Everyone remembers laughing as they watched the viral video of Professor Robert Kelly being interrupted by his children on a live video call with BBC News in 2017. Little did we realise at the time how familiar his experience would become to so many of us just three years later.
So many people across the country spent most of the first half of 2020 working from the kitchen table or crammed in the corner of the spare room, conducting meetings by video call and hoping not to be interrupted by the children, the dog or an Amazon delivery. This dramatic change in people’s working lives has led to a reassessment of priorities in a lot of ways, but the shift in the Housing Market has been particularly pronounced.
So how is working from home changing how people buy and rent?
Space outside the city
The pandemic has allowed people the space to take a step back and assess their quality of life. City-centre living is not as appealing or practical as it once was and proximity to the office is no longer a driving factor. This has opened up a whole new range of housing options for most people. Not only is countryside living cheaper, but it also complements the slower pace of life which many have come to enjoy during the pandemic.
Since the initial UK lockdown restrictions began to ease back in May and house-hunting could resume, estate and letting agents have been inundated with calls from city-dwellers looking to get out of their tiny flats and escape to the countryside.
Outdoor space
The first lockdown severely limited how much time we were allowed to spend outdoors in public spaces. Although the second lockdown is not as strict in this respect, people are still conscious of spending a lot of time outside their homes and, with social distancing now the norm, public spaces are less practical than they once were.
The result? Buyers and renters in 2020 are making gardens and outside space a priority when choosing their new home. A survey of UK property professionals revealed that over 80% predicted a rise in demand for homes with gardens or balconies.
Office space
In April 2020, nearly 50% of people in employment did some work from home, with almost all UK office workers swapping their home-to-office commute for a bedroom-to-living room one. As companies re-evaluate the way they operate, more and more people are adjusting to the idea of home working as a more permanent way of life. A quiet study or at least somewhere with space for a large desk is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Patchy phone calls and glitching video conferences just won’t cut it, so decent phone signal and reliable Wi-Fi are also essential.
So, is the WFH culture impacting the Housing Market? Absolutely, and property specialists are reacting quickly to ensure they can offer home buyers and renters living solutions which suit their new lifestyles. Tyneside Developments has recently refocused its attention with this shift in mind; construction is well underway on Highbury in Jesmond, creating three high-end family homes, each with attractive outdoor space and excellent views over the Town Moor. As we all look ahead to 2021, this profound culture shift will inform the many exciting projects the company has planned for the coming year.
