LIFESTYLE TRENDS FOR 2021

Inevitably, the Covid lifestyle prompted some global lifestyle trends in 2021. Choices around property in general, and your home in particular, have certainly been affected.

Resilience and adaptability will be the driving forces in 2021, according to global market research company, Euromonitor International. Not surprising really, as that's what we've carried through from 2020. How does this impact on us as homeowners or prospective ones?

We have to start with home offices. A space which may have previously been used as the study...or the spare bedroom...or, best of all, the granny flat, need repurposing.  If you've a household of people of different generations, all with 'workspace' requirements, everybody's looking for that little quiet niche. Properties with any room or outbuildings - even a large interior room ripe for stylish partitioning - that's able to tick the box of 'office', is in high demand.

Working from home has also driven another trend, in that those who previously needed to be 'in Durban' or elsewhere specific, have discovered that's not the case. They can move to a more remote suburb, work from there and, if required, travel to the traditional office once a week - less time on the road, less wear and tear on the car, more leisure time, or the flexibility to work outside of traditional working hours.  

The demand for gated estates is always there, but alongside that, there's been a significant rise in demand for freestanding homes. Understandably, according to Euromonitor's recent data, 51% of consumers chose 'time for myself' among their top three life priorities, and as Myles Wakefield, CEO of Wakefields Real Estate says, "It's easier to have that Me Time if you have space. If your children are being home schooled, and you and your wife are both working from home, space is like gold! Many freestanding homes afford that, and during lockdown, owners and prospective owners, have seen the value of that."  

DIY has flourished. Looking at industries which have succeeded during lockdown, the stores or suppliers dealing with maintenance, house upgrades, décor and gardens have flown high. Not surprising really, when we've all spent an inordinate amount of time in our homes, examining our tired curtains, seeing what's under our noses requiring TLC, what could do with a freshening up, and what improvements we could make. DIY stores have been buzzing, and You Tube tutorials have rocketed in popularity.

As a sidebar, particularly in the tiny home and minimalist movements, Euromonitor identified another retail goldmine prompted by the need for space: furniture companies and home design firms which have designed single items which have more than one purpose - the bed which turns into a desk, storage under sleeper sofas, the Murphy bed in a cupboard on the wall.   

Kitchens have long been a significant focus in a home, but today, with every member of the family baking bread or fine-tuning their braaing skills, the kitchen or, by extension, the curated braai area, has taken on an even bigger significance. Kitchens are a big deal, and prospective buyers want all the bells and whistles.

And gardens are blooming. Yes, they've been spruced up, but more than that, it's been that connection to nature which has escalated: birdbaths, bird seed and bird watching...vegetable and herb gardens, not only for the harvesting, but for the health benefits, the exercise, and the enjoyment of planting and watching them grow. Slightly further from home, this nature connection has been taken even further, and conservancies, parks and nature trails have experienced a massive increase in interest. 

With the absence of gyms, there's been a surge in home gyms or mini fitness zones popping up in garages and gardens. Whether it's the full Monty with pulleys and weights, or a trampoline, a running machine, or a corner for yoga...it's here to stay.

During lockdown, there's been a greater awareness of sustainability and the earth's diminishing resources. There's clear evidence that consumers shopping online for everything from food to clothing are favouring companies which really care. At home, properties are being populated with water tanks, recycling bins, and solar lights, panels, heaters and so on. The keenness to switch over to alternative energies isn't new, but it's escalated quite dramatically  - a combination of factors, but certainly a sharper awakening to the realization that we need to become self-reliant and self sufficient. For many a homeowner previously scared off by the prohibitive cost of going off grid, they calculated the long-term advantages and the undoubted value-add to the property...and have made the transition.  

Technology has been the golden key to a seamless business transition to home, schooling, leisure...and thereby, mental health, fitness and so on. The trend going forward is to equip the home to the best of your financial ability, with the fastest, latest wi fi, security systems, and so on. When it comes to technology and working from home, second best doesn't begin to cut it.