BRYAN, Texas — People have been spending a lot more time at home because of the pandemic.
While most of us spend our waking hours within the four walls we call home, you’re not alone if you’re starting to feel a little trapped or bored. That's why one real estate agent says one of the first things people might be looking for after the pandemic is more room and a bigger house.
“Number two is a home office, that really started about a year ago, now it’s become almost required because a lot of time you have two parents at home working, plus now you have kids at home working," said Keller Williams realtor Mike Green.
Having all family members at home may also have you rethinking your floor plans.
“Now when you have kids at home and one or two parents at home, there’s no privacy. So now more of a closed floor plan really, is more of an asset, and really technology, you see the smart homes, everybody wants to work everything from their smart phones, things like that," said Green.
With more people spending so much more time at home, they may start paying attention to details they didn’t notice before.
“People are spending more times in their homes, so I think they will become more intentional about their space, you know there’s just a lot of opportunities for people to do that to bring joy to their home," said Stearns Design and Build president Hugh Stearns.
Stearns says focusing on different elements throughout your home will impact your health.
“The first ones that I always think about is one of the last ones that people think about, and that’s light. Natural lighting, and artificial lighting, really are huge design elements. So if somebody doesn’t really want to spend a lot of money but wants to think about the lighting in their home, they can create some nice impact. Color for example is another great one. We know color affects mood, it affects a sense of place so people become mindful of the colors, which we think these are kinds of things that people who are spending a lot of time in their homes are going to become more aware of and want to participate in," said Stearns.
He also added that his company is starting to see more people want outside spaces that are designed for distancing so they can have people safely.