There is never a dull moment in Texas real estate, and regardless of what the Fed does with interest rates, we are always in our own world. This drop-dead gorgeous Southlake modern Mediterranean is a case in point.
A few weeks ago, I got a hot tip about a multimillion-dollar property about to go on the market in Southlake, which has become the luxury suburb. I’ve been biting my nails, waiting for it to list so I could share it with you.
On Friday, Douglas Elliman Real Estate’s listing agent Breah Brown saved what was left of my manicure and unveiled it. This Southlake modern Mediterranean estate is everything you can imagine. Even the street name is perfect — Sunshine Lane.
Hey Gorgeous, Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere Before?
Then I realized it looked familiar. A quick search of our archives and there it was, listed six months ago and looking completely different. I loved it then, but I love it a lot more now, and I’ll tell you why buyers will also love it more now, which leads me to jump on my hobby horse about staging these multimillion-dollar properties.
If I barely recognized it, that shows you what great staging accomplishes.
One of the things many sellers never can quite come to grips with is that their personal taste is seldom an advantage in selling a home at any price, especially a multimillion-dollar home. There is an art to visually marketing a home, which is why the appropriate staging is essential. And I do mean appropriate. It’s not about making a bold statement, nor is it about making a house look bland. It is about revealing the architectural detail and not distracting from it or covering it up.
Six months ago, drapes distracted from all those dramatic windows and blocked a good third of the light coming into the house, even when they were opened. Remember, this is a vast private estate. It’s not like you have neighbors peering in, and even if you love drapes, take them down when you list and show off those windows!
When you walk into any room in a luxury home for sale, you should be able to instantly appreciate the architectural elements, the extraordinary views, and the fine finish-out. You should never be distracted by a bold rug or a giant family portrait. And I cannot even go there when it comes to sellers who offer their completely vacant property up for sale. That’s another column!
This Modern Mediterranean Shows That Staging is Essential
A handful of stagers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area can handle a home of this size. This 31,234-square-foot, eight-bedroom, nine-bathroom modern Mediterranean received the George Bass Stage & Design (GBSD) touch, creating a completely different vibe of relaxed, serene luxury. The GBSD team understands luxury homes in a way I’ve never encountered. I’ve watched them in action, and it’s astonishing how quickly they can figure out how to best showcase a house and how fast they manage to make it happen.
Don’t get me wrong, this home has always been extraordinary, which is why I wrote an effusive post in May, but I never imagined it could look like this. That’s not only down to proper staging but also the photography. Sometimes it takes a village, and it’s on another level this time around.
Of course, the home has every amenity and then some. But even with a basketball court, a batting cage, a bowling alley, and a resort-style pool, those first few photos always grab a buyer’s attention and make them want to see a property. Then it’s the first five minutes after a buyer walks through the door that shows them this is indeed the one.
Texas is a Very Good Place to Buy a Luxury Property
Texas real estate is no stranger to pricey pads. Take a look around. Dallas has a $35 million property on Lennox, there’s another $35 million spread overlooking Lake Travis in Austin, and there’s an architecturally significant modern in Houston priced at $27.5 million — all on the market for less than 60 days.
We are not in the pandemic bubble, but homes in the double-digit millions are quietly, and not so quietly, selling left, right, and center.
Douglas Elliman‘s Breah Brown has this Southlake modern Mediterranean at 1469 Sunshine Lane listed for $19.995 million.