
Some of my clients are not always aware of their home style preference, but as we look at homes they gravitate toward a particular style without exactly knowing why. Usually it is comfortable because it is familiar. Often, the style of house someone grew up in is something they will be attracted to in the future.
But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes personality weighs in more heavily on style preference than upbringing. History buffs that really appreciate tradition, for example, tend to appreciate historic homes over contemporary styles regardless of their childhood home.
So, while I don’t believe you should do a “home search by personality” alone, it can be helpful insight that helps us find you a home you will truly love.
If you don’t already know your preferred home style, I would love to explore that with you as I am certainly a home enthusiast. It’s also my job (and my passion) to know the ins and outs of the East Bay communities, including their architecture.
Here is a fun, simple quiz that will give you some insight into your preferred home style.
Once you know your “style,” Realtor.com has a great “guide to residential styes” that highlights important characteristics of the top 33 home styles.
Right now I have a gorgeous home on the market on Asilomar Drive in Oakland (pictured above and below). It is a recently updated Contemporary with the highest quality materials throughout.
One of the many wonderful luxuries of being in the San Francisco East Bay is being able to choose among an immense variety of beautiful architectural styles. If you’ve read my other blog posts, you probably know that I think quite highly of the East Bay–but it is true: the East Bay really does have it all!
FOR INSTANCE…
Many of the homes in Piedmont date back to the 1920’s, when Piedmont was known as the “City of Millionaires” due to the fact that there were more millionaires per square mile than in any city in the United States. Today these gorgeous, turn-of-the-century mansions are as stately as ever. Many of the architects, artists and builders that worked on these houses in the center of Piedmont also built smaller, yet beautifully designed homes, in the hills of Piedmont.
The homes in Crocker Highlands and Trestle Glen have a more recent (1920’s-1940’s), but equally impressive history. Many were designed by Julia Morgan and Bernard Maybeck – two of the most well known architects of their day (and today!).
For the Victorian aficionado’s, there are many beautifully preserved homes in the Oakland area, but the highest concentration in the East Bay (and second in the nation, next to San Francisco) are in the up-and-coming city of Alameda. In fact, in 2010 First Lady Michelle Obama designated Alameda as a Preserve America Community, making one of a select number of communities in America committed to historic preservation and sustainability efforts. It has also been voted “One of the Top Cities for Young People.”
I could go on and on about the beautiful homes in the East Bay, so have a look at my website for more information on the niche communities, or feel free to contact me with any questions.