As a general rule, people prefer consistency in all things, however, when world-changing events occur, people adapt their needs and preferences to the world as it is now, rather than the world as it was before. COVID-19 represents one of those world-changing events. Yes, things will regain some normalcy, but people are now aware of new realities they will want and need to adapt to. As such, the Chernov Team expects home buyer preferences may change to reflect these newly discovered realities. This article will briefly discuss a few housing changes that will match these new preferences thereby increasing the chances of selling your home quickly.
- Large Pantries
When COVID-19 was recognized as a serious issue and states began issuing Stay-At-Home orders, we all saw the mad dash for groceries. While this proved to be an unnecessary course of action, it does inform us of how people behave in an emergency; they stock up whether it’s logical or not. Since people have a natural tendency to stock up in times of emergency, and “emergencies” will be fresh in our minds for some time, it makes sense that the modern homebuyer would place a premium on larger pantry space. This allows them to store more during a crisis, which may be appealing at this juncture in time.
- Hands-Free Lights, Sinks, Etc.,
It should come as no surprise, but we fully expect society will become more germ-conscious as a result of COVID-19; it would be very odd if we came out this pandemic having learned nothing-at-all about contagious diseases. As such, we expect a trend to emerge where buyers prefer switches and faucets that don’t require you to physically touch them. Installing these items will likely put your home ahead of the curve. It’s too early to see what kind of return-on-investment (“ROI”) you can expect by installing items like this, but we expect it will be good and will provide the added benefit of convenience for you while you are living in your home.
- Fancy Home Offices
This shouldn’t be a surprise either, but many people have gotten used to working from home; this might become the new norm for many people who previously went into an office building to conduct their work. Businesses generally don’t shake things up when things are going well because “if it aint broke don’t fix it.” However, a trend has emerged over the last few decades: when emergencies create more efficient business models, businesses are very hesitant to give up the ground they’ve gained. Paired with the fact that businesses have rapidly adapted and catered to this new reality, remote work may become a major part of the economy in the near future. Many people have a feeling that this is where things are heading and will emphasize a room that can function as a comfortable office, rather than something that will do in a pinch (like a dining room table). It would be wise to put some emphasis on sprucing up your home office if you have one, or staging a room as a comfortable home office if you are trying to sell.
- Increased Number of Bathrooms
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that there may be times where we need to shelter more people than usual in our homes at one time, like extended family members or friends. While the reality is that it’s unlikely that we will need to house more people regularly, buyers may still want to be prepared for that possibility. More people in a household means more bathroom usage, and it’s important to have enough bathrooms available for that possibility. Further, in the unfortunate event that someone in the household contracts a virus, they are going to need a dedicated bathroom to themselves to reduce the risk of infecting others. If building more full bathrooms isn’t an option, half-bathrooms may appease the post COVID-19 buyer, as we are likely to see an increased demand for sinks near the home’s entrance so people can wash their hands prior to touching things in the household.
At the Chernov Team we understand that knowledge is power and knowledge of how buyer preference may change as a result of COVID-19 is powerful knowledge indeed. At the Chernov Team we know that whoever comes to the table most prepared leaves with the most, and the Chernov Team always leaves the table with the most.
