How Has COVID Changed What We Want in a Home?
Priorities aren’t the same as they were just a couple years ago.
There are very few, if any, areas of our lifestyles that have gone untouched by COVID. From school and work to grocery shopping and travel, the details of the way we live have all shifted as a result of the pandemic. Housing and home priorities are no exception! These are a few things homebuyers have begun to prioritize at a whole new level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home offices
As employers across the US closed their doors and moved operations online, families had to problem-solve quickly to find the appropriate space and tools necessary for all earners to keep performing the tasks of their jobs. Many professionals found themselves working full days from the dining room table, the kitchen counter or even the couch or bed!
Now, although some employers have begun implementing return-to-work plans, others are slow to reopen and still more have gone the route of adopting remote work indefinitely. Some professionals have enjoyed working from home so much that they’re leaving their pre-pandemic jobs to find companies that allow remote work long-term.
With such a massive shift in the workforce, it makes sense that many people looking to buy homes nowadays are seeking places with ample space for a home office. With work-from-home here to stay, the demand for quiet and secluded home offices will only continue to increase.
Classrooms
Similarly, families are commonly looking for new homes that offer a designated classroom space. With uncertainty around the pandemic still a very real concern, especially for parents, many families have chosen to continue online or remote learning this year. And while most schools across the country are now returning to in-person learning, protocols around quarantining and isolating may send students home for a few days or weeks of the school year.
2020 taught us to expect the unexpected, and parents everywhere learned the necessity of a well-equipped classroom space at home. Rooms with lots of natural light, a quiet atmosphere, space for learning aids and posters, and a great computer setup are perfect for learning from home.
Kitchen upgrades
Without the option of eating out at restaurants, many people’s attention turned to their own kitchens. Cooking gadgets, space for preparing meals, and at-home appliances all became suddenly more important. Recognition of the kitchen space as the heartbeat of the home and a place for creativity and connection rose substantially during COVID, and in many households the need for an upgraded and well-equipped kitchen hasn’t gone away even as regulations have lifted.
At-home luxuries
With public outings feeling risky throughout much of the last year, some people now seek to make their homes into a new kind of oasis. Backyard swimming pools, at-home jacuzzi tubs, sports equipment and courts, basement bars, and personalized rec rooms are all on the rise. Lots of people figured, if they couldn’t safely go out, they’d create their favorite atmospheres right at home! Turning the home base into a space of fun and escape of its own kind has helped many people cope with the changing norms and regulations throughout the pandemic.
Outdoor space
It didn’t take much time in lockdown for people to begin feeling cramped and claustrophobic. The need to get outside and be in the sunshine collided quickly with the unknowns and stresses related to COVID-19, and it was immediately evident that having outdoor space at home — whether a condo’s rooftop patio or a single-family home’s little backyard — was an immense luxury.
Since 2020, there’s been a stark rise in popularity for large lots. People now cherish outdoor space more than ever, and it’s being used for everything from outdoor parties and family gatherings to sustainable activities like gardening and composting.
Privacy
Just like outdoor space, the desire for privacy and the ability to stay distanced from others have come to the forefront of our minds because of the pandemic. Countless Americans know the stress of living in a packed apartment building during COVID-19, knowing there would be contact outside of anyone’s control as hundreds of residents shared hallways, elevators, and stairwells. The ability to physically distance was much easier for some than others, and much of that ease came down to living arrangements. This need for privacy shows itself in the demand for larger lots as homebuyers look for more of their own space and more distance between their homes and the neighbors’, and in the rise in popularity of fences.
Ready to live in a home that truly meets all of your priorities? Build custom with Atmos and create your dream home. Get started today!
