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What Home Workers Really Want
Almost 70% of architects said they have changed their design thinking as a result of Covid and more than 30% said that it had specifically affected their...
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Hard Time In Lockdown Determines New Home Desires
What made things harder during lockdown and how this has changed buyers’ requirements for their next home has been revealed in a new report by insurer Royal London.
38% of home movers stated that the pandemic is what convinced them to move home.
Space for pets, natural lighting and parking were all revealed as important requirements for future homes.
The Covid restrictions and lockdown measures have seen millions of UK households set up remote offices in their homes. With so much time being spent indoors, it was inevitable that there would be a change in what people want and require from their home. This is why Royal London chose to survey current and pending home movers to reveal the new property features they desire and the areas of the UK they’re looking to move to, whether these be more rural or urban.
Harder
The top features that made lockdown harder were small garden/outdoor area (33%), lack of indoor space (27%) and no outdoor space (24%). Lack of workspace came in at 21%; a lack of parking at 17%; and poor quality internet, 16%. Lack of natural lighting was 16% of those surveyed.
The property features home movers now desire
It would appear that lockdown has changed much more than how our homes and gardens are laid out. Since the lockdown in March 2020, there have been 90,000 Google searches every month for ‘dogs for sale’ - so, it is no surprise that 28% of house movers are now looking for extra space for pets. Additionally, from the figures above we can also see that house movers are beginning to look for properties in a location with home offices, and high-speed internet, as well as those with more open floor plans and more parking.
In fact, according to the report, 27% of those moving into a new house consider a home office as non-negotiable, while 21% of flat movers require either office space capacity or a designated work area. Similarly, high speed internet is one of the top preferences for house and flat movers, with 25% and 33% of respondents, respectively, slating fast broadband as a priority.
Balconies, extensions, conservatories or orangeries were also very high on the list. But where space allowed. garden rooms were top of the wish list - or space in which to erect a garden room.
Where though?
One in six (17%) people actively moving or looking to move, has changed where they want to live. Many are packing up their bags for the country as they look to move to a more rural area. However, some people, particularly those living in the London area are looking to move closer to a city.
Commenting on the findings Mona Patel, consumer spokesperson at Royal London said: “The restrictions and lockdown measures have seen millions of households in the UK set up remote offices from their kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms. With so much time being spent indoors, it was inevitable that people would start thinking about their home environment.
“Unsurprisingly, space is the most desirable feature for home movers who want more room both indoors and outdoors. While cities have always been popular home buying locations, the pandemic has seen a shift in attitude as our research shows that there is a greater demand for rural locations.”
Picture: Couples moving home want office space, light and room for pets - and high speed internet. Garden rooms for houses and balconies for flats are in high demand.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
15th March 2021