How The Hybrid Workweek & A Post-Vaccine Mindset Will Shape Future Home Buyer Preferences

In the housing market, properties with enough space for remote working from home became very popular, for instance, among homebuyers. That being said, especially for people who are trying to sell their own home before buying another, it’s important to know how tastes are changing in some respects after the vaccine rollout.

While the market itself is opening up quite a bit because of fewer social distancing restrictions, many buyers have discovered new preferences that are making some popular pandemic home features have more staying power. Let’s look at what features are helping homes to sell for a premium these days. 

Features to Enjoy the Outdoors Are Staying Popular

During the pandemic’s height, having a cozy permanent fire pit in the backyard or an in-ground hot tub could be the difference between another humdrum night at home and feeling like you were able to really relax. So far, the interest in outdoor living hasn’t waned; if anything, the pandemic awakened a need for personal access to nature and a little home-based oasis. 

If you’re selling a home and have any kind of outdoor entertaining features, like an outdoor kitchen, expect it to factor strongly for many potential buyers. If you have a freestanding hot tub, consider talking to motivated buyers to see if they’re willing to negotiate a sale that includes the hot tub as a separate purchase, since it isn’t automatically packaged with the home.  

Highlight Bonus Rooms and Extra Bedrooms for Home Office Potential

If you’ve ever wondered about whether your home’s bedroom count prices some buyers out, fear no more. One big change in the priorities of buyers is the interest in dedicated home office space: whether your buyers are full-time remote or are moving to a hybrid schedule, many people are going to continue using a home office moving forward.

Cobbling together an office space worked when remote work was a sudden necessity, but many who are making their next move to a different home are planning on a specific home office space. You don’t even have to have extra bedrooms to make the case that your home is a great place to work: note nooks, bonus rooms, finished basements, and other semi-private spaces as good for home work.

Note Great Schools and Walkability

Two timeless features that attract buyers include strong schools and the ability to walk to dining, shops, or nature parks. Gen Z and Millennials put a lot of focus on these features, and Gen X are also prizing walkability within the neighborhood itself, according to top real estate agents that HomeLight surveyed in Q3. If you note anything that is either walkable or a close drive, your potential buyers will be able to picture the life they’d live in this home, helping to get them from interested into a position of really considering making an offer. A great school district will only improve these features in their eyes!