Upscale home buyers want warming drawers, wine coolers

Be it ever so humble, the warming drawer came out on top as the most desired feature in an upscale new home, according to a recent survey by the National Assn. of Home Builders.

Some 42% of respondents in the national study, who expected to pay $500,000 and up for a newly built house, considered the kitchen appliance either essential or desirable.

Coming in second was a two-story family room, followed by a wine cooler, an outdoor kitchen and a two-story foyer. The surprise on the list for Californians is the outdoor kitchen, which seems so 2009 but apparently is just now reaching the remote inner regions of the country.

Rounding out the Top 10 on the What Home Buyers Really Want list were an elevator, a wet bar, an exercise room, a community golf course and a game room.

Golf course? Waning in popularity during the recession, the sport appears to be on the rebound, according to recent reports.

Near misses on the Top 10 list, out of about 120 features, were his and her bathrooms, a laundry chute, an outdoor fireplace, sensor faucets and a media room.

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