Why wellness features pay off in luxury homes, and by exactly how much

From infra-red saunas and cold plunge pools to biophilic architecture and sustainable design, high-end buyers now expect homes that support not just their lifestyle, but long-term wellbeing.

Ray White's Luxury Report 2025 reveals that homes with dedicated wellness features are commanding significant premiums - 10 to 25 per cent more than comparable properties without them.

This trend marks a shift in how luxury is being defined and valued.

"Nearly one third of Australia's wellness market expansion since 2019 has been driven by wellness real estate, reflecting a fundamental shift in how homebuyers view their living spaces and establishing Australia as the world's fourth-largest wellness real estate market as of 2023," said Ray White Head of Research, Vanessa Rader.

And this isn't just a passing trend. It's part of a broader global shift.

The Global Wellness Institute estimates the wellness real estate market was worth US$398 billion in 2022 and is expected to more than double to US$887.5 billion by 2027.

That explosive growth reflects changing expectations among affluent buyers who are increasingly seeking homes that are restorative, sustainable, and personal sanctuaries.

The shift also extends to the buyers - retirees or traditional high-net-worth individuals aren't the only ones fuelling the market.

The report's analysis of this year's top 20 luxury sales reveals a buyer pool that's younger, more entrepreneurial, and increasingly self-made.

Today's prestige buyers are often in their late 40s or early 50s, but a growing cohort of millennial entrepreneurs is entering the market.

"Today's ultra-luxury property buyers are primarily self-made business owners, especially those who built digital and tech companies, rather than corporate executives who once dominated this market," said Ray White Senior Data Analyst Atom Go Tian.

"The wealth behind these purchases now comes from a much wider range of industries, with online businesses and technology ventures leading the way."

An analysis of this year's top 20 sales reveals today's luxury purchasers are predominantly self-made entrepreneurs from diverse sectors including e-commerce, property development, financial services, fashion, and technology.

In blue-chip suburbs like Sydney's Bellevue Hill or Perth's Nedlands-Dalkeith-Crawley, homes boasting wellness infrastructure - think yoga studios, infrared saunas, organic gardens and smart air-filtration systems - are transacting faster and at higher prices than their more traditional peers.

Wellness is now an essential element in Australia's high-end property market. But what exactly does that mean?

What wellness looks like in high-end homes

Dedicated health spaces

Prestige homes are increasingly being designed with in-home wellness zones.

Think infrared saunas; steam rooms; cold plunge; Pilates, yoga and meditation studios with sound insulation; massage and treatment rooms; and state-of-the-art gyms.

These aren't tucked away in the garage, they're integrated into the architectural flow of the home, with aesthetics to match.

Health-enhancing tech

Luxury now means everything is optimised for peak health, from the air you breathe and water you drink, to how much radiation you're exposed to.

Advanced air purification systems filter allergens, pollutants and pathogens, ditto water filtration systems. Circadian lighting systems help regulate the body's natural sleep cycles, and EMF-reducing technology lowers radiation, especially in rest spaces.

The report notes that some luxury homes even have specialised equipment fitted, like hyperbaric oxygen chambers.

Sustainable and biophilic design

Sustainability features like solar arrays, rainwater harvesting, cross-ventilation, and non-toxic materials are environmentally sound and commercially savvy, as buyers are willing to pay a premium for homes with these features.

Natural materials, abundant light, indoor greenery and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions are expected.

Features like living walls and indoor gardens purify air and reduce stress, and water features create calming soundscapes and improve humidity levels.

Of course, views also help with establishing a sense of serenity.

It all points to the same conclusion: in today's prestige market, wellness doesn't just feel good - it's an essential that delivers a return.

Properties for sale with wellness features and design principles

This terrace in Sydney's Paddington incorporates a 10-metre internal green wall and internal pond, plus a six-person Sunlighten infrared sauna on the subterranean level.

There are high-end natural materials, indoor-outdoor flow and much more.

This luxe new Gold Coast build has a wellness-centric design, with a complete home water

filtration system; low-tox natural materials like marble, limestone and New Zealand wool carpet;

low VOC paint on all interior walls; and a low electromagnetic radiation (EMR) design in the

bedrooms for restorative sleep.

This luxury Cottesloe luxury property boasts 40 solar panels and double glazing, along with the

likes of a salon-grade spa room comprising a massage area, bathroom, sauna and jacuzzi jet

showers. In addition to lush natural materials, there's a solar-heated mineral pool and ocean

views.

This Northern Beaches property in Sydney is like living in your own resort, complete with natural

materials, indoor-outdoor living, plus a medical-grade sauna, spa and gym. It's bathed in natural

light and enjoys manicured gardens and a mineral pool.