How ‘Work from Home’ has Changed What I’m looking for in Real Estate

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Home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home

I don’t need a mansion on a hill
That overlooks the sea
Anywhere you’re with me is home

Elvis Presley knew it way before the current times that home is where the heart is. We have read this cliche time and again but our super hectic lives and fancy offices had reduced our homes to mere bed and breakfast places. So much so that some of us forgot that home is where true relationships wait for us. It is not a mere brick & mortar but an extension of our lives. With Covid 19, one thing which has significantly surfaced is that our homes our are only havens so, we better put a thought to it and make some intelligent decisions.

Speaking of intelligent decisions, ‘Work from Home’ has totally changed what I’m looking for in Real Estate. As per an article in The Hindu, future home buyers are looking for bigger homes that can give them a better lifestyle at an affordable price. For long, corporate professionals have looked for home spaces near their work area to cut down on their travel time. This idea is losing its popularity with the working class. The ‘Work from Home’ concept has become the pivot for home-buying decisions. Millennials are now preferring buying than renting homes. Covid has impacted real estate decisions in a big way.

Now I’ll talk about how work from home has changed what I’m looking for in real estate. I’m looking for outer spaces now, a space I never cared for before. I’m looking for big balconies facing parks where I can see kids playing and elders walking. I’m looking for a porch which connects me to the outside world without stepping out of my home. I’m looking for a balcony garden that takes away my gloom with the pigeons that fly over it. I’m looking for ample corners to keep huge plants so that the oxygen in my house is purer and cleaner. I’m no longer looking for furniture pieces to beautify my living spaces. On the contrary, I’m looking for empty corners and shelves to put an abundance of indoor plants. The only colour I want in my house is green that turns orange in autumn and red in spring.

The other day a friend in London was planning to buy a new home. She calculated her amortising monthly repayments online and created a plan that considered all her contingencies. She could easily do specific calculations and also see graphs of loan repayment options along with clear monthly and yearly amortisation tables. She could also estimate mortgage affordability based on her income. She wants to shift her parents in her house and therefore, needs a bigger space. Covid has made us all realise the importance of near & dear ones and immediate support structures. I cannot agree more!

Covid 19 has changed the outlook towards real estate in a positive manner. The shift can be seen considerably. With companies making ‘Work from Home’ the new normal, a lot of people are considering buying own homes than staying at a rented place.

There was a time when my home was a bed & breakfast alternate for me. I would be away from it most of the times and would only come back to sleep. Weekdays would go in office and weekends with friends. I would not see my balcony for weeks. And today it’s a walk between the balcony and the room which keeps me sane. It’s the breeze of fresh air that keeps me sane. It’s the tiny view of the outside world through the leaves of the big tree outside my balcony that keeps me sane. It’s the walk to the balcony to get the Tulsi leaves for my tea that keeps me sane. It’s the warm sun pouring through my balcony fences on chilly winter afternoons that keeps me sane. My definition of sanity has changed and my home plays a pivotal role in it.

Coming back to my idea of ‘Work from Home’, I can only say that since the walk between the home and the office has seized to exist, the walk between rooms better be comfortable. Being a mindset and well-being coach, I understand the importance of everything that touches us because everything contributes to our well-being. With home being the new office, it’s a mandate to create a safe space that looks like a cozy work corner with ample positivity, sunlight and fresh air. Life’s on a short fuse, let the work space create a friendly vibe.

And yes, my next real estate purchase will have a big balcony facing a big garden that will see kids jumping with joy. Covid 19 has made me realise the importance of human touch and my new house will have ample of it around. What do you say?

Have a good day!

Tanya

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