At the beginning of 2020, working from home was a luxury afforded to few. That all changed when the pandemic hit. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus, anyone who could telecommute started doing so. Throughout the year, many companies announced they would be allowing their employees to work from home on a more permanent basis.

With that in mind, many people are seeking or building new homes to accommodate their career shifts. How will this remote work trend change the homebuilding industry as we move into the next few years?

The Rise of the Home Office

During the first few months of the pandemic, newly remote workers often found themselves working wherever they could find space — living room couches, kitchen tables, bedrooms — wherever they could fit with a laptop. This led to a lot of distracted employees trying to contend with kids and spouses sharing the same living space. It also brought about the rise of the home office. Homeowners are either looking for new properties or remodeling their existing residences to include private office space. 

Sometimes, this is as simple as converting a spare room into an office with sufficient lighting and space and, most importantly, a door that closes to ensure privacy. Lock-off rooms are becoming more popular as home offices because they’re more self-sufficient, often including things like bathrooms and even fridges and places to prepare food. This might seem excessive, but if you’ve got a deadline looming and a house full of screaming kids, the ability to close the door without needing to open it again until the end of your shift becomes invaluable.

Refocusing on Energy Efficiency

With everyone staying in their homes, energy efficiency is more important than ever. Most existing houses aren’t designed to be LEED-certified, but it isn’t impossible to convert even the oldest property to something eco-friendly. The goal is to reduce water and energy waste, use sustainable building materials, and improve interior air quality — all things that are attainable for existing properties. 

Companies approached by clients concerned about increased energy usage can instruct work-from-home employees to turn the lights off whenever possible, close interior doors during the day and keep devices off their chargers when their batteries are full. These simple suggestions help reduce energy usage without massive remodels.

Growth Means Delays

This increased need for new home office space means the demand for remodels and new construction will continue to rise in the coming year. Although the first rounds of the vaccine have started to make their way into the general population, it will be quite a while before things go back to normal. That means delays in construction timelines will become a part of life as companies figure out how to balance COVID-related safety restrictions with the increased demand for home office spaces. 

Be sure to give yourself a more flexible schedule to accommodate for these delays because, despite everyone’s best efforts, they will occur. Construction companies have no control over if or when cities or states decide to shut down to slow the spread of the virus. In addition, teams may find themselves struggling to keep up with demand as people end up spending 10-14 days in quarantine after exposure to the virus. Understanding that delays are a part of life now will help you to prepare for them.

Working on Changes

The COVID-19 vaccine is making its way to the general population, but it will be quite a while before things start to stabilize and we can truly put this pandemic behind us. When that happens, some things will return to normal while others will be irrevocably changed. The homebuilding industry is set to fall into the latter category. This isn’t necessarily bad, as it will reinforce the need for energy-efficient homes, but it will take some getting used to as companies embrace a new way of doing business.

Author bio: Jane is an environmental writer who covers topics in sustainable construction and green building materials and the editor-in-chief of Environment.co.

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