In fact, my own home, although not considered “luxury” by a long shot, did offer a couple of appealing features that I had not been privy to in any of my previous dwellings. Certainly, none of these features were the primary reasons we chose to purchase our home, but they may have swayed us a bit in our decision. Take, for example, the climate-controlled wine cellar in our basement featuring custom racks crafted with premium sapele mahogany wood and able to comfortably accommodate 345 bottles of wine. Perfect for the homeowner who only purchases the Kroger brand purified drinking water in the 16.9-ounce fluid plastic bottles from the grocery store. It took us less than a month to disassemble the shelves, sell them and turn the luxury featured room into a “climate controlled” storage closet.

While the home gym is also a feature that so many people desire, I can assure you that if you don’t use the treadmill that has been tastefully displayed in the family room for the last four years, having it displayed in a dedicated home gym, along with other pieces of pricey workout equipment, will likely not result in more frequent use.

One of my favorites is the voice-activated smart shower, which, after three months of arguing with Alexa over the correct water temperature, has been permanently set to “lukewarm despair.” I do use the steam feature, however, on the frequent occasion where lukewarm is just not warm enough.

The hot tub and/or sauna, on the other hand, is most often a love it or leave it option. While I personally don’t enjoy soaking in a petri dish bubbling with the schwill of all who have soaked in the past, others do. Even if I did enjoy a dip in a bubbly pool of germs, it is too hot to enjoy in the summer and too cold to venture out to in the winter. Plus, what is the point if I must shower after? It is time you never get back.

Finally, the home theater is something everyone will use. Who doesn’t want to spend fun family time in front of the screen with generous buckets of popcorn and ice-cold soft drinks, bonding over endearing moments of laughter and tears? Of course, that isn’t the reality of a home theater, is it? The real scene happens as nobody can agree on a movie so they each go their separate ways with the iPads while the parents retreat to the family room sofa and binge watch their latest Netflix series.

While the initial vision is that certain “luxury” features have the power to elevate an ordinary home, giving it a sense of distinction, for many homeowners, these features tend to see little use after the initial excitement fades and everyday routines return. In fact, they often end up collecting dust rather than adding lasting value. As Realtors, however, these features really add to the brag value of a listing.

 Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134.