{"id":68732,"date":"2020-11-06T10:52:53","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T15:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/?p=68732"},"modified":"2020-11-06T10:52:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T15:52:53","slug":"homeowners-priorities-shift-from-countertops-to-more-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/?p=68732","title":{"rendered":"Homeowners\u2019 Priorities Shift from Countertops to More Space"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Westend61 \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Since the pandemic, buyers focus now on more space and outdoor features. Square footage, living space, floor design and outdoor spaces, like pools, are top priorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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SASKATOON, Canada \u2013 Households happy with their homes before the pandemic have grappled with the compromises they made during the home shopping process. That has sparked a wave of buyers emerging as stay-at-home restrictions lifted \u2013 and many of those households have decided to trade up.<\/p>\n

Prior to the pandemic, house hunters were focused on amenities such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and hardwood flooring, among the most popular keywords a year ago, according to Point2Homes, an online real estate marketplace.<\/p>\n

Since the pandemic, house hunters are now focused on more space and outdoor features \u2013 and not showing any willingness to compromise on them, according to a new survey from Point2Homes, which analyzed more than 1,600 home searches at its site. Buyers are armed with a set of priorities and a willingness to pay a higher price to get everything they want, the survey shows.<\/p>\n

7 client behaviors emerging from COVID-19<\/h3>\n

Online searches post-lockdown have surged. Searches for properties in the $200,000 to $300,000 and $500,000 to $750,000 price brackets are up, which Point2homes says signals that buyers are willing to pay more.<\/p>\n

The top priorities for buyers now center around square footage and living space, floor design, and outdoor spaces, such as swimming pools.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne home feature seemed to be even more important than abundant square footage: Floor plan design and efficiency; or in other words, more walls and more separate rooms,\u201d researchers note. Buyers are on the hunt for more bedrooms and more bathrooms. Searches for homes with three- and four-plus bedrooms are surging.<\/p>\n

As the pandemic prompted people to stay at home, some may have also discovered recent housing trends aren\u2019t the best for their new lifestyle. For example, before the lockdown, many home buyers preferred open-plan rooms and interior design elements that made for seamless transitions between separate living spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, just a few short weeks of parents, children and couples stuck together has reestablished the importance of and need for privacy and personal space,\u201d researchers note. \u201cThe pandemic exposed the cracks in our homes\u2019 foundations: Our humble abodes were not meant to be the headquarters of all our activities. After the lockdown, homebuyers changed their expectations, focusing on more living space, more bedrooms, more bathrooms, and more outdoor features and amenities to help everyone relax while socially distancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: \u201cThe 2020 U.S. Homebuyer: New Price Ceilings, New Housing Needs,\u201d Point2Homes (Aug. 4, 2020)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Westend61 \/ Getty Images Since the pandemic, buyers focus now on more space and outdoor features. Square footage, living space, floor design and outdoor spaces, like pools, are top priorities. SASKATOON, Canada \u2013 Households happy with their homes before the pandemic have grappled with the compromises they made during the home shopping process. That has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"saved","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[]},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68732"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=68732"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68734,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68732\/revisions\/68734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=68732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=68732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=68732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}