Here’s what the pandemic has taught me about today’s buyers and sellers.
There are a couple of key lessons I’ve learned during the pandemic from interacting with buyer and seller clients that I think are important to share with homeowners.
First, the pandemic has taught us what the word “home” means to us. Things you may not have liked about your current home have likely become accentuated since you’ve probably spent so much more time there over the past year, whether that means the kitchen you don’t love, outdoor space you don’t have, or the limited number of rooms to host Zoom calls in, etc. That’s why many buyers are out there looking for homes. They’re thinking that instead of remodeling, why not just get something they love?
That’s great, but I also want to caution you against making long-term decisions based on, generally, a short-term pandemic. I know nothing has been short about 2020 and 2021, and it’s been a very trying time for many reasons that I don’t want to minimize. However, there are a couple of things to consider. The pandemic taught most people that they could work from anywhere and that commute doesn’t matter. When things go back to ‘normal,’ though, what if telecommuting is no longer an option all the time? What if there’s a hybrid arrangement where you have to go back to the office? Well, guess what: That 30-minute or hour-long commute (or however far away you are from your office) matters. Traffic is coming back, which means its normal patterns—e.g., rush hour—are coming back too.
There are a lot of lessons to learn about what the pandemic has taught us to love about our homes, but many people are making big long-term decisions based on where things stand today. The bottom line is that they also need to factor in what their lives will look like several years from now regarding their work/life balance, commute, amenities, etc.
I’d love to help you through this decision-making process, so if you have questions about today’s topic, don’t hesitate to call or email me. Have a great day!
