While we adore old houses, with their period details and layers of history, we have to admit that new builds, with their modern touches and no maintenance required, also have a lot of appeal, especially in today’s frenetically busy world. Two new homes have recently been built just north of the highway in Southampton, offering all the bells and whistles a buyer could want. True, the location isn’t the toniest, but for the price, both these properties, represented by James Peyton of Corcoran and the Raphael Avigdor Team at Douglas Elliman, offer a great deal.
First up is 475 David Whites Lane. It’s a gambrel sporting a cute turret with bell roof set on 1.8 acres. Outside, there’s a 20 x 50 gunite pool, a pool house with fireplace (great for romantic summer evenings), a sunken tennis court and patios. The house offers 9,000 square feet, including the finished lower level. We really like the great room, which is double-height with enormous windows leading to the pool area; there’s even a cute wet bar that serves this room, which leads into the spacious white kitchen with breakfast area. There are two generous-sized islands topped with marble in the kitchen, a nice touch and more useful than one gigantic one.
Upstairs, the master wing includes a fireplace, sitting room, a private balcony, and what we’d refer to as milady’s boudoir. (Everyone else will call it a dressing area, but that mirrored vanity table belongs in something called a boudoir, we say. Also, fluffy mules should be worn while sitting there.) In all, there are seven bedrooms and 6.5 baths.
Downstairs, the finished lower level features a gym and “high-tech media room.” Asking price for all this is $5.975 million. Fluffy mules extra, of course.
Next up is the slightly smaller and more modest 485 David Whites Lane. It too is in a tranquil setting surrounded by farm fields; the plot is 1.6 acres and there’s no tennis court. There might be room for tennis, but it would take up a lot of the yard. (Take up another sport, like Eton Fives! Smaller court and no one in the US knows how to play it anyway.)
The house is 6500 square feet, with six bedrooms and 6.5 baths. Here, the lower level is also finished, but there’s a wine cellar and sauna down there, as well as a media room (hopefully high-tech!) and gym. Upstairs, the great room is smaller and more cozy than the previous one, and it sports a fashionable modern fireplace.
Of course, outside there’s a gunite pool, large spa and pool house. And with 50 acres of agricultural reserve right next door, there’s peaceful sunset views. Asking price for this property is $5.295 million.
Which property represents better value, do you think? We’d have to go with the larger one, but hey, we have a thing for boudoirs.
For more, click here and here. 475 and 485 David Whites Lane, Southampton
