The key selling points of a home have been revealed by Rightmove. How we view our homes has changed drastically over the last few years, especially following the pandemic. For nearly two years, we have been restricted to staying home to work, socialise and study. As a result, much importance has been placed on having a home with enough space for everyone in the home. We saw a shift away from city living and a rush to move into larger homes with better access to outside space. The stamp duty holiday combined with changing priorities and historically low interest rates, created a frenzy in the property market.
We saw an imbalance between supply and demand resulting in prices rising even further.
At Nicol Estate Agents, we understand what people are looking for in their next home. We have seen a clear shift in what buyers are looking for in recent years, with space being the most important aspect – more so than location.
With rising energy bills, we have also seen a clear move towards green features within our homes. Renewable energy, solar panels, garden offices, sun rooms, underfloor heating, bi-fold doors and open plan living have surged in popularity.
However, conservatories, greenhouses, dining rooms and fitted wardrobes all appear to be on the decline.
Garden offices have soared in popularity as a solution to home or hybrid working. Property listings that mention them are 11 times higher than in 2012. Many home offices today feature electricity, heating and WiFi making them an ideal solution for those needing a dedicated home office. Bi-fold doors are now extremely popular as it gives people a way to bring the outside in, especially following some very hot summers over the last few years. Another in-demand feature are summer houses. These are extensions that have a flat roof and windows but less glass than a traditional conservatory. It’s great for a home gym, office or playroom.
This year there has been an increase in the popularity of open plan living as buyers look to optimise
Here are Rightmove’s features which will attract potential buyers in 2022 and the percentage increase in proportion of listings mentioning the feature.
Garden office: +1046%
Bi-fold doors: +589%
Orangery: +17%
Underfloor heating: +114%
Summer house: +90%
Open Plan – 74%
Dining room: -28%
Fitted wardrobes: -29%
Greenhouse: -46%
Conservatory: -52%