Rethinking Your Ideal Home

Your Ideal Home – You Maybe RETHINKING!

For Many, Home Sheltering Changed Their Definition of “Ideal Home”

After spending so much time at home during this pandemic, you likely see all the flaws in your house.  Naturally, there’s typical stuff, like a leaky faucet, cracked kitchen tile or the old carpet which likely needing replacement.  Additionally, there are often bigger issues, some invisible to casual observation.  Maybe the house simply no longer fits your needs.  Especially if you anticipate spending lots of time at home, even after stay-at-home orders, optimizing your living space may now be more important.

In time, many notice what they consider shortcomings to their home.  A recent survey illustrates changing preferences about what people consider their ideal home and how Covid-19 lockdowns have changed perception regarding their wants in their next home.

In April, 2020, realtor.com asked a representative sample of 1,300 U.S. home buyers how sheltering in-place has changed their preferences for the their current home lifestyle, as well as for their ideal next home.  Predictably, results reveal shifting preferences.  Rethinking what you want in your ideal home seems natural, given that so many have been hunkered down for weeks or months.

It’s no surprise that with parks, restaurants, and other gathering places shut down, people are treasuring outdoor space. That’s reflected in the survey. When respondents were asked about the features that have gotten more important to them during the pandemic, a wish for a patio or yard took the number two spot, accounting for 13.2 percent of responses. A quiet neighborhood topped the list (13.4% of responses).
One in five respondents said that more space is the most desired change in their current living situation. Updated kitchens (13%) and home gyms (11.3%) ranked second and third.

Your Ideal Home May Be Influenced By Your Demographic Profile

Wished-for amenities vary by age, gender, parenting status, and whether respondents were renters or owners

Preferences for certain features varied across demographic groups such as gender, age group, and parenting status.  For instance, renters would like a quiet neighborhood, storage, and a spare bedroom. Parents with young kids value flexible space like craft areas, game rooms, a home office, and workout space. They’re also interested in either an in-law suite or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
Kitchen updates, house style, and more space ranked higher with those over the age of 55. With so many working from home, consumers also say they’d appreciate better technology like faster WiFi and smart home features. Respondents in the 55-plus age group were the most likely to be content with their current home, yet in a future property, they’d value a bigger house, an updated kitchen, and better technology.

Staying Connected

One of the most challenging aspects of the stay-at-home orders has been isolation and separation. None of us were prepared to be apart from family and friends for so long. Perhaps no group has experienced these feelings of isolation more acutely than seniors. It’s made worse when seniors’ access to and ability to operate technology is limited. Though jumping on a Zoom (the free video conferencing platform) meeting is a cinch for younger people, it can be an enormous challenge for some seniors. There’s help for seniors who want to learn to better understand and use Zoom.  SeniorPlanet.org offers a written step-by-step guide in multiple languages walks through step-by-step set-up. Here’s a link to the online PDF: PDF setup guide for Zoom on seniorplanet.org

---