While the whole world has not gained access to COVID-19 vaccines, and many people are choosing to wait to take a vaccine or cannot take one at all, the shift in the United States around April and May was palpable. As more people took the vaccine and cases dropped in the United States, a new mindset emerged. It was particularly tied to the CDC’s relaxing of mask recommendations for vaccinated individuals.
While the surge in Delta variant cases may have dampened this feeling a bit, to some extent, many businesses and other workplaces have returned to some form of normal, even if distance and masking still rule the day.
This mindset, however, hasn’t completely reversed the housing market’s trends from the 2020 and early 2021 months. Instead, the continued experiences of hybrid work or remote work, enjoyment of life at home, and a reluctance to return to fully in-person use of facilities like gyms, all are continuing to affect the housing market. Here are some of the trends that seem to be persisting, according to Homelight’s survey of top real estate agents from Q2 2021.
Have Space for a Home Gym? Market it!
An interesting persisting trend is that of working out at home. If you invested in expensive gym equipment during the pandemic’s height, it can feel silly to leave your Pelaton at home and go back to paying for a monthly gym membership, even if it is safe to work out there. If you have not been sure how to market semi-finished spaces like a nicely-built garage or a fairly new basement, pointing out how it could make a great home gym can be a real selling point. Your potential buyers will see their big bulky equipment finding a nice spot there, and will consider it more.
Get Creative to Show an Office Space Option
Of course homes with a lot of bedrooms are popular right now, as many people want additional bedrooms that can also become home offices for remote work. However, if you are marketing a home that has only a few bedrooms or even just 1 or 2, you can still get creative! Consider how different elements of the home could be reworked to look like an office: do you have a built-in desk in the den, or a small nook under the stairs or near the kitchen? Style these locations as an office and your potential buyers will remember that this popular option is available for them.
People Caught the Walkability Bug so Emphasize It
If you live in an area where an easy walk will get you to shops, nature paths, or just a pleasant neighborhood area, make sure to mention it to potential buyers. Many people took up walking more in the past 18 months, given the restricted options for getting out of the house, and a walkable home is now considered a very valuable commodity. Walking distance to dining tends to be popular with younger folks, and just having a nice flat walking path through the neighborhood can be a value-add for many different age groups.