Generators are a must-have in the Houston luxury real estate market

Killowattage has become the sought-after equipment among affluent home buyers in Houston.

The region is vulnerable to natural disasters, such as recent deadly windstorms, and robust home generators are a major selling point in the metro area’s luxury real estate market, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The number of luxury homes sold with generators increased 600% between 2018 and 2023, according to the Houston Association of Realtors. Home buyers spending more than $1 million began calling for generator installations after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Overall, the number of homes sold with generators has tripled since 2018.

“During COVID, we had so many people move to Houston from other states, and they had heard about Harvey, and every time they wanted to know, ‘Is there a generator? ‘” Dee Dee Guggenheim Howes, luxury real estate broker for Compass, told the outlet. “They were really concerned about natural disasters. »

Demand increased further after the 2021 Texas freeze, which caused widespread power outages and intense cold, leading to more than 200 deaths.

In the wake of the May 16 derecho in Houston, home mechanic companies like John Moore Services were inundated with calls from homeowners wanting to ensure their electricity supply ahead of hurricane season.

Whole-house generators, unlike portable generators, can automatically power an entire home and are typically powered by gas lines, making them a reliable backup solution in the event of a power outage. However, these generators come with a hefty price tag, ranging from $13,000 to $40,000, depending on their capacity and convenience of use.

Generators are becoming as essential as swimming pools or elevators for luxury home buyers, real estate agents say. Houston homebuilder Charles Chapman now includes at least one 48-kilowatt whole-house generator in every speculative mansion he builds.

The expense is considered a compromise for the buyer.

“It’s really a convenience tax, do you want to have to leave your house or sit there when it’s 90 degrees and worry about all the groceries and expensive things, or do you want to live your life normally?” said Greg Gilbert of Mackey Services, a Dickinson mechanic company serving the Houston area. said Greg Gilbert of mechanical company Mackey Services.

—Quinn Donoghue