Many estate agent’s brochure write-ups are about to get more complicated as Zoopla reports that nearly nine million bedrooms across the UK have been turned over to other uses during Covid.
The portal reports that 41% of home owners it canvassed reported adapting their home during the pandemic to suit their changing needs.
Half of this group told Zoopla they’d entirely repurposed a spare bedroom to to a new use while some had changed two bedrooms – reflecting the increased number of households where both parents or partners work.
But it’s not just about bedrooms becoming offices. Out of the 8.86 million homes that have changed, 1.3m have become home gyms, 984,000 home bars, nearly 900,000 home cinemas or music rooms and 688,800 dedicated classrooms.
Room categories
This is going to cause problems for estate agents, many of whom categorise homes by how many bedrooms they have, and will require further explanation in particulars and portal listings – otherwise skim-reading potentially purchasers will think properties are smaller than they really are.
“It’s clear that our homes have changed substantially as a result of the pandemic, with home offices in particular becoming a regular fixture across UK households,” says Andrew Marshall, Zoopla’s Chief Commercial Officer (pictured).
“Our research also highlights the opportunity for agents to focus on the versatility of their listings when marketing them to potential buyers – and we’ve heard this first hand from agents out on valuations, too.
“It’s no longer just about marketing a four bed house – a three bed plus a home office is proving to have real attraction amongst buyers in a post-lockdown world.”
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