By
Cicely Wedgeworth

Whirlpooltub in luxury bathroom

If you’re anything like us, you spend your days endlessly clicking through photos of luxury homes, dreaming of the day when you can upgrade to a villa with a wine-tasting room, free-standing tub, and home gym—the high-end features that suit your fantasies of affluent relaxation.

But think again: You’re likely to find that some of your longed-for luxuries will simply gather dust—and worse, taking up space. And no matter how large your home is, square footage is always a valued commodity.

So, which luxury features are worth a splurge—and which aren’t? Here you go:

 Not worth the upgrade

Gourmet kitchen with a pot filler over the stove.
The pot filler over the stove in this gourmet kitchen is destined to go unused.

slobo/iStock

A realtor.com survey of prospective home buyers last year found that their most-wanted luxury feature was a chef’s kitchen. But if you’re not an actual professional chef feeding dozens of people at least twice a day, well, you probably won’t be getting the most out of these features.

Giant high-end stove: The centerpiece of a gourmet kitchen, of course, is the stove. A true professional model, though, is a major investment. “These stoves can range from $6,000 to $10,000, whereas a quality stove aimed at a regular consumer, rather than a professional, can cost under $2,000,” says interior designer Jennifer Farrell. Realistically, most home cooks will be just fine with a stove in the $1,000 range, she says.

Pot filler: A special swiveling faucet right next to the stove seems like the perfect way to save you from lugging a pot full of water across the kitchen. “The problem is, water doesn’t flow as quickly from a pot filler than from a regular sink faucet, so you’ll likely end up filling up at the big sink,” Farrell says. And the money you spent on that pot filler will go right down the drain.

Warming drawer: This is meant to keep prepared food at serving temperature, but… “Every client I know that has one ends up using it to store pots and pans!” Farrell says.

Whirlpool tub with jets: Fantasize about being massaged by powerful jets of water? Luxuriating in mounds of bubbles? Wallowing in germs and slime? Yup, germs and slime. Those jets tend to clog or grow bacteria or mildew, Farrell says. Plus, people tend to use showers more regularly. You’re better off with a plain soaking tub and a separate shower (you can jazz it up with multiple shower heads, a popular upgrade).

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Home gym: It seems like a slam-dunk: With a gym at home, you’ll never have the excuse of not being motivated enough to go out to the gym. It turns out, you’d be better off having the entire gym come to you. “Many people find that without the motivation of a trainer and other gym members working out, it’s hard to stay focused on a regimented exercise routine,” Farrell says. You’ll end up with expensive exercise equipment cluttering up precious space. Just pony up for that gym membership and get your butt over there.

Luxury walk-in closet
Ah, a glamorous walk-in closet where you’ll sip wine and peruse your clothes. Not.

phototropic/iStock

Walk-in closet with sitting area: It’s like something out of the diary of Marie Antoinette: “Lounged around inside my closet, eating cake.” Oh yeah, you fancy. But that sitting area is just taking up space that you could probably use for actual storage. “Better to devote more square footage to the master bedroom,” Farrell advises.

Wet bar: “These drink-prep stations with a sink were popular back in the martini era of the ’60s and ’70s and have seen a new popularity in recent years,” Farrell observes. But unless you’re constantly throwing Rat Pack–style parties and serving a flood of cocktails, you’ll probably just wash your glassware in the kitchen.

Outdoor hot tub: Unless you are an avid hot tubber, most likely a hot tub is going to be more money than it’s worth. “They cost thousands of dollars and require a lot of upkeep, but most homeowners say they only use theirs a few times a year,” Farrell says.

So worth a splurge

Interior of a modern house with floor to ceiling windows
A great view is a major asset—and you can make the most of it with floor-to-ceiling windows.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows: “Natural light is one of the greatest assets for any property,” Farrell says. If you’ve got great views (another highly desired feature), upgrading with floor-to-ceiling windows is a great investment.

Heated floors: Once you’ve tried heated floors, you’ll never go back. Not only are they a very comfortable luxury feature to have in any bathroom or throughout the house, they also cut down on your electricity bills. Plus, they add value to the home. “This is a luxury item worth the price,” Farrell says.

Granite/quartz countertops: A quality countertop, like granite or quartz aggregate, can be well worth the money, Farrell says. Both materials are durable, heat-resistant, and long-lasting—which makes them much more practical than softer surfaces such as soapstone, marble, or wood.

You have the money and you’re gonna do it no matter what

Candy wall in the home now owned by Markus Persson
Candy wall—if you’re a billionaire man-child, this is for you.

realtor.com

Let’s face it, some people are so wealthy, they’re going to go ahead and get whatever they want—and they’ll probably enjoy it, no matter what. Case in point: the candy wall (above) in the house that Minecraft founder Markus “Notch” Persson smacked down Beyoncé and Jay Z to get.

Wine cellar with tasting room: Apparently, this is a thing among the wealthy. But even with cash to burn, you have to be a really, really serious collector for this architectural flourish to be worth your while. “These cellars with tasting rooms have to be kept at precise temperature, which add to the cost of the cellar,” Farrell says. To create a high-end wine cellar, this budget buster can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

This over-the-top pool with water slide can be yours—for a price.
This over-the-top pool with water slide can be yours—for a price.

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Naturally landscaped (but still totally artificial) pool, with waterslide (this one still available)

In-home hair salon

Tennis courts, spa, 27-car garage, vineyard, anddiscotheque… OK, we give up.