Our changing priorities
Lockdown has put a renewed focus on where and how we live. Some have emerged happier, some have made improvements. Others have decided it’s time to move on. According to a survey by Rightmove, it has changed the priorities for nearly half of renters (49%) and over a third of buyers (39%) currently looking for new homes.
One of the key issues is space. We want as much as we can get, but at the very least, a spare room that can be used as an office. It means there has been a substantial reduction in interest in flats. Before lockdown, the top 5 most sought after properties included both two bed (ranked No.5) and three bed flats (ranked No.3). Now there are only houses in the top five.
1) 3 bed house
2) 2 bed house
3) 1 bed house
4) 4 bed house
5) 6 bed house
For renters, the changes are even more pronounced. Studio flats used to be the most sought after. Now everyone wants small houses and bungalows.
We don’t just want bigger internal spaces, we want more outside space, too. Searches for homes with gardens on Rightmove were up 42% when compared to last year and by 84% for renters. The full list of our priorities is as follows:
63% – a bigger garden (or access to one)
43% – a bigger home
36% – access to parking space or garage
36% – a better home workspace
31% – to live closer to parks and green spaces
30% – to live in a more rural area
24% – to live closer to friends and family
22% – to live in a pet friendly home
15% – to live closer to non-essential amenities
13% – to live closer to essential local services
8% – to live closer to work
Renters have very similar priorities, although they rank ‘living in a pet friendly home’ higher, at No.3 (29%) rather than No.8.
With around half of the people Rightmove surveyed saying they were currently working from home (49%), it’s no surprise to find good internet speeds were also a priority. On the other hand, proximity to transport links and commute times were less so. That’s part of a more general desire to live in more suburban and rural areas, although it’s far more pronounced amongst buyers (30%) than renters (13%).
It will be interesting to see how many of these priorities change when the pandemic is finally over. There’s no doubt, as life returns to our cities, flats’ popularity will be restored. Some things, though, look set to remain. Many have enjoyed the experience of working from home and 21% said they’d like to continue doing so and 55% saying they’d like to mix home and office working.
Whatever your new priorities might be, we at J W & Sons can help you find your perfect home in any one of the following areas:
#Acton
#Ealing
#Chiswick
#Hammersmith
