BRITS are prepared to buy a new property miles away from their place of employment – because many plan to continue working from home permanently, a study has revealed.
A fifth of workers hope they never have to set foot in the office again, even after lockdown restrictions are lifted and the world returns to normal.
As a result, a poll of 2,000 UK homeowners found that two-thirds would now look to move to a house that was better designed for home working.
Homebuyers now also put having an office as a higher priority than a garage or a house that is eco-friendly, while a bigger garden is also key.
The research was commissioned by online estate agents Purplebricks, whose managing director, Christian Howes, said: “Certain things about 2020 will have far-reaching repercussions, such as the desire to continue working from home in many cases.
“But it seems many Brits are still looking for homes with enough room for entertaining guests – showing we can’t wait to gather in groups again.”
The study also revealed that technology is changing the way people view and buy homes with 33 per cent turning to Google Street View to help scout their potential new neighbourhoods.
More than half would be happy to try out a ‘virtual viewing’ if they were looking for a new home now, while 42 per cent would also be prepared to use an app to help manage the sale.
And age is no barrier when it comes to technology, either, with 70 per cent of those over 65 open to viewing homes virtually.
More than half (52 per cent) of the older generation are also ditching property sections of the local paper in favour of apps.
Six in 10 adults think modern technology like home viewing apps makes the process of buying a property quicker, compared to ‘traditional’ methods like ringing estate agents or flicking through the newspaper.
Seeing more detail about a property before even stepping in the door and having easy access to information about the local area were the main reasons for tech speeding things up.
TURNING TO TECH
More than a tenth would even be happy communicating with their solicitor and estate agent over WhatsApp when trying to get a house move over the line – although 39 per cent would prefer to keep communication mostly on email.
It also emerged that more than four in 10 of those polled via OnePoll have increased their use of technology during lockdown periods.
And 43 per cent of those who bought their home more than 10 years ago looked at the property section of the newspaper – compared to now, where 62 per cent would use the Rightmove app.
Christian Howes, from Purplebricks, added: “The fact that people are using technology so much more during lockdown, whether that’s to work from home or keep in touch with loved ones, means it’s no surprise that technology has impacted the home moving process as well.
“We’ve seen more interest in virtual viewings as potential buyers look to keep on the move, despite certain restrictions over these difficult periods.
“It is also interesting to see how the use of technology has increased across all ages of homebuyers during this time.”
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