The tragic events of September 11th changed how people lived, traveled, and entertained. It also changed how people built their next homes and how they lived life at home. The tragedy created a paradigm shift in the country and in Real Estate.
After September 11th, people were afraid to travel and didn’t want to go out to large public places. Instead, they invested in their homes. Several years after, the average new home became much larger. In 2010 the average home was 2169 sq. ft. and five years later the average home swelled to 2687 sq. ft.
People started investing in comforts like finished rec rooms, home theaters, and bars. They also started spending more money on outdoor living areas with fire-pits, pools, patios, and outdoor kitchens. Instead of going out, they “stay-cationed”.
The Corona Virus will similarly change the way people live in their homes now and in the future. Belman Homes has created some concepts and designs that we believe people will need and want in future homes.
- Home Package Delivery Room
The Safer At Home orders have created a spike in online ordering and delivery. Online ordering was already growing at a rapid rate. With more people spending time at home and spending their dollars online, a space to accommodate home deliveries will fast become a staple in home designs in the future.
These rooms are not very large and don’t have to be super expensive. The idea is simple. Either at your front entry way or a side entry area of your home, a person could add a small extension with an additional exterior door, and the additional door would have a smart lock-set on it. Your delivery company is either given a code or can message you at their arrival to open the first door. They then can drop off your deliveries on the drop zone or on the built-in shelving. Any refrigerated items can be added to the refrigerator as well. The delivery person would not have access to the main door to your home, so your house remains secure. As for your packages; they stay safe, dry, and potentially refrigerated if needed for grocery delivery services.
2) Decontamination Room
This may sound a bit extreme, but a decontamination room makes a lot of sense. No matter if you are a nurse, someone who may be in contact with germs, or someone who does manual labor that needs to clean off before coming into their home, a decontamination center may be perfect for you.
This concept is effective and is not much different than your typical bathroom. The room has an exterior entrance where you can remove your dirty or contaminated clothing and deposit the clothes either in a storage box or a stack-able washer and dryer. You then walk through a shower to clean yourself off. On the other side of the shower you have storage for towels and a clean change of clothes. You are now ready to walk into the rest of your home clean and germ free. Plus, it doesn’t look radically different than a normal bathroom!
3) Cold Storage Center
Let’s face it- you have probably bought quite a few more groceries and household supplies the past few weeks than ever before, right?. Like many of you, the question comes up where are you going to put it?
Creating a cold storage area is a perfect solution. You can build a small room in your basement or it could be added to a rear hallway area in a new home. This storage area is complete with taller shelving with either two or three shelves for bulky items such as paper towels and toilet paper. Smaller shelves help keep cans and box goods organized. A space for a chest freezer and stand-up refrigerator will help keep the additional meats and frozen meals ready for you. If planned out properly, you will not have to leave your home for well over a month!
4) Dual Home Offices
Working from home is on the rise and many companies will look to continue this trend and move to smaller offices in the future. This can put additional stress on a family, especially if you do not have the space in your home to adequately do your work.
More home plans will feature a built-in home office, and as you can see in this design, the particular home has a His and Hers office. Now you can both do your job, talk on the phones and conduct business just like you never left home! Add in some built in storage, filing areas, and extra high-speed wiring and you will be super productive.
5) Home Library/Reading Rooms
Lately, many of us have way more time on our hands than we used to. Creating a calming area to curl up and read a novel or learn some new skills will be a must have in your next home. This room will also be a great area for your kids to pull out their favorite book and get their daily reading in. These rooms can have built in bookcases, window seats, comfy chairs, and bright, dim-able lights well suited for reading.
6) Home school Centers
With schools being closed, a lot of stress is put on families to home school their kids and learn online. A well-placed homework center can make the task much easier. Homework centers can be as simple as a built-in desk area in a loft with good lighting, internet access and well stocked drawers to a larger room with a desk, flat counter or table for projects, art, and activities. A home school center can also integrate a reading area and include a storage closet to store school supplies, paper, art projects and other learning materials
If you would like to learn more about these designs or integrate them into your home, please contact us and we would be glad to help you!
