"Select from one of our two developments below"

Highlands, North Carolina

$3.5 - 5.5M

$1.3M - 1.6M

Highlands, Aspen of the East

In the past several years, Highlands has been affectionately termed by many as the “Aspen of the East.” With its cool mountain air, rich cultural offerings, and vibrant sense of community, it’s no surprise that Travel & Leisure magazine named Highlands “America’s Best Small Mountain Town” in 2023. The Highlands Plateau continues to capture the attention of discerning buyers who seek not just a home, but a complete lifestyle experience. As in Aspen, premier home locations on the Plateau are considered some of the most highly sought-after and tightly held real estate assets in the region.

Consider the trajectory of homeowners who invested early in Aspen’s last major residential offerings. Their properties are now among the most valuable in the country, driven by the town’s scarcity of available homes, its world-renowned appeal, and its breathtaking mountain environment. Highlands mirrors many of these same attributes — pristine surroundings, limited opportunities for new development, and a growing national recognition — all of which position Sanctuary On 1st as a compelling opportunity for both lifestyle enjoyment and long-term value growth.

Both Sanctuary On 1st and The Sanctuary at Whiteside Cove exemplify the rare chance to own properties that are thoughtfully designed, exceptionally located, and poised for appreciation in an increasingly coveted destination. Sanctuary On 1st, together with The Sanctuary at Whiteside Cove, reflects a new era of elevated living in Highlands — where extraordinary homes, natural beauty, and lasting value meet in perfect balance.

A Sanctuary for Everyone?

Sanctuary On 1st has an obvious appeal to clients desiring easy access to the many city conveniences including shopping, restaurants and entertainment. Many great outdoor locations for scenery, hiking, fishing and golf are easily accessed from the development.

For golfers, your non-golfing family members and guests will thank you as they enjoy a five minute walk to the center of town while you are golfing at one of the area’s great golf courses.

The following golf clubs accept membership without having to own club property – a big savings for you and a great convenience for your non-golfing friends and family.

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Architectural + Engineering Design

We believe a great architectural design requires the input of both a professional designer and a licensed architect. Our lead designer and architect work closely together to achieve a unique custom design that meets your specific objectives on the property you have selected. Architectural Design phases include:

Pre-Design is the first phase of Architectural Design. The objective of Pre-Design is to consult with the client and determine their vision, project goals, scope, features, functionality, purpose and budget. Meetings will take place on both the property and in our office in Cashiers, NC. This phase ends with the client’s decision to move forward.

Schematic Design is the second phase of Architectural Design. Under this phase we consider local codes and architectural guidelines, provide floor plans and exterior elevations and provide 3D imaging of the home’s exterior. For an additional fee, Sanctuary offers digital fly-through graphics and videos that allow you to move from room to room viewing spacial relationships, scale and views from each room. This capability is unique to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau and allows a client that is not well versed in reading or visualizing one dimensional architectural plans the opportunity to see exactly what is being delivered in your design before construction.

Design Development is the third phase of Architectural Design. This phase involves finalizing the design and specifying items such as materials, window and door locations, appliances, electrical, lighting systems and general structural details. Our lead designer will work closely with you during this phase to ensure items selected meet your approval and design intent.

Construction Documents is the fourth and last phase of Architectural Design. At this stage, we have a final design and can now prepare construction drawings/blueprints, notes, and technical specifications necessary for bidding, construction, and permit application. Construction contractors will use these detailed drawings and specifications to construct your new home. Engineering is not always required or necessary for all building sites. In the event the services of a licensed engineer are needed, Sanctuary will contract with a local third party engineering firm to provide engineering services.

Landscape Design

Landscape Design involves both the science and art of designing outdoor spaces. Fundamental design concepts including proportion, unity, balance, perspective, color and texture combine to create a fully integrated design.

A landscape designer is far more involved than just deciding where to install recommended trees and plants after your home is constructed. A professional landscape designer is an important part of the Sanctuary team and is highly involved in the early stages of your project starting with the Site Planning phase.

Why? A professional landscape designer will help you map out a vision for your outdoor living space while considering best views, climate, sun exposure, utilization of special land features, and terrain elevation changes – all within the confines of your budget.

Site Planning

Once your property has been identified, the second stage in the process of building your dream home is Site Planning. Selecting the ideal building site on your property involves much more than consideration of the best views. We can assist you in contracting with a local survey company who will generate a Boundary Survey Map and Topographical Map for your property.

Using both maps, our lead designer, landscape designer, builder, and architect will tour the property with you to determine the best site location for your new home considering all factors. Proper Site Planning for your new home can maximize home and outdoor space functionality and often minimize building costs.

The team will provide you with a topographical map showing boundaries, terrain elevations, special topographical features, and the preliminary footprint of your proposed home positioned on the recommended building site. For mountain home construction, positioning a home correctly on the property can often reduce home construction costs associated with pouring concrete stem walls and foundation walls.

Property Selection

The first stage in the process of building your dream home is Property Selection. If you would like help in finding a property that meets your objectives and plan on building a new home, Sanctuary can assist you.

Selecting the ideal property for any client is highly dependent upon their interests, desired location, lifestyle, views and budget. These factors will greatly drive the decision.

Our team is experienced and well positioned to provide you with options for finding the perfect property. Once your property has been selected, we will provide all the other process elements needed to design, build and furnishing your perfect dream home on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.

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