Lofts Allow San Francisco Homebuyers to Tap into Their Creative Side

The combination of wide open space and ceilings which seem to stretch into the stratosphere are exactly what loft buyers are looking for. This kind of home is quite popular among many San Francisco homebuyers. Lofts are mostly situated in the South of Market Area. However, they can also be found on Potrero Hill, the Central Waterfont, the North Waterfront and in various buildings throughout San Francisco.

So, exactly what is a loft?  Basically, lofts come in two flavors – adaptive restorative, and newly-constructed.  The adaptive restoration variety is the type housed in old historic or industrial-type buildings, whereby the unique architectural characteristics of the structure is maintained, and the building itself is preserved.  Thus, walls, supporting columns, and the original plumbing are not changed when the building is converted to lofts.  Newly-constructed lofts, on the other hand, are more standardized – much like condominiums -- and each loft unit in a building will more likely be identical to its neighboring unit.

Lofts can be likened to condominiums (condos) in that they share common walls with other lofts in the same building; the buyer owns the dwelling itself, but not the land it sits upon; and a homeowner association is present, which takes care of grounds maintenance and the roof.  And, as with condos, the owner is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the actual dwelling. Amenities -- such as swimming pools, fitness centers and concierge – are not common in loft buildings.

That being said, a typical loft does not resemble the typical condo. This can be attributed, mainly, to the origins of the buildings which house the lofts.  Developers looked at turn-of-the-20th-century historical, commercial, and industrial buildings and saw their potential as living spaces.  They realized they would lend themselves very well to loft conversions.  Thus, soaring ceilings (sometimes 14 feet or higher), huge supporting concrete columns, massive industrial-sized windows, and even an occasional freight elevator are common loft features.  Actually – owing to their out-of-the-ordinary origins -- no two lofts (the adaptive restorative type) are identical.

In addition, lofts exude a certain rustic, undeveloped charm.  Many, in fact contain ductwork, brickwork, and concrete still exposed.  A commonality among lofts is the immense open layout of the place.  Lofts traditionally have no actual rooms – many only contain three-quarter high dividers to differentiate one area from another.  Others are simple one gigantic room with no dividers at all.  This expansiveness of undeveloped space attracts many residents who enjoy expressing their creativity via the conversion of this emptiness into unique living space reflecting their individuality and values.

Who’s buying them?  Lofts particularly appeal to young urban professionals, young singles and couples, couples with no children, and artist types.  They enjoy the aspects of living in thriving urban areas within easy walking distance to all of the things they love, and which are hard to come by in the suburbs – for example, cultural venues, such as theatres, museums, restaurants, art galleries, opera, ballet, and music halls.

And, despite close proximity to one’s neighbor, there is a surprising feeling of privacy, owing to features such as ten-inch thick concrete floors, and double-insulated walls, which prevents neighbors’ loud music or party noise from filtering into earshot.

Some of the more popular loft buildings in SoMa are Delancey Street, Clocktower, 200 Brannan, 77 Dow Place, 200 Townsend, Yerba Beuna and the Heublien Building. In the North Waterfront the Malt House is popular and in the Central Watefront/Dogpatch Neighborhod 701 Minnesota comes to mind. Potrero Hill has many smaller loft buldings to choose from.

Please call me, Michael Novia, South Beach Real Estate at 415-637-2409 (24 hours a day) for all of your Loft questions.