Home Changes During 2020
Just think in 2019 most homes were quiet and empty during the normal 8 am to 5 pm working hours but now in 2021 with many people working remotely, and downtown offices and businesses shuttered, your once quiet relaxing home has now turned into an office, gym, playground, school, or for those with many children, a proverbial zoo. With many families staying in their homes, and no real end insight to COVID-19 restrictions, wish lists of things that they would like to change in their home reflecting today’s way of living are ever growing.
Home builders like Stillbrooke Homes with some effort and thought can turn the wishes and wants into reality. Here are 9 ways we think the “feeling of home” will change due mostly in response to the 2020 pandemic.
1.Multi-use / Multipurpose Rooms
Many builders were using flex space interchangeably, but only on select plans for years, but we think that just may be the new norm. A quiet place for working at home means real doors to shut off spaces entirely, will quickly make a comeback by giving the privacy needed while being able to completely use the space in the future for yet another purpose.
Guest bedrooms now become not only a place to sleep, but also an office. Thus offices turn into in-law rooms, lofts are now used more often, all while your dining room may also become the new place for school, complete with video zoom conferencing paired with low voltage wiring, and a high definition monitor.
2.The Need for Home Offices
An at home office is now at the top of everyone’s wish list. But your traditional office can now be, any room in the home, including an alcove, closet, or hallway. Most people working from home may now realize they need that extra study/office room for a work station that is specifically designed to help them complete their normal work tasks from home.
3. Health and Safety Upgrades
Quick upgrades like touch-less faucets and built in voice controls are going to be a top wish for everyone. Builders are going to start using more products like quartz counter-tops because of the antimicrobial qualities they have, and construct floor plans with mudrooms that have sinks off of the garage to be able to get clean before even entering the home. Other designs that will be focused on keeping your home as germ free as possible will be easy clean flooring, and foyers for taking off shoes before entering. Clean air and whole house air filters and monitors, make another come back. Remember Radon? Probably not as much as before COVID-19, but none the less it hasn’t gone anywhere and neither did the flu or common cold.
4.Year Round Yards
Another way to feel and use more space is to turn the backyard into a functional room, an outdoor spot to unwind, cook, and play. Upgrades like heaters, fans, or an outdoor kitchen can transform a backyard from hardly being used to one of the key places to be. Outdoor kitchens and quiet spaces mean more now than just a place for soccer and swing sets. We are talking multi-use spaces to enjoy the great outdoors, just in case a full lock down reemerges in the future. An outdoor home class room? Why not?
5. More Storage, Stock Up!
Now that cooking at home and buying groceries in bulk is encouraged the need for large pantries with shelving and room to organize is extremely desired. Extra closets and storage rooms are one of the best ways to optimize the functionality of a home, without thinking you’ve joined ranks of those “crazy preparer types”. But wait, no judgement, weren’t many preparers right? Go ahead, now that things may be normalized grab extra toilet paper, paper towels, and non-perishable foods. That pantry that was once a 2nd thought is soon to be massive in comparison, complete with its own ventilation, and maybe even supplemental cooling system for perishables.
6. Specialty Spaces
Just think, in 2019 how often did you hear the words zoom, remote, door dash, and similar services? Did we really believe that Targets, Whole Foods, and Walmart would deliver our much needed items? And then there is Amazon, the massive jungle that grew at a record rate because of the pandemic. So why not meet these realities head on? A zoom room? Integrated lock box? Or how about a high-tech take on the return to the old school mail drop that was prevalent throughout homes in the early to Mid-20th century?
7.The Car
The car you say, what does that have to do with this subject on homes? Plenty, cars are the symbol of freedom for Americans since Henry Ford invented the first car for “the people” in 1896. Now virtually every known maker and most new startups are electrifying the industry, to just feel clean, and clean is the buzz word of 2020 and beyond. You’ll see more and more changes in the home, oil stained garage floors of the 90’s will give way to polished floors and high tech gadgets. Corners of garages once filled with auto tools are pushed aside for camping, sports, and other activities, geared for outside getaways. Is this the future of a special delivery vehicle?
8. Security & Surveillance
How do you now protect your sacred shelter? Watch for many high-tech features to make your home more secure such as alarm systems being brought back into the home, or everybody’s new favorite the doorbell with a camera for monitoring activity at your front door. The riots of 2020 which prove for many people to leave urban areas, and take shelter in more remote places is ever present in our minds, after family businesses shattered and to never return.
9. The 2nd Home
With over 10 million people leaving the West and East Coast and other highly populated urban areas, seeking safer more tax and friendly places, you’ll see the second home change to more remote areas than the condos of the 80’s and 90’s. We have seen ranchers, and ranchettes alike in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Montana, Colorado, and here in NM dramatically increase in price in just 2 years. What was $5,000 an acre in 2019 is pushing $10k in 2021. Finally that 2nd home might be a rental, keeping your home, but having a big escape and recover plan in case of another pandemic, or worse, riots.
In conclusion no one predicts the future, if we did, in December 2019 we would have bought enough toilet paper to fill our small pantry and certainly enough hand sanitizer to last 5-10 cleanings a day for a good year. But what we can say is that America and the whole world has changed forever, and those preparers are no longer crazy, they are us. Our homes whether first or second are no longer just investments or shelter, they are our sanctuaries from outside forces both natural and man-made. Barring no continued undue or government over reach, of course. Still the American dream of home-ownership and owning private property is as prevalent now, as in the 1770’s when the pursuit of private property was written synonymously and edited interchangeably to “the pursuit of happiness”, in that most important document to America.
