Our need to be close to our jobs has always been a factor in choosing our homes. But thanks to the late 20th century online revolution, this is changing. Today, more people than ever before are choosing a path that sees them working remote. Many factors, including the recent global pandemic, are influencing this decision.

As a result, the way that we choose the home we want to live in is also changing. New home buyers are looking for a whole new set of criteria that needs to be satisfied. Let's take a quick look at some of the top ways in which working remote has changed the present nature of home buyer demands.

Open Floor Plans Are No Longer a Top Priority

For many years, one of the biggest priorities for a savvy home buyer was an open floor plan. The reason was simple: They wanted lots of open floor space to move around in. Home buyers with pets or kids were particularly eager for this particular feature. Open floor plans were thus a major selling point for builders to take note of.

However, this is a trend that may recently have come to a sudden end. Large open spaces are no longer in hot demand. The rise in the amount of people who work from home has led to a sea change in building priorities. As a result, homes with areas that can be turned into dedicated office space are much more popular.

The more enclosed space a property can offer, the better. People who are engaged in the practice of working remote want as many additional bedrooms or basement spaces as possible. Attic spaces that can be converted into a home office are also very welcome. Closing off spaces to meet these demands is a feature home sellers need to consider.

Another factor to keep in mind is that, since working from home means spending more time at home, new owners are also looking for ways to spend time out of doors. This means that, after working long hours at their home office, they are more likely to go out to eat, exercise, or be entertained at a theater, club, or movie house.

This means that fewer people than ever are looking for properties with open space that can be turned into a personal gym or home theater. They would rather convert this space directly into a home office to work from. Meanwhile, they prefer to conduct as many other activities as possible outside the home as conditions may permit.

More People Can Now Work Farther from Home

One of the more interesting changes that being able to work from home has brought is a change in the way people buy their new properties. Home buyer demands now take in quite a few properties that are located much farther from their place of work. This is due to the fact that working from home enables them to live wherever they choose.

As a result, people can now contemplate saving money on buying a home that is located well away from the center of town where their job may be. Since they work from home anyhow, this is not a problem. They can always check in via their PC, laptop, or phone while enjoying a life well away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city area.

For example, a person who works from home can now consider living out of state or very far upstate from the city their job's main office is located in. Home buyer demands are thus changing to take advantage of this new geographical freedom. This also gives a new flexibility to property owners who own homes for sale in more remote locations.

People Are Staying in Their Homes Much Longer

One of the biggest changes in the way people buy and own homes is the length of time they are now prepared to spend in them. Up until very recently, the average length of time that a person owned a home was estimated at 6 years. Thanks to the recent round of changes, that time has now expanded to a record-setting 9 years of occupation.

This means that home owners are now looking for a property that they can maintain at a high state of comfort, as well as efficiency, for nearly a decade at a time. The ability to work from a central home office will certainly play a factor in their next purchase.

However, there are other criteria to consider, such as the ability to maintain and increase the ultimate resale value of their property. This is a factor that is most certainly influencing the choices that present day home buyers are making. It's a factor that will continue to do so in years to come.