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A Complete Look At Homebuyers’ New List Of Requirements For 2020 

Rebecca Cohen  |  June 30, 2020

Trying to sell your home this year? Homebuyers have a new list of requirements that need to be met. Here's a rundown on what they're looking for.

How you think about your home today may be very different today than it was at the beginning of the year… Over the past few months, chances are good that your home has not just been your living space — it’s also been your office, classroom, shopping mall and entertainment zone.  All that added life experience has filtered onto a new wishlist homebuyers have compiled as they search for their next abode.  

So, what do we want? More space, for one thing. That’s a big part of what’s driving people from smaller, pricier city dwellings out to the ‘burbs.  he commute isn’t as much of a hassle when you don’t have to do it every day. In those bigger homes, we’re looking for multigenerational living spaces, where perhaps we can accommodate our parents and not-quite-grown-and-flown kids. Buyers also want secure package delivery stations outside their homes to prevent their Amazon-primed items from being stolen. Viral-resistant surfaces and voice technology to power gadgets are increasing in popularity, and home offices — which until recently weren’t much of a selling point — are back in vogue. 

Caroline Carter, Home Transition Expert and Founder & CEO of Done In A Day Inc. laid out all the details of what homebuyers really want in the year 2020. 

The Mudroom. AKA, the new entryway into your home. This is the place where you will strip down from whatever you were wearing in the outside world, scrub any non-protected surfaces (read: hands, face), and, essentially, store the germy parts of your life. Everyone who comes into the home will sanitize here before entering the sanctuary that you live in. 

The Delivery Area. Online shopping is… everything. Food, clothes, you name it, it’s coming to you in a brown box. To ensure security, homebuyers want a safe space where the UPS man can drop packages without having to worry about whether they will be stolen or blown away. This area can also serve as a sanitation station for the products from the outside world before you bring them into your house. 

The Hands-Free Technology. Why touch something if you don’t have to? From lights to music, tech companies are working overtime to ensure all of the gadgets in your home can be activated with your voice. Less touching means fewer germs spread.

The Medical Grade Air Filtration System. We used to only care if our air conditioning and heating were merely working, but now we’re starting to wonder what particles could be in that air that are, in turn, making their way into our bodies. These days, more people are looking into air filtration systems to keep their homes safe. 

The Powder Room. A first-floor bathroom is no longer a value add, it’s a necessity. An accessible first floor sink for guests is crucial in keeping hands clean and germs out of the house. 

The Home Gym. It’s time to get creative, because exercising in the home will carry on, long after the pandemic is gone. It’s critical to have the equipment and space you need if you want to continue to use your house as a gym. Try maximizing the space you have to hide your machines. If you have a big closet with a window, that’s the perfect spot for a treadmill. 

The Backyard. Outdoor space is another critical part of the home. As people begin to socialize more, they will do so outside, in accordance with social distancing protocols to stay safe from this pandemic (and any other bugs that may appear in future). This means we need to have socially distant furniture, like outdoor chairs in place of couches or loveseats, and enough space for people to comfortably hang out without being too close. Being outside gives us the ability to take a break from the same walls we stare at all day while still being in a safe place, so we need to take advantage of this part of the home.    

The Home Office. No, telecommuting is not going anywhere anytime soon, so your home office better be top-notch. And yes, this means you need an actual room with an actual door so you can take conference calls in private without having to worry about interruption. This space is also crucial for kids, who will have online classes and homework to complete come August or September. 

The Kitchen. The heart of the home is about to get an upgrade. The kitchen needs to be bigger than ever before to accommodate for more pantry space and an extra fridge and freezer. Why? So you can take fewer trips out to the market and still have enough space to store the haul of groceries you just got. Since we’re cooking at home more often now, we need better workspaces and countertops and top-of-the-line appliances to help us serve up our restaurant-ready creations. Family dinners are now the norm, so we need a safe space to prepare food for the whole gang. 

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