In demand in 2022

What buyers want from homes has certainly changed in the last 10 years, with the pandemic playing a key role in changing lifestyles and demands from a home. 

With more people looking for home-work space, optimising the rooms and accommodation available has become increasingly important, along with a desire for outdoor space. But what are the most in-demand features this year? Here's what Rightmove found from 2022 buyer analytics. 

Home features rising in popularity
Garden office +1046%
Bi-fold doors +589%
Orangery +173%
Underfloor heating +114%
Summer house +90%
Open plan +74%

The garden office has soared as buyers look for space to suit their home-work balance. Whilst a study is still valued, a garden office is increasingly popular. Some could argue this is a supply vs demand situation, the reality is that there are more homes now available with a garden office; a result of using garden space to add to the home. There are 11x more homes for sale with garden offices than there were a decade ago, but with a rise in over 1000% demand, they are most definitely sought-after!

Bi-fold doors are a great feature to allow homeowners to maximise their use of the outdoor space .

An orangery is the new 'must-have' but what makes an orangery an orangery? These brick-built extensions have a flat roof and windows, but not as much glass as a conservatory.

You'll have noticed that most of these popular features involve the garden in some way. This could be a result of buyers looking for the best value a home can offer; using the space to its absolute optimum whilst ensuring any features make a home more usable, more sociable and more adapt to a lifestyle.

Open-play living is back. With a growing need for versatile space, the rigid option of a separate dining room is not always favourable. Rightmove's 10-year comparison shows that dining room mentions are down 28% whilst open plan is up 74%.

If you've got a particular list of requirements in your next home, be sure to tell your local branch and our team will do their best to match you with your dream home!