Our lifestyles are changing – and with this so must our homes. Leading housebuilders are adapting, updating the design of the properties they build to align with the latest wave of social changes and, as a result, the Home Builders Federation has found that our new homes are getting bigger.
One of the biggest drivers behind this change is the need for flexible spaces that can be adapted for various uses and situations. Today’s average UK homeowner has lived at their current address for 17.8 years. This means that buyers now have an expectation that their home will be able to satisfy their needs across a number of life stages.
Additionally, multi-generational family living situations are increasingly common. A greater number of bedrooms, storage spaces, en-suite bathrooms and generous rooms that can accommodate various ‘living zones’, are becoming more and more important for those looking to purchase a home.
First-time buyers today are stepping onto the property ladder at later ages than generations before them. Over 3 million 20-34 year olds still live with their parents, a leap of 618,000 since 1996 – in order to save on rent, making saving for a deposit easier and quicker.
Equally, with life expectancies rising, grandparents are more frequently moving in with the middle generation of their family for the care and company they require.
Another driver of change in home design is the growing trend of working from home. Recent analysis found 1.5 million Britons now work from home, an increase facilitated by advances in high-speed broadband. Superfast broadband is now available at 89% of UK premises, equating to more than 25 million homes.
The changing attitudes of employers toward this practice, to save on office space, or to boost employee loyalty and engagement, means that buyers are now eager to have a space at home where they can work, such as a home office, or an area that can be adapted for this use.
Finally, couples in their fifties and sixties whose children have flown the nest are increasingly ‘right-sizing’. Very often individuals within this demographic are not interested in moving into a much smaller home but instead want a home that is still a good size, with suitable guest rooms for visitors.
As a result, at Redrow we now produce a number of house types specific to the ‘right-sizer’ demographic. These are homes that may have fewer bedrooms (three instead of four or five) but do not compromise on space. Instead they focus on the home’s main inhabitants, with much larger master bedroom suites with features such as ample en suite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes.
Housebuilders reacting to lifestyle trends to take into account changing needs and aspirations in their home designs ensures, not only that we are creating a more versatile and tailored product, but also a higher standard of home that buyers will love to live in.