Building trends are evolving substantially, thanks to the global pandemic. As remote working and at-home schooling became a “thing” during the pandemic, making your home a complete refuge from an uncertain world was—and still is– all the rage. Homes that offer complete refuge-factor amenities are selling faster—and for more money—than those that don’t. Following is what today’s home buyers want in home design:
TODAY’S BUYERS WANT MORE AND BIGGER
What today’s buyers want in home design, first and foremost, is a bigger footprint. First off, open floor plans are still very popular, and that trend isn’t going anywhere. However, homes are being built with a larger footprint, and with more rooms. These rooms are perfect for home offices, gyms, and classrooms or day care areas. The median size of a new single-family home has already grown by 10% since 2009 and continues to get bigger. More that a third of Millennials (36%) want larger homes as a result of the pandemic, according to a survey done by the National Association of Home Builders.
Millennials and GenXers want MORE….more bedrooms, more exercise rooms and more home offices. Future trends include rooms made specifically for video games, golf simulators, and Metaverse rooms where one can wander about while engaging in virtual reality.
Bathrooms are also getting bigger. Now that many of us spend most of our time at home, we do more in every area of the house, including the bathroom.
BUYERS WANT HOMES THAT ARE WIRED FOR TOTAL CONNECTION
Buyers want homes that are wired to the hilt, with the overall goal of being digitally plugged in at all times. Work-from-home folks need a strong signal and reliable internet so they can attend numerous online meetings and get their work done.
BUYERS WANT PROTECTED SPACES FOR DELIVERIES
Covered outdoor spaces designed for a volume of deliveries are all the rage. Many of us avoided going to stores during the pandemic, and instead turned to online ordering and delivery. That trend appears to be sticking even though we are more or less out of pandemic mode. (Amazon should be very happy.)
Many older homes currently on the market aren’t up to snuff when it comes to this brave new world of the home as a complete refuge. You can’t simply redesign an outdated home overnight. However, as part of your long-term listing strategy, you can counsel your sellers to strongly consider some simple redesign updates prior to going on the market. These tips will make your home more desirable for today’s buyers. Things like finishing off the basement, converting large unused spaces to office nooks, adding a sauna, covering outdoor spaces, and so forth, have the ability to substantially impact the functionality of a home and make it more desirable to buyers.