The inception of the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the way we live, work and travel. For a few, their current homes are shrinking, while a couple of folks yearn for more outdoor space to spend time with nature. On that note, considerable house owners are building a new home to their advantage. With this, they’re endeavouring to increase the functionality of their home to meet their arising needs.

Plenty of people are opting for a double-storey. But you have to discover the pros and cons of building a double-storey home before drawing any conclusions. However, if you believe a new-constructed home (from scratch on a new land) can only match your needs, then you’ve come to the right place.

There are trending features that you must add when building a new house during COVID. For sure, it will satisfy your hunger. So, without any further ado, let’s get into the seven latest features.

1. Upgraded Kitchen Finishes

During the acute spread of the COVID-19 virus, every door, except hospital doors (of course!), remained shut for several days. Even essentials used to be supplied for a few hours a day. That has given rise to the importance of kitchen spaces ever than before. Depending on the size of your family and your preference, you may want to include the following kitchen finishes at your new home:

• Oversize island: If you host a home party, you may want a large meal preparation space

• Walk-in pantry: For storing a lot of food during such a situation, you would require adequate space

• Breakfast nook or bar: It would serve many purposes, like eating while cooking or cooking while attending meetings in between

• Open shelving: This is the new trend loved by many homeowners

• Integrated appliance garages: It will help you keep appliances out of sight

2. Smart Home Technology

A busy lifestyle is a common headache of many. To add convenience and a pinch of simplicity, jump over to smart home technology. Purchase a programmable thermostat (saves around 10% on utility expenses) and a motion design light (for approximately 30% savings on energy bills). Additionally, invest in smart locks and fire detectors to bring peace of mind, adding a layer of safety protection.

These are just a few examples of smart home technologies that will improve your life and make it more convenient. The brownie point, they all save time and money.

3. Climate-Proof House

Africa, Asian mega deltas, Artic and Australia are threatened by climate change, besides COVID variants. This is giving rise to several acute weather change events, which calls for climate-proof houses. To save your family from severe hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, etc., do the following:

• Firstly, install a wind-resistant ICF wall system. It will hold the roof, walls and foundation altogether during the extreme wind. Additionally, it will prevent airborne debris from penetrating the wall system during such scenarios.

• Secondly, install fire-resistant ICF walls. These walls will prevent the flame from spreading during a fire; it doesn’t even burn, bend or gets mild like steel.

• Lastly, make your walls earthquake-resistant and moisture-proof.

4. Bonus Rooms

Now is the time to think simply beyond the daily necessities (i.e., living room, bedrooms, kitchen, etc.). One of the reasons for making up your mind for building a new home must be a space constraint. Assuming that, you might be opting for a spacious plot. Instead of increasing the room’s dimensions, you can contemplate providing extra rooms (also known as bonus rooms).

You can allocate rooms based on your needs later. However, a few ideas are as follows:

• Movies in theatres have become stressful due to COVID; therefore, you can turn one into a media room

• Similarly, gyms at home are trending a lot; hence, you can allocate one for gyming

• Needless to say, you can create one room for the home office too

5. Mindful Outdoors

So, the 2020 quarantine has forced everyone to ponder on their outdoor space. With the busy schedules and restrictions for travelling (to some extent), outdoor activities are something you’ll love the most. There you can even indulge in your hobbies, goals or simply find solitude.

Here are some amazing and mindful outdoor ideas:

• Install a small kitchen for appliances like barbeque, oven, etc.

• Place some bar stools for parties

• Place a deck and garden around it for morning breakfasts or candlelight dinners

• Create a lounge area with a projector and comfy seating

6. Proper, Adequate Lighting

This is a no-brainer, though we thought of highlighting it. While building a new home, be mindful of your lighting systems. They play a crucial role in your convenience and utility bills too. Consider employing a three-way switch, as well as a master switch that controls the rest.

Also, based on your new home design, plan which area needs how much lighting. While doing this, do not miss garden illumination; it’s the most significant one for entertainment and safety purposes. As well, do not overlook your driveways and garage.

Besides this, consider installing LED lights. They’ll save you a lot on utility bills. And this way, you’ll also do a favour to our planet.

7. Under stair Shelves

Again, to solve your space constraint issue, we’ve come up with another solution – under stairs shelves. This may sound crazy in the beginning, but trust me, utilising storage like this way is a brilliant idea. You can build a bookshelf by installing multiple drawers. Another way, creates a small closet to store items based on your needs.

Next, What?

Choose a home builder. If you’ve locked the idea of building a new home, also gained knowledge on features to add while building a home during the pandemics (as mentioned above), it’s time to hunt a builder. Word of mouth is a great alternative to hiring a builder for your project. So, ask your colleagues, friends, neighbours and relatives who’ve recently built or renovated their house. Prepare a list of the builders, look at their websites for customer reviews and interview them for your project.