Q: Are there any changes in what buyers are looking for in a home since the pandemic?
Linda Lewis
As a realtor here in Benicia, I have noticed a sea change as residents grapple with the increased time spent at home. People are starting to require or request a home that better fits their new lifestyle since Covid 19 and the resulting health mandates began. Many people have to work at home, and their houses feel tight. It is frustrating them. They don’t have enough dedicated office space for one or two people working at home. For some, the school/play spaces are not set up well for these new demands on their homes. They want larger spaces with room to breathe, work, play, and relax in their homes.
On the flip side, because we are spending so much time at home, some clients have called and said, “My house isn’t working for me. I only live in two rooms, and I have a four bedroom, three bath house that I have to clean and maintain. The yard is too big. I don’t have time to relax. I need to downsize.”
Sheltering in place has put new demands on what our homes mean to us. People are looking for spaces that fit the “New Normal”, and I like it. I have been a realtor for thirty-four years, and this change is new and challenging. I love that people are looking to settle down again, and put in new roots, and I love helping people find the home of their dreams.
Linda Lewis
Compass
Realtor®
DRE#: 00908045
C: 707.567.5016 | O: 925.627.3096
1646 N. California Boulevard, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Q: Are there any changes in what buyers are looking for in a home since the pandemic?
Christie Sattler
Being homebound for several months certainly puts a spotlight on the home features that we don’t like… as well as those we feel we need now more than ever. Usually I ask buyers what their top three “needs” and “wants” are in a house. I’m seeing a shift of “wants” becoming “needs”, as we all spend more time at home.
Some of the highly sought after interior features now include: a larger kitchen, as people are cooking, baking & eating in more; an in-home office, since more people are working remotely and children are being home schooled and a multi-use bonus room to use as a game room, movie room, gym, or playroom.
Additionally with travel so restricted, outdoor activities have become a critical outlet. Now popular are large yards with space for a garden, pools and hot tubs, outdoor living space, patio covers, play areas for children and even a place to park a boat or RV/trailer.
As we adapt to our changing lifestyles during this pandemic, we have been reminded that life is precious. Where and how we live is more important than ever.
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Christie Sattler
The Sattler Hancock Group
REALTOR® DRE#: 01876823
m: 707.853.9787
560 1st Street, Suite C-103
Benicia CA 94510
