Cassidy Araiza for BI
- Home saunas are the latest flex in real estate, whether they're in condos or residential homes.It's part of a broader shift toward "wellness design," as Americans focus more on health and longevity.Having a home sauna says, "I can afford to invest in my body, and I don't need to leave home to do it."
For Brian and Kristi Culhane, being at home beats going to the gym or the spa every time.
The self-described biohackers have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on health and wellness amenities for their 10,000-square-foot Scottsdale, Arizona, home. Their setup includes a steam room with aromatherapy and light therapy, a cold plunge, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, UV air scrubbers, an indoor basketball court, and more.
But of all their shiny, expensive amenities, the crown jewel is their room-sized sauna. It was built with the home for about $100,000 by Spa Steam and Sauna, the same company that supplies saunas to luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton. It's where the family practices yoga, breathwork, and aromatherapy.
Brian, the 50-year-old cofounder and former president of the real-estate brokerage eXp Realty, told Business Insider that having a private sauna is worth every penny.
Cassidy Araiza for BI
"Having one at home saves us hours a day," he said. "We're not even working out as much."
Brian's wife, Kristi, 49, a real estate agent with eXp, added that the privacy is a major bonus. "We were just at the Fairmont Hotel. You go to the sauna, and there are so many people there. I can't really do my own thing."
Home saunas are about health, but they're also a flex
Home saunas are the latest "It" amenity — and the appetite for them is growing.
Saunas are riding the broader shift toward "wellness design," as homeowners prioritize mental and physical health at home.
(There's science behind the benefits of saunas, too: Studies link regular use of traditional Finnish saunas — the most common type of sauna — to cardiovascular benefits, improved sports endurance, stronger immune function, and potentially lower risks of Alzheimer's and dementia.)
Affluent homeowners' interest in moving beyond traditional wellness amenities like gyms to more cutting-edge, spa-like upgrades is both a status cue and a lifestyle choice.
The message? I have the money to invest in my body, and I don't need to leave home to do it.
Anastasiia Krivenok/Getty Images
Saunas are available at a wide range of price points.
HomeAdvisor, the digital home-services marketplace owned by Angi, reports that the average cost to install a home sauna is between $2,500 and $7,000, with most homeowners paying about $3,100.
According to the company, entry-level prefab saunas typically cost homeowners from $1,000 to $5,000, while high-end, custom models can run upward of $10,000. However, for the ultrawealthy, like the Culhanes, the price can climb significantly higher.
Wes McMahon, owner of Sun Valley Saunas, an Idaho-based sauna builder and marketplace, told Business Insider that his clients — who are primarily in Idaho, Washington, Florida, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area — are turning their saunas into full-blown spa suites.
"There are custom projects where a homeowner has a really nice bathroom and we're just adding a steam room and a sauna to the space," he said.
"For the luxury homeowners, especially around here, we do a lot of the bigger outdoor traditional saunas," he added. "Those are all going to be made from thermally modified wood. Some of them have WiFi controls, changing rooms, and porches — some of them look like tiny houses."
Wellness has no age limit
Ivan Chorney, who specializes in luxury real estate in Southeast Florida as part of the Ivan & Mike Team at Compass, told Business Insider that many of his clients who want wellness amenities in their homes are a lot like him: older, high-earning professionals focused on fitness and longevity.
"I got married and had kids later in life," Chorney, 50, said. "I think that is also a commonality among a lot of my clients. We're all so hyper-focused on longevity, because we want to be around for our kids and our grandkids."
Chorney said there's a lot of this type of buyer in the Miami area, and many of them are asking for amenities like saunas and steam rooms.
Lisa Simonsen, a New York-based luxury broker at Brown Harris Stevens, told Business Insider that it's not only older buyers who want these amenities — the young, hip 'It' crowd wants in, too.
"I think that it's both demographics," Simonsen said. "My son's 18, and having wellness amenities is very important to him. The 20 to 30-year-old age group finds it extremely important, too."
No sauna? No deal.
Across the US, developers are increasingly using wellness amenities to court buyers and gain a competitive edge.
Simonsen said that in New York City, saunas and cold plunges have become a "hot commodity" in luxury real estate.
"Many of the New York developments are offering them," she said. "Some buyers won't give up their Equinox membership unless they have saunas in their buildings."
Chorney said it's happening in Miami, too. "I'm seeing developers create wellness areas within homes," he said. "They're adding things like sound baths and crystal caves. You've even got red light therapy in the master closet."
Courtesy of The Well Coconut Groove
Chorney himself just snapped up a condo at The Well in Coconut Grove, a waterfront project in Miami being marketed as "luxurious living meets holistic wellness." Known for hotels in Costa Rica and Mexico, The Well is making its second residential push in Miami, with move-ins expected in 2028. Floor plans in the building run from one to four bedrooms — 960 to 4,200 square feet — and start at $1.5 million.
According to The Well's website, the building's amenities will include a conservatory, rooftop pickleball and a fitness deck, an aperitif bar, and a gym. Residents also get membership to "The Club," a more than 13,000-square-foot wellness center offering massages, acupuncture, and a communal bathhouse with a steam room, sauna, cold plunge, and caldarium.
"Right now I've got my Peloton at home, but I still have to go to the gym for training and the cold plunge, and somewhere else for a facial," Chorney said. "The Well will bring all of that together in one place, a one-stop shop."
"Longevity is such a huge trend right now," Chorney added. "We're just at the beginning of what's going to be a real longevity and wellness boom in real estate."
