by Adriane Evans

Created on: July 27, 2008   Last Updated: August 07, 2008

A few weeks ago I was taking a tour of a beautiful model home my father's contracting company had just submitted to the community's annual "Parade of Homes," a contest for builders. Although I was impressed by the quality of the materials used, I felt that there was something missing in the overall floor plan. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly this model home was missing. It appeared to have it all: an enticing media room, a luxurious master suite, impressive vaulted ceilings, nautical inspired fixtures, tasteful color schemes, granite counter space and a garage even the most feminine girly-girl (such as myself) could appreciate. The house was indeed a strong competitor for this year's annual Parade of Homes: a noble contender.

When the home made its public debut, it received a fair amount of praise from all who stepped through the impressive cherry wood front door. And although the model home ranked with high marks, it was not the "show stopper" my dad had hoped it would be. Why hadn't his prized creation won the competition? It had everything or did it?

What did the other model homes feature that was so special that they won higher marks and praise? What could they possibly have offered that his model home did not? It didn't take me very long to figure it out once I completed the tour of the first prize competitor. Oh sure, it had the media room, the fancy fixtures (suspiciously similar to my father's model); even the vaulted ceilings were oddly similar in design. But the blue ribbon winner had something to offer that people just completely fell in love with. A feature I hadn't even thought of until I walked into it: a second master bedroom just as fabulous as it's twin. The Double Master bedroom was enormously spacious and an overall generous addition to the home's square footage. This feature was the obvious fatal flaw in my father's model home.

We had to admit that the double master bedroom featured in the competitor's design was simply "twice as nice" as my dad's model home. Buyers want options when shopping around for their dream home. Developers are competing for these buyers! After doing my own walk through of this double delight, I concluded that it just makes more sense to offer such luxury when trying to sell a model home. What could be more appealing than the ability to offer your guest, your in-laws or even your spouse an additional room in your home as luxurious as your own master suite? It makes perfect sense. The potential buyers and voters in this year's Parade of Homes thought so too.

Builders will undoubtedly become hip to this great addition. Especially if they want to thrive in today's competitive real estate market. I'm pretty sure my dad has already caught on to this and has made big plans for his next model home. Which leaves me with this last thought: Better luck next year dad!

Learn more about this author, Adriane Evans.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.