Changing rooms

MORE THAN FOUR in ten British homeowners (41%) adapted their home to suit their changing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, costing the nation a huge £36.5 billion, according to new research[1]. Homeowners were surveyed across the UK to understand how the nation’s room requirements have shifted due to the pandemic and how our homes have changed as a result.

Amongst those who said they had to make changes, more than half (53%) say they have entirely repurposed at least one bedroom whilst one in five households (22%) have lost multiple bedrooms. Nationally, this equates to a whopping 8,856,000 bedrooms that have been ‘lost’ amongst the UK’s 24 million privately owned homes during the pandemic.

HYBRID WORKING SET TO BE A MAINSTAY
With remote and hybrid working now set to be a mainstay for many, almost half (46%) of those who have made changes have created a home office – which equates to over 4.5 million new home offices emerging across the UK. Of these, over half (58%) say that they plan to permanently keep it.

Alongside home offices, there are plenty of other ways in which Britons have reincarnated rooms in their home since March 2020. Nearly 1.3 million home gyms have been created, alongside 984,000 home bars, nearly 900,000 home cinemas or music rooms and 688,800 dedicated classrooms.

MORE CONTENTIOUS ROOM CHANGES
Repurposing entire rooms doesn’t come cheap. The research shows that UK homeowners who adapted their homes spent an average of £3,714, with home offices costing on average £1,735, gyms £1,568 and home cinemas £3,841. Nationally, this is a total of £36.5 billion.

Home offices, in particular, have been one of the more contentious room changes, with many being forced to give up living space in order to simply carry out their job. In fact, 16% of homeowners who created one say they resent giving up space in their home for the benefit of their employer.

COMPENSATION FOR THE SPACE LOST
Nearly seven in ten (67%) believe that employers should pay all or some of the cost of setting up a home office, with 12% thinking that they should even offer compensation for the space lost. However, the reality is that just 2% of those who set up home offices say that their employer offered compensation, and only 30% say they made any contributions towards costs at all. Just 10% covered the full costs.

For those who have had to repurpose rooms, more than half (55%) say this has meant they have had to compromise on their space at home, leaving homeowners less happy with the space they have. Amongst those who have, 28% say they now have less space for guests to stay, 21% say they have less or no privacy and 11% state that their children now have to share a bedroom.

COMPROMISE WITH LIVING SPACES
However, this feeling of not being completely happy with your home rises significantly amongst younger homeowners who likely have smaller properties. More than eight in ten (83%) homeowners under 25, 78% aged 25-34 and 65% aged 35-44 say they are currently having to compromise with their living spaces.

For many, having to change their home setup during the pandemic has highlighted the need to find somewhere new and better suited to their changed needs. Of homeowners who have made changes, nearly a third (32%) say that this has made them consider moving home.

Don’t forget, our professional, friendly advisers are on hand to support you and can help you explore all of your options.

Source data:
[1] https://www.zoopla.co.uk/press/releases/changing-rooms-nearly-9-million-bedrooms-lost-in-the-uk-after-homeowners-repurposed-their-homes-during-the-pandemic/