Right now, we’re going to talk about changes in residential layouts over the years.
Featuring:
René Nelson, Eugene commercial real estate broker
Marcia Edwards, Eugene residential real estate broker
Marcia Edwards: We’ve been talking about trends. What’s coming up and how life is going to change long-term from some of the adjustments we made that we don’t regret during the COVID crisis. So in the housing, we talked about there needing to be an office place or Zoom space, and that there’ll be more walls. In fact, great rooms are not all that anymore. New construction is actually adding rooms and walls a little bit more because people stay in their space more of the day.
René Nelson: Talk about that. What’s that look like? Because I know you know a lot of builders and you’re in the new construction wheelhouse.
Marcia Edwards: Remember the typical busy American family would launch early in the day. Everyone would go their separate directions. They’d land in time for dinner, probably have a quality dinner. Maybe the TV’s on. Maybe it’s not, let’s be honest.
René Nelson: Yeah.
Marcia Edwards: And then they’d depart into their rooms and call it a day. Now, when there’s people that are coming and going from the house, even without the virus out there, there’s going to be coming and going. It’s a different flow. And even snow days may go away. Think about that for kids. If it’s a snow day, it just goes online. School goes on online. I’m a dream killer. That’s a sad situation. But anyway, sorry, kids out there. The idea of the flow of the house has to be different and has to be much more manageable. You can’t have the TV on when someone’s trying to study in the same room.
René Nelson: So are you seeing that people are creating media rooms, small media rooms, where they put TV and electronics in one room?
Marcia Edwards: Exactly. It used to be theater rooms. Now it’s scaled down to media rooms, little office nooks. So there are some more walls, but not big spaces. This is a good rebirth though, like the Breeden Homes up in the Southeast Hills where there’s four bedrooms, three levels. That separation is going to be an advantage now.
René Nelson: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Okay. Well, I live in a four level house and I got to tell you that is not all it is cracked up to be. Your knees creak when you make it up to the second level. And you’re like, somebody carry me.
Marcia Edwards: Well, at the same time, a lot of people get one level prematurely and they’re becoming more passive in their lifestyle because they’re expecting to become more passive in their lifestyle. If you know what I mean.
René Nelson: I know exactly.
Marcia Edwards: It’s just that they’re anticipating it. So it’s somewhere in between. Maybe four stories is a bit much, I’m not sure.
René Nelson: Are you seeing ADUs be of interest to people?
Marcia Edwards: Well, yes. In fact, if Eugene can break loose with an ADU program. The State has done what they need to, to set us up for success with a lot of auxiliary dwelling units up to 800 square feet of second living including a kitchen space. So you’ve got a great opportunity since they’re not letting us spread in our urban growth boundaries. We’re going to be going vertical and infilling more. And this is a way to do it. That’s a great topic.
René Nelson: Oh, we have to come back and talk about that.
Join Eugene, Oregon, real estate experts: Bob Nelson, Real Estate Investment Broker with Pacwest Real Estate Investments, and Marcia Edwards, Residential Real Estate Broker with Windermere Real Estate, daily at 5:30pm on KPNW for the “Real Estate Today” radio show.
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