Now that consumers have experienced life during a pandemic, many will be wanting to pandemic-proof their lifestyles and their homes and what we will see is a surge of new trends in property development and what buyers want. Exactly what this looks like nobody can say but, based on our firsthand experience we have a few ideas
Work space or space to work
We have seen that it is possible to work from home and conduct important meetings virtually. Although not without its challenges, for many people it becomes a trade-off between a little discomfort and distraction by working from home or wasting time in traffic on the daily commute. With flexible working becoming more and more popular many companies will ease up on expecting employees to report to work Monday to Friday and with that will come the need for a more-than-adequate home office. This will be a space that is flexible enough to be converted into a room for relatives who insist on staying over during high days and holidays but then can be a working office space for the bulk of the time. Perhaps we’ll see more Murphy beds (a bed that is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall) in the future? Workspaces will have to work for their occupants, that’s for sure, but space will also likely have to be shared with the new home classroom. New York City has closed all public schools for the remainder of the year, so we’ll definitely see lots of clever tricks on how to make a small space function for learning
A clean slate
We have all now spent weeks cleaning our homes, and have experienced the sheer impracticality of the design, materials and finishes when it comes to this. Of course, smaller homes are easier to clean and maintain but sometimes it’s not the size of the home but rather the layout. Having experienced this, homeowners may opt for sturdy, scratch-resistant materials with good longevity- materials like Caesarstone, granite, slate and tiles will probably top the list. Carpets will also likely be less desirable not only from a hygiene perspective but also because they require regular and thorough cleaning.
Modular homes
This pandemic has shown many of us that we want greater choice when it comes to the design of our homes. Modular homes are an answer to this- the allow the buyer to start with a base and add on rooms or spaces from there without the final product looking like a mess. The beauty of a modular home is also greater cost control and less time spent overthinking intricate architectural design. Most modular homes come with a base design, so the ultimate choice is the buyer’s. Modular homes also echo another post-pandemic trend which calls for smaller homes with better functionality for everyday life, however the South African market is yet to catch on to this trend.