A separate room for a home office, plenty of space and a garden area is higher on Oslo’s homebuyers’ wish list than it was before the pandemic.
Shows a survey by the research institute YouGov for Aktiv Eiendomsmegling.
Home: All the homes that have been sitting in during the pandemic have clearly affected what people want from their homes, says Active Indomsmigling CEO Carsten Unsrud. Photo: Active Indomsmuggling
People needed more strokes on the arm, says Active Indomsmigling CEO Carsten Ansrud.
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The need for peace and quiet
The survey was conducted in April, with responses from more than 500 Oslo citizens over the age of 18.
As many as 51 percent of respondents under the age of 55 said the pandemic had changed what they wanted at home.
It becomes especially important with the opportunity to work from home in peace and quiet, preferably in a separate room.
Many sat and looked each other in the eye at the dining table and saw that it might not have been quite perfect, Unsrod says.
Home office: Many people have opened their eyes to the possibility of working from home during the pandemic. Now more homebuyers want a separate room to work in. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB
He adds that this applies to both adult couples with young children, and students who live in a group.
Men are especially interested in having their own room to work in. The survey shows that 20 percent of male residents of Oslo say it has become more important, compared to 14 percent of women.
Women want a garden
The pandemic has also made more people want a chance to go out in the garden or sit on the balcony.
Unsrud says people want the opportunity to go out and stretch their legs without meeting people.
During the pandemic, there were several periods when you had to stay at home, and several periods with strict restrictions on the number of people allowed to visit.
Onsrud thinks this may have made more people see that it is important for the home they are buying to have an outdoor area.
Rumor: It’s always been popular with a garden, according to Unsrud, but a new survey shows more people want a garden now. Photo: Pandora Film/TV 2
Most women are aware of the need for a garden. The survey shows that 21 percent of women became more interested in having a garden or green area, compared to 13 percent of male respondents.
claustrophobia
Privatmegleren’s CEO, Grethe Meier, says there have been many who have experienced claustrophobia at home during the pandemic.
– It was simply too close, she says.
So it is becoming a growing trend to renovate to get a better place with kids.
In addition, there were many in Oslo who wanted to buy a piece a little larger, preferably out of town.
– We note that this demand has decreased slightly. She says we forget quickly.
LIMITED: Privatmegleren’s Managing Director, Grethe Meier, says there is a limited supply of garden family homes in Oslo. Photo: Truls Aagedal/TV 2
You have to give up
Although many people dream of buying a spacious house with a garden, very few can afford to buy this one, says Meyer.
Most people are just struggling to get into the housing market, she says.
Although there are many who now want to buy a home with a home office and gardens, Mayer doesn’t think this is a trend that will necessarily continue.
There is a reason we chose to live as we did before the pandemic. Many people want to live in a big city, and then you have to give up space, she says.
Expensive: Due, among other things, to rising housing prices in Oslo, many people have moved out of the city during the pandemic to get more space, says Grethe Meier of Privatmegleren. Photo: Jan-Petter Dahl/TV 2
Energy saving homes
Aktiv Eiendomsmegling CEO Karsten Onsrud believes the pandemic has left a mark too deep for us to forget the former’s experiences.
– He says the changes in housing preferences are here to stay.
In addition to the larger space, home office, and garden, Unsrud also sees that more homebuyers are becoming more concerned about how much electricity the home is using.
– We’ve seen recently that people are asking more about how energy efficient homes are, says Unsrud.
He believes that anyone looking for housing will ask more about this in the future.
Unsrud thinks that higher electricity prices might be a good explanation.
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