In 2020, the whole world turned upside down when nations decided to go on lockdown in an effort to curb the fast spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The entire globe changed seemingly overnight. Non-essential businesses were closing up shop, companies transitioned to remote work, and schools had to switch to online classes. Suddenly, individuals and families had to rely on their homes to be a one-stop shop for rest, work, school, fitness, and everything else—we needed to do everything to survive, all from the comfort of our houses. It’s no surprise the number of homeowners doing home improvement projects since the pandemic began ballooned to about 80 percent.
If the COVID-19 crisis taught us anything, it’s that our homes need to be ready for any type of pandemic. While we may never be 100 percent prepared for what the world may throw at us next, we can give ourselves, and our homes, a fighting chance to survive it.
Here are the ten features of a pandemic-proof house that you need to consider adding to your residential property this year.
Zoom room
Moving forward, more and more homes will have an extra room specifically designed and laid out for people to have a space where they can do video calls. Before the pandemic, people would call this a studio—especially those who have to make content and videos for a living. But now, a Zoom room will become one of the marks of a post-pandemic house.
It will have a plain green wall so that’s easy for people to change their video call backgrounds, studio lights, and comfortable seating. Ideally, it should also be free from distraction, which means soundproofing it is of paramount importance, and it must also be far away from the kids’ bedrooms so that people in Zoom calls are always free from disruptions.
Smart features
Another marker of a post-pandemic home is smart features. Here are some smart tech tools that will prepare a home for other types of pandemics:
- A smart tool that informs the homeowner if systems such as the water heater need repair or maintenance. Some problems don’t show up easily and evidently, so a smart tech tool can help homeowners identify minor issues before they become bigger problems later on.
- A smart air purifier might also be helpful since it can help reduce airborne contaminants in smaller spaces. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that air filtration or cleaning is not necessarily enough to keep people from contracting the virus, but it’s an additional layer of protection that can help.
- Smart kitchens and dual refrigerators that homeowners can access from their phones will also be a big trend moving forward. It will keep people from touching surfaces too often. Moreover, smart kitchens are also usually modular, so they will allow homeowners to keep their most important appliances properly stored and hidden for aesthetic purposes.
Access to outdoor spaces
Here’s the thing: A residential property doesn’t necessarily need a massive yard for homeowners to be able to enjoy an outdoor living space. Here are some ideas for a post-pandemic house that has access to a stunning outdoor area:
- Even the simple act of bringing the outdoors in can do wonders for homeowners. This is the whole principle behind the biophilic concept: Carefully transitioning towards turning our garden spaces into living spaces. So if you don’t have a big property, you can consider turning one of the walls into a floor-to-ceiling window, especially if your home is surrounded by plenty of trees and vibrant greenery.
- Extending the indoor and outdoor spaces is one of the biggest features of a post-pandemic home, so the homeowners of tomorrow will find designs that will provide a seamless transition between the indoor living room and the outdoor seating area, either through materials, color palettes, or furniture pieces.
A focus on physical and mental health
Another main thing that the pandemic emphasized is just how important holistic health is. Protecting ourselves from many kinds of viruses in the present and in the future means ensuring that we are healthy not just physically but also mentally and emotionally. For this reason, many homeowners will invest in an escape room of some sort—a one-stop shop where they can do their daily workout, meditate, or just simply enjoy some quiet during a busy workday.
If you are in the process of building your dream home, do not forget to take into consideration that the COVID-19 crisis may not be the last pandemic we experience in our lifetime. Pandemic-proof your home and protect yourself and your family for whatever may come next.