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Homes with a garden and terraces: buyers’ preferences change

viviendas con jardin y terraza cambian las preferencias de los compradores - Homes with a garden and terraces: buyers’ preferences change

The coronavirus healthcare crisis has caused profound changes in our habits, preferences, and plans. The result of the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 has affected all areas of our lives as well as the real estate market. What does this change in mindset mean?

We now prefer homes with a garden and terraces

Until just a few months ago, for many, their home was little more than a place to sleep. What they most valued was a central location, even above all other factors such as size or luminosity. After weeks of lockdown, the perception seems to have changed. Homes which are truly places to live are valued more and more.

In fact, searches for homes with a garden and terraces have skyrocketed. According to our own data, at Spainhouses, we’ve detected an increase of over 800% in the use of the garden filter and of nearly 300% for terraces in searches in Spanish for homes carried out in recent months. But that’s not all, the intention to purchase in a rural area has doubled and intention to live on the coast has multiplied.

Something that until very recently was a secondary issue has now become a priority. People are searching for homes where they can “breathe”: exterior-facing flats with a balcony or terrace, even if they are small, and homes with patios or gardens that allow you to blow off steam in the event we go into lockdown again.

Exodus to the outskirts

This preference for homes with a garden and terrace has a collateral effect: in the big cities, these types of properties are scarce and the prices are high, so those who are searching for a home now won’t rule out the idea of moving to the outskirts or smaller cities.

This is another of the huge metamorphoses that has led to a new mentality in terms of the real estate market. Distance isn't as important and people are setting their sights farther and farther outside of big urban centres, to areas that are well connected where you can find these homes with a garden and terrace that are larger and more affordable.

Two basic factors that underlie these new preferences

What’s more, there are two big allies in this change in consumers’ preferences. On the one hand there is teleworking, whose implementation is racing ahead at lightning speed. According to Data from Spain's National Statistics Institute, before the state of alarm, less than 15% of establishments in Spain had implemented teleworking. However, nearly 50% implemented it during lockdown so as not to interrupt their activity. And there are many who plan to continue it.

Therefore, as it is no longer necessary to travel to your workplace, distance is now less valued than comfort. On top of this, small cities or towns are offering better and better services.

The second factor has to do with shopping. The growth of online shopping favours people moving towards the outlying districts. Any need can be met thanks to ecommerce, so this closeness to commercial areas that was an additional draw before when it came to deciding on a home isn’t so important now.

Houses with a garden and a terrace, whether or not they are far from the city centre, are now on the minds of many who are searching for a new home. If this is your case, Spainhouses can help you find that ideal home that allows you to live how you deserve.

Enter the criteria that are essential to you into our search engine and in just a click, you’ll have the biggest and best selection of homes that you can imagine.

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