Residential Lofts: a Popular Choice for San Francisco Home Buyers

One of the increasingly popular ways to live in the densely populated city of San Francisco is in a residential or mixed-used live/work loft.  Although lofts can be traced back to the early 1900’s, it was during the 60’s that loft living really started to become a fashionable way to live.  This loft-living movement was led by progressive artists who loved the idea of loft living because of the tremendous amount of open space and structural design that can inspire art itself.

San Francisco has always been known for its lassiez-faire attitude and its casual laid back sense of style, so it is no surprise that the idea of loft living in renovated factories and buildings, or newer construction loft residences, has grown in popularity over the years.   Loft living is essentially living in a wide open space that may be divided by structural components such as timber or concrete beams and exposed ventilation ducts, but is mainly all livable space.  Without walls and other dividers throughout most lofts, you have a tremendous amount of usable floorspace.   Additionally, the large and open floor plan of lofts is frequently complimented with large industrial size windows which illuminate the space, and if you live in a city like San Francisco which sees a lot of sun (and fog!), you want all the sunlight you can capture inside your home. 

In addition to residential loft living,  lofts have strong appeal to San Francisco artists who use their loft homes as galleries as well as well as people who are just starting out with their own businesses and require dedicated home office space.  Additionally, since lofts have so much open space, some families view lofts as a viable housing option for raising children in a crowded city like San Francisco.

Before you start shopping for a loft in the San Francisco Bay area, there are a few key terms you will want to know when it comes to looking at available lofts.  The term hard loft means the entire area will be open besides the bathroom and often the original architectural elements are left in place, although decorated to match the live / work space.  A soft loft on the other hand, has walls dividing the area that do not reach the ceiling, but still help provide family members with separate living spaces.    Most homebuyers and renters have a strong preference for the type of loft space they desire and sharing your preferences with your real estate agent will enable them to find the perfect loft living space for you in San Francisco.