Housing Design Trends Are Changing and It’s COVID’s Doing

Our lives have been put through the ringer in 2020, thanks to the global pandemic. However now that the vaccine is making its way around the nation, life is slowly (but surely) returning to normal. It’s true that we will have to adapt to various changes going forward, but not all changes are negative. One of the more notable changes regards home design trends. 

Folks who are in the process of picking a realtor to buy a house are very particular about what features their new homes should have. Let’s take a look at the top five home design trends buyers are searching for, post-COVID.

1. Space for multi-generational living

There are a variety of reasons why families are choosing to live together; older family members may need to be cared for, college age students may not be able to live on campus, or someone could have run into a financial crisis because they lost their jobs. Whatever the reason is, household sizes are getting larger and as a result, homeowners and buyers are interested in homes with space for multi-generational living. 

These spaces can be a simple bedroom with a bathroom attached or it can be a brand new addition, complete with a kitchenette, living area, bathroom and bedroom. 

2. Home offices

Remote work is likely to be a permanent policy for many companies and remote workers are interested in having a dedicated home office so that they can get their work done with little to no interruptions. Depending on the number of people working (or learning) remotely, homeowners may want more than one home office.

3. Home features to promote self-care

For the most part, gyms, spas, and other places people could go to focus on their well being have had to shut down to keep employees and patrons safe from the virus. This caused homeowners to think outside of the box and carve out a space where they can recharge at home. Some people turned finished basements into a home gym and meditation spaces. Some people may have invested in a hot tub to ease their weary bones. Heck, homeowners even ripped out their ordinary bathrooms and installed luxury fixtures to make their bathroom feel like a spa!

4. Doors and walls 

For the past few years, open floor plans were incredibly popular because the large open space made communicating and entertaining easier – especially when someone was in the kitchen and everyone else was in the living room. However, after sixteen months of being stuck in the house, people want privacy. They want to be able to go into a room, shut the door, and not worry about what’s going on in the rest of the house. 

5. Space outdoors for entertaining

There’s nothing like going outside to get some fresh air, right? If you’ve been someone who enjoyed going on hikes, participating in some community event or getting together with your friends and taking the kids to the park… This pandemic must have been extremely difficult. Thankfully, 2021 is proving to be a better year than last and while things are reopening, homeowners are focusing on turning their backyards into the envy of the neighborhood. They’re creating outdoor kitchens (or at least a beefed up built-in grilling area), they’re installing swimming pools, and they’re even creating an outdoor living area that rivals the interior living room. 

If you’re in a position where you need to buy a house and you’d like a property with some (or all) of these trends, you can contact a local realtor to get an idea of what a house with them could cost. You’ll also want to use a home affordability calculator to see if you could afford it. Keep in mind that home design trends are always changing, but we suspect that these particular features will be in demand for the foreseeable future.