Rural communities seeing a surge in real estate sales

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had an impact on where buyers are now considering buying. Working from home being the new normal, rural communities such as the Sunshine Coast are seeing a surge in real estate sales. But what specific features of a home are now more important to buyers than they were pre-pandemic? Here
are six:
Home office
A must-have for a lot of buyers is a home office. Working from the kitchen table isn’t practical or sustainable, especially if the buyer has children. Natural light is important in these spaces, and a view is a major selling feature.
Private yards
There are not many places people can go these days and relax outdoors. As such, people’s backyards and private outdoor spaces are getting used more than they were in the past. Hammock sales apparently went way up last summer, and there’s been an increase in gardening. For buyers with pets and young children, fences are key.
Home gyms
For those who like to exercise, pandemic restrictions closing gyms have made home-based workouts necessary. Having a defined space for working out is more important now to a larger percentage of buyers than it was pre-lockdown.
Detached studios
With a busy family, sometimes a home office in the main house isn’t enough. Many buyers who are now working from home permanently look for some separation between home and work life. There is something to be said for leaving work at the office, even if the office is only ten feet away.
Flex rooms
Multi-use spaces have always been an added benefit to a home, but with so many things going virtual, it is important to have somewhere for everything from guitar lessons to dance classes to doing yoga or even putting together birthday Lego.
Large pantry
If the panic buying we experienced last year taught us anything, it’s the importance of having space to store canned goods and extra toilet paper. Buyers want to be able to keep some reserves for their family, so they are covered if shortages happen again.
Highlighting these features when selling will increase your home’s appeal to buyers with new post-pandemic priorities.
Tony Browton is an award-winning realtor who lives and works on BC’s Sunshine Coast. His weekly blog can be found at www.true
bluerealty.ca/blog, and for tips on how to highlight your homes selling features visit www.tonysells.ca.