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Luxury in the Burbs: For the rich, seven bedrooms is the new four, and more housing trends
What can you get for just under $8 million?
The second in a two-part series on luxury homes. Read last week’s Luxury in the City.
Realtors are feeling good about the luxury real estate market in the tony towns west of Boston. “Over ten properties above $5 million have gone under agreement since the last week of November, signaling renewed confidence in the high-end market,” Lara O’Rourke, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Wellesley, said.
That’s despite tight inventory. “Between Newton and Brookline, there have been just seven houses priced above $7 million in the last six months,” Jeff Groper, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Newton, said. “I have buyers lined up for properties in Waban, West Newton Hill, and Chestnut Hill.”
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What are such buyers seeking? The checklist includes homes with open layouts that lend themselves to indoor/outdoor entertaining (a backyard oasis is essential); tricked-out lower levels that include a theater, wine room, gym, and golf simulator; a sports court, if possible (either inside or out); an elevator; and smart-home technology.
En-suite bathrooms for every bedroom are now the norm. As for the number of bedrooms, seven is the new four. “Four bedrooms for the family, one for the au pair, a guest suite, and an in-law suite,” Groper ticked off.
Andrea Murphy Jackson, an agent with Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty in Lexington, pointed to the trend toward providing private accommodations for visiting family. “Buyers are looking for private space for parents whether they will be visiting or staying with them for extended periods of time,” Jackson said.
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Buyers have become more at ease with collaborating with developers, ensuring they’ll get the items on their wish-lists. Jackson and Groper both said spec homes typically turn into custom homes these days.
If an existing property needs work, however, buyers in Metro West tend not to be interested because the process can be all-consuming and life very busy. “New constructions do very well with our luxury buyers,” Chelsea Robinson, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty in Wellesley, said. In Lexington, however, Jackson finds that buyers in this price range are willing to rehabilitate historic properties.
According to Gretchen Berg, an agent with J Barrett & Company in Manchester-by-the-Sea, luxury buyers on the North Shore don’t shy away from doing work either. “People appreciate turnkey properties but want to make [them] their own, no matter what,” Berg said.
Here are four properties on the market for just under $8 million:
Weston | South Side
$7,495,000
Year built 1991
Square footage 9,599
Bedrooms 5
Baths 8 full, 3 half
Taxes $57,257 (2025)
Last sold for $1,110,000 in 1990
Arched gates and a meandering drive lead to this one-of-a-kind contemporary dwelling built on nearly 9 acres. A central living room with a 27-foot-high ceiling anchors the home, which hugs the pool. There’s a freestanding pavilion with an outdoor kitchen and bar, too. Impressive interior spaces include a formal dining room off the sleek kitchen, a wood-paneled study with a fireplace, a first-floor primary suite with a sunken tub, and expansive entertaining areas on the main and lower levels. Finally, there is excellent access to the city.
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Listing agent Melissa Dailey, Coldwell Banker Realty, 71 Central St., Wellesley, 617-699-3922, melissadaileyhomes.com
Westport | Westport Point
$7,950,000
Year built 1709
Square footage 4,512
Bedrooms 5
Baths 5 full, 1 half
Taxes $20,877 (2024)
Last sold for $775,000 in 1998
This 45.5-acre saltwater farm on the South Coast is absolutely dreamy. The historic shingled farmhouse with original wide-plank wood floors was meticulously restored and updated in 2013 without sacrificing its Americana charm. The luxury property, which includes pastures, orchards, gardens, and woodlands, stretches to the Westport River, where there’s a private dock. In addition to the 4,500-plus-square-foot main home, there is a two-bedroom guest house, a studio, and a barn.
Listing agent William J. Milbury and Kevin Quinn, Milbury and Company, 304 Elm St., South Dartmouth, 508-997-7400, milburyre.com
Newton | West Newton
$7,498,000
Year built 2024
Square footage 10,083
Bedrooms 7
Baths 8 full, 2 half
Taxes To be determined
Last sold for $2,318,000 in 2022
This 10,000-plus-square-foot contemporary-meets-Colonial new-build doesn’t miss a thing. Enter under sky-high windows, and the family room’s sleek gas fireplace draws you into the airy open plan. Double pantries supplement a kitchen replete with white oak cabinetry. Eat at the island, in the glassy breakfast nook, in the dining room, or on the patio — outdoor kitchen included. Bedroom suites abound, with options on the first, second, and third floors, as well as on the lower level, where one also finds the playroom, gym, sauna, bar, and theater. An elevator runs from the lower level to the second floor to facilitate entertaining and aging in place.
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Listing agent Jeff Groper, Coldwell Banker Realty, 1261 Centre St., Newton Centre, 617-240-8000, jeffgropergroup.com
Marblehead | Fluen Point
$7,950,000
Year built 1900
Square footage 9,593
Bedrooms 9
Baths 6 full, 2 half
Taxes $62,544.55 (2025)
Last sold for $1,600,000 in 1995
This turn-of-the-last-century Marblehead estate sits on a bluff overlooking Salem Sound and boasts more than 200 feet of coveted shoreline complete with a dock and a mooring. The Frederick Law Olmsted-designed 2-plus-acre luxury property includes a pool and a pool house. The home feels authentically New England, with a well-proportioned living room, formal dining room, and screened porch, plus loads of bedrooms (invite all the cousins!) on the second floor. Up top is an attic family room with a balcony and another bedroom and bath.
Listing agent Jack Attridge, William Raveis R.E. & Home Services, 781-883-3200, allmarblehead.com
