Wet bars are the new must have amenity for high-end homes

A luxury wet bar in an NYC home
A luxury wet bar in an NYC home

WEEKENDEDITION Despite conjuring images of cheesy 1950s-era suburban basements, wet bars are making a comeback in high-end homes.

Brokers told the Wall Street Journal that bars are more frequently appearing in prominent first-floor areas of luxury properties – although they warned that the term “wet bar” itself may not help attract buyers.

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According the National Association of Home Builders, the share of potential home buyers who say they must have a wet bar increases with the price of the home. In their survey 30 percent of respondents said that a home bar was essential or desirable when spending between $250,000 and $499,999. And that share soars to 42 percent when the price of a home reaches $500,000 or more.

“We’re seeing a real trend,” Mark Zilbert, chief executive of Miami Beach-based brokerage Zilbert International Realty, said. “This is the old fireplace where you gather around.” [WSJ]Christopher Cameron