Remote work is here to stay, influencing how we look for new homes

We all know that the pandemic changed the way people navigate the workforce these days. Working remotely became necessary and has remained popular even after the passing of the pandemic. Experts say this trend will continue to be popular for years to come and even predict that more than 36 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025.

For perspective, that’s a more than 400% increase compared to pre-pandemic times where around 7 million workers were fully remote.

For those that work fully remote, or even hybrid, this will cast a different light on how you search for your next home. With less commuting, it will open up the possibility to not have to live in a certain area to be close to an office. You can move out of a major city and into the suburbs if that’s your desire. (Internet is usually better there too). The location flexibility alone can boost your chances of finding a home that fits your budget as it allows you to cast a much wider net.

When it comes to features of the actual home, many Americans are looking for things like bonus rooms that they can covert to home office spaces. Garage space has become more precious because a lot of parents are choosing to convert their garages into “man caves” just to have space that is for the parents to be able to have some distance from the kids. Or perhaps you may want to add a loft or even an ADU above the garage. These are all considerations that are considered the norm now.

It’s clear that the pandemic prompted a reevaluation of what constitutes an ideal home, and these shifts may continue to influence real estate trends and home design for years to come.

Seth Lejeune is a partner/team leader at REMAX HOMEPOINT in Royersford and can be reached at asksethanything@gmail.com or 610-804-2104.