What is considered a mansion? The term mansion is usually used to identify a private residence that is at least 9000 sqft. or more in size. The whole residence has to be a single-family. The term mansion is also used to describe a luxurious house, but the square footage rule still applies as most people don’t view smaller houses as mansions.
The other major thing that distinguishes a mansion from a house is the different types of extra rooms that a mansion normally has. These include rooms such as:
- Drawing room for entertaining formal guests
- The dining room which is separate for formal guests
- A pantry
- The main kitchen + a dirty kitchen
- A butler or maid quarter
- A laundry room
- An office space
- A front lawn and a back lawn
- A separate store room
- A gym, theatre, game room, a cigar room, a wine cellar, or a man’s cave or den may also be installed in separate rooms
All these extra rooms add a more luxurious feel to the mansion and hence distinguish it from a normal house. Many mansions also feature private swimming pools, tennis courts, mini-golf courses, basketball courts, etc. All these additional extra keep on adding to the cost though. As the number of amenities and luxury items in a property increases the price also keeps on increasing exponentially.
How many bedrooms is considered a mansion?
Usually, mansions will have at least three bedrooms on the minimum side. At the maximum, they can have as many as four to hundreds. Usually, the number of bedrooms in a normal mansion is anywhere between four and nine. The extra rooms in the mansion are usually dedicated rooms used for either entertaining or relaxing. As a mansion by definition is meant only for a single-family private residence having a lot of extra bedrooms that aren’t used will not add to the value of the house. This is why most mansions feature luxury rooms that are usually greater in number as compared to the number of bedrooms in the house.
Is 7000 square feet a mansion?
In conventional terms, it is not. But, it depends on the location. If the residence is in Manhattan or Beverly Hills or Bel-Air then surely it can be classed as one depending on the architectural design of the residence and how efficiently the constructor has used the space.
What is bigger than a mansion?
A manor also known as an estate is something that is bigger than a mansion. A manor or estate will usually have the same size house as a typical mansion but it will be surrounded by acres of land that will be a private garden for the mansion. Usually, manors and estates are common in the countryside where the price of land is much cheaper. In areas such as Beverly Hills or Bel-Air, you would seldom find manors as the cost of land in such areas is also almost as high as the construction cost of the mansion itself. In areas such as the outskirts of cities in Texas, you would find manors with large plots of land as gardens because land in texas is much cheaper when compared with land in Los Angeles.
What types of rooms are in a mansion?
All mansions will have bedrooms and attached bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. They will also have dining and drawing rooms, laundry rooms, maid quarters, pantry, wine cellar, open and dirty kitchens, bar-rooms, theatre, game rooms, a bowling alley, terraces, garages, decks, backyard space, etc.
How much money does a mansion cost? How much do you have to make to own a mansion?
On average a typical mansion costs between $800,000 to $ 2,000,000 dollars. But the prices vary widely with the neighbourhood, the size of the mansion and the luxury fixtures and fittings used in the mansion. On average you need to make at least $500,000 to be able to afford to live in a mansion. This number may seem high but you will have to pay the repair and maintenance and the property taxes even when you buy the mansion. In states like California, this can be as high as 2% annually. So for a one million dollar mansion, you would be paying almost $20,000 in taxes per annum. These costs can quickly add up so you need a substantial income to support your endeavours.
What careers can afford a mansion?
Most mansions are bought by businessmen or high-paid professionals. Businessmen can buy such mansions as they can offset the costs and the taxes by using the space as a home office. They also have no limits on their earnings so they can buy these mansions usually in cash. High-paid professionals such as doctors and lawyers can also buy such mansions but their annual salary should be around the $500,000 mark. Most high-paid professionals however shy away from such mansions as they have to still pay high-income taxes and adding a luxury mansion can further burden them with additional taxes. However, some can and do buy such houses.
If you are a real estate agent trying to sell mansions then finding businessmen will be your best bet as potential clients for owning such mansions. Most high-paid professionals prefer buying vacation homes rather than mansions statistically. If you are a real estate agent you should definitely enrol in the free course “Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills” by the University of Michigan. The instructor for this course is George Siedel who is a Williamson Family Professor of Business Administration and a Thurnau Professor of Business Law. He makes it simple as it is a beginner-level course and covers all aspects and the great thing is it’s free.
If you are interested in looking at building plans for a 4500 sqft house that is also a pseudo mansion and can be easily constructed on a budget you can find our article with the blueprints here.
Find more articles similar to “What is considered a mansion? What qualifies a house as a mansion?” here.
