How Could the Homebuilding Industry Change Moving Forward?

By Jack Donaldson, Westport Homes

As states are reopening and many workers return to the physical office, several companies and their employees have adjusted to the work-from-home construct. Some have even embraced the idea. If this becomes a trend beyond the short-term, we may see the preferences of homebuyers begin to evolve along with the trend. Homebuilders have taken notice.

In addition to geographically changing where people might choose to live, this shift may increase demand for amenities like home offices, home gyms, and more outdoor living space. As many of us have learned, working from home requires a space for more privacy, peace and quiet. Especially in smaller homes, the accommodation of more privacy could challenge the “open-concept” floor plans that have been very popular in new homes over the last decade. The long-term effects of the pandemic remain uncertain, but it has already caused some buyers and builders to start thinking differently about home design. This article from Builder (and the one I mentioned above) discusses how the industry could change both geographically and functionally.

I wrote about homebuilding because I had a deadline and it’s what I know, but it felt so trivial considering everything going on right now. If you’ve made it this far, I would encourage everyone to find the time to listen to James Bell’s Off the Record podcast episode, “George Floyd: Race, Power & Our Community (with Jimmie McMillian and Michael Tolbert)”. In these uncertain times, many of us are asking, “what can I do to help?” This discussion is moving, informative and insightful.

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