How long has it been since you hunkered down at home? Does it seem like an eternity? When the shelter-at-home orders began to lift restrictions, did you burst from your home like an inmate experiencing the first breath of freedom? Since the very beginning of the pandemic’s restrictions, we’ve been hearing from eager homebuyers, ready to move forth in spite of the current situation. We thought you might be interested in learning what buyers are looking for in their next home, at least from the ones they’re buying from Riverside Homebuilders.

#1 request: Please be quiet. I’m trying to work!

A majority of recent homebuyers expressed that using their dining room or bedroom as a home office just wasn’t cutting it. Shuffling work stuff out of the way of the household clutter was just one problem. Privacy was another. It’s really hard to carry on a professional Zoom meeting when your kids are battling in the background or your partner is folding laundry on the bed behind you. 

You can’t carve out a home office by setting up a space somewhere in your home, a space that’s shared with other functions. You need a dedicated home office, with a door, please. Many of our homes feature a den that could easily transform into your home office, including the wiring you need for strong connectivity.

#2. Is it me or has this house shrunk in the last 2 months?

You bought into the open concept for your home because you loved the idea that everyone can be together, whether cooking in the kitchen or sprawled out on the couch watching television. 

And then everyone stayed home and the main living area suddenly felt like it was missing some walls. It’s not that the open concept isn’t working, but that you need an extra room—one where you can send the kids to play or do their online classes, or a room where you can escape from everyone else. A flex room used to be a nice extra, but it has become a priority on the wish list of today’s homebuyers. Whether you use it as a playroom, hobby studio, workout space, man cave, or No Kid Zone, you’ve probably already determined the need for an extra room in your next home.

#3. Honey, where can I put the 50-roll pack of toilet paper?

At some point during the shelter-at-home cozy confinement, you probably stocked up on some basics as you were able to locate them. Judging by the gaps in the toilet paper, paper towels, pasta, soup, and bread aisles in the grocery stores, consumers went a little crazy with supplies. Then, they got home and had no place to store their treasures.

The next home, for sure, will have a walk-in pantry. That feature has become as desirable as the walk-in closet (which is where some homebuyers admitted to stashing their toilet paper trove). Picture the organization you can bring to your supplies, from non-perishables to small kitchen appliances and those gadgets you thought would be much more useful when you bought them.

#4. Please go outside and work off all that energy.

Homebuyers have also come to appreciate the need for a large yard. They need an outdoor living space that can actually support outdoor living, which means a variety of activities. Let the kids enjoy wide open spaces and let the dog run freely with a yard that’s an acre or more. 

Buyers are trending away from urban locations, apartments, and condos to put more space between themselves and their neighbors. Our Online Sales Counselor Rachel Morton has been guiding them to the many different Riverside Homebuilders communities that offer these 1-acre+ yards.

#5. I’m breathing WHAT in my home?

We’ve all become more aware than ever of air quality. While you wear a mask for protection in public, you don’t do it at home. Maybe you should. Did you know that indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside? With today’s construction, homes have become very airtight, so there’s no air leaking in or out. 

Those dust bunnies tumbling through your home are made of dust mites, hair, dead skin cells, and insects. Plus, you’re probably inhaling pet dander, allergens, and even chemicals that are emitted from paint, furniture, carpet, scented candles, and household cleaners.

We’ve added a REME HALO whole-home air purification system to our new homes. This bulb connects to your air ducts and purifies every cubic inch of air throughout your home!

#6. You know I can hear y’all, right?

Do you have those walls that provide almost no sound barrier? That’s a sign of inadequate construction and insulation. We build homes the way we want to live, so you can be sure that the walls of your Riverside home are providing privacy as well as structural integrity.

It’s a smart time to buy a home right now. Interest rates are lower than they’ve been in almost 50 years—but they won’t stay at these record lows. Housing prices will rise and the demand for buying a new home will deplete the inventory that’s available. If you have your heart set on finding a home that does more than provide a roof over your head, start looking right now. Get in touch with Rachel to explore the communities and locations where we’re building single-family homes with affordable luxury. We also have neighborhoods and new homes for sale in  the DFW metro area that qualify for 100% financing.