Zillow Research Reveals New Home Hunting Trends

The pandemic hit the real estate industry particularly hard. Reports by a multitude of portals have pointed to a global shift in what consumers look for when shopping for a home. With remote work becoming, in some cases, mandatory, people are beginning to realize that the current home trends might not be the most efficient or comfortable for this new way of living. 

Until recently, one of the most popular home designs has been open-concept, where there are fewer walls and doors to separate rooms in the house to favor combined spaces for families. Now, consumers are looking for homes with more privacy, since lockdown measures are keeping people inside more often than not. 

Zillow research has found that home hunters are leaning more towards newly built homes with this in mind, as opposed to older houses that offer larger communal spaces. 

Berks Homes data shows consumers will want more rooms after the pandemic and that current and future built homes will answer the call with smaller communal space and more rooms to separate individuals. 

Katie Detwiler, Vice President of Marketing at Berks Homes, said:

"Open floor plans are changing. People are feeling like they need more privacy, so we'll see more doors - especially for home offices - more insulation for noise control, and separate spaces to keep the kids busy while parents work. 

"More people will work from home in the future - period. There will need to be space and privacy to accommodate that."

Berks Homes is not only keeping more rooms in mind but designating some of those rooms to separate individuals from the more dirty aspects of living with other people, including adding mudrooms to garages and double master bedrooms or ensuite guest bathrooms to offer more space for more separation.

Zillow Design Expert, Kerrie Kelly, predicts that smart-home features will gain popularity, as many of these technologies are touchless. 

Kelly explained:

"Touchless faucets and bidets are only the beginning. 

“Just wait until the floor tile takes your temperature and the bathroom mirror checks your vitals. Exciting new products are on the horizon when it comes to keeping a clean, safe, and healthy home."

Trends are shifting quickly. Figures show that people are drastically changing the features they look for when searching for a new home. First, it was the need to live away from the more populated and crowded cities. Then, larger homes in more rural areas had spikes in inquiries on portals. Now, portals are seeing that people are focusing on the need for more privacy to meet the societal changes that have arisen from the incredibly contagious COVID virus.