When pandemic-related closures began in March 2020, many people hit big box stores to prepare for a couple of weeks of inconvenience. Instead, they found themselves working from home permanently, while supervising virtual classes and trying to safely take a stroll around the neighborhood. The days that followed brought swamped medical resources, a stratospheric real estate market, and a host of generation-defining paradigm shifts, which have created permanent changes in the way we think about our health and our homes.
Hi, I’m Michele Irizarry, CEO and broker of Shore Prime Properties. As we are navigating life in this new era, many homeowners are thinking about ways to make their homes better suited to their new realities. Here are a few of the ways that everyone from experts to individuals are rethinking interior and exterior spaces, home design, and daily living.
Goodbye, open concept. Hello, flex spaces. For many years, the chopped up old-fashioned interior home layout has been out of favor, and the open concept free flowing floor plan has been preferred by home buyers in virtually every category and market. However, this new reality, including working from home for multiple family members, virtual classrooms and the need for privacy when spending every minute of every day under the same roof means that more homeowners are looking to transition their wide open spaces into discreet purpose-driven environments.
For some, this may be as simple as putting up a wall to enclose a little used formal dining room. For others, may mean adding walls and sectioning off existing open living spaces into a series of smaller rooms for a variety of uses. If you want to keep the option to have it both ways, consider adding French doors, pocket doors or sliding barn doors to extra wide doorways so that you can have the space opened up as needed. Create separation between out there and in here.
Before the pandemic, many people thought little about the transition between the great outdoors and interior spaces. However, months of wiping down groceries and careful hand-washing have made people more mindful of the gas, objects and germs in our interior environments. One popular addition to current home styles is the transitional space either in an existing foyer or as an add-on to a side or rear entrance. The spaces are good for added shoe storage, coat hangers after school cubbies and other fixtures to keep more of the outdoors away from the interior of a home.
In addition, a hand-washing station or a small powder room makes for an ideal space to wash up before interacting with other family members. For families who depend on delivery services more than ever before, small covered enclosed porches are increasingly popular. These provide a sheltered spot for grocery or package delivery without compromising home security.
Air purifying and cleaner living. Like commercial building owners and transportation and providers, we all started thinking more about the quality of indoor air. There are a variety of ways to ensure that your home’s air quality is as good as it can be. When possible, take the opportunity to replace the air in your home with fresh outdoor air. Turn off the heat or the A/C. Open windows and use ceiling fans and table fans to circulate new air. Replace HVAC filters frequently with the highest quality filters possible to minimize pollutants.
Invest in greener products for home building design, decor, and maintenance. Aim for fewer toxic chemicals and cleaning products. Low VOC-emitting paints and fabrics and fewer pesticides. Make sure you are up to date on the maintenance of your HVAC system or consider replacing it if needed to make sure it’s operating at peak efficiency.
Outdoor spaces takes center stage the large movement from cities to wide open spaces of suburban and rural markets was driven by a desire for more outdoor space. After all, with the closure of entertainment and fitness venues, the ability to spread out and enjoy a more active lifestyle is partially dependent upon the size of the lot or the backyard.
Now, many homeowners may prefer a backyard cookout instead of having guests all seated around the same table or milling about in one room of a home. In addition, with families spending the majority of their time in close proximity, there is even more need for outdoor spaces to stretch out, workout, get away and play.
Exterior features and accessory buildings. As more families seek to convert their existing properties into suitable environments for living, working and playing, accessory dwelling units like guest houses and other exterior buildings have become sought after options for creating space, privacy and a delineation between work and home. These structures provide a space for separate home offices, rental properties or living quarters for immediate and extended family members.
Storage buildings, pool houses, and other recreational facilities are becoming more important as homeowners seek to optimize their outdoor living options. Increasing demand for pools, sport courts and workout facilities promises a similar demand for equipment and storage base to support a more active lifestyle at home. This new normal is encouraging people to do more from home and rethink the way that they live for the long-term. It only makes sense to ensure that your home is prepared to support more conscientious living both now and in the future.
Be sure to like, follow and subscribe to Shore Prime Properties to stay on top of the latest home maintenance tips and tricks. I’m Michele Irizarry selling prime real estate at the Jersey Shore.
