A recent Eye on Housing blog post examines how lockdown orders implemented across the United States to fight the spread of the coronavirus have given rise to more people working from home and engaging in other activities indoors that they would normally do in public spaces. With the major shift in where people spend their time, it is important to examine the data currently available on home buyers’ preferences for home offices and exercise rooms, as demand for these specialty rooms may grow.
NAHB’s consumer preference study, What Home Buyers Really Want, surveys recent and prospective home buyers about the features they want in a home and community. The most recent survey, conducted in 2018, shows that a majority of home buyers — 65% — want a home office. This share has remained fairly stable in the 60-plus percent range since 2007.
In contrast to home offices, fewer than half of all home buyers are interested in having an exercise room at home, at least prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, 40% reported wanting a room dedicated for exercise. That number, however, has been rising slowly over the years, from 27% in 2003, to 35% in 2012, and then 40% in 2018.
Although the lockdown orders may be eased in the near future, the fact that millions of people were compelled to spend unprecedented amounts of time inside their homes may have a longer-term effect on people’s preferences for home offices, exercise rooms and other specialty rooms.
Because of this rise it’s likely that home owners will be looking to remodel their homes to accommodate for these additions. The Home Builders Association of Jackson has many professional remodelers/contractors who can help. If you are interested in transforming an existing room in your home you might need an interior designer to make the additional space more functional while also insuring your home still looks good enough to show off to your friends and family.
Visit our online Membership Directory to find all the professional help you need to design/build your home office or exercise room.
