By Panos Garoufalias – larissapress.gr
It is true that the pandemic changed our whole life, our rhythms and also our social life. Distances and measures brought another reality than the one we knew. Many don't even go to work as telecommuting has taken over. On the other hand, we spend much more hours at home and thus want it to be more functional and humane. A house that primarily satisfies our new needs. So we are asking for one more place to make an office. We want strong internet because the whole family is on the internet either for distance learning or for remote work. And we probably prefer the detached house, because it gives us a better quality of life.
On the contrary, in professional areas it seems that the square footage is decreasing due to the new work situation. Zozi Vergou, an acclaimed real estate consultant, describes to LarissaPress the new reality imposed by the coronavirus on residential and business premises.
Zozi Vergou: Due to the coronavirus, they choose a detached house to be independent
Zozi Vergou, real estate consultant and co-owner of the company INVESTA Real Estate, talks to LarissaPress about the pandemic that has changed our needs and choices in a home. “Teleworking has changed the needs of prospective buyers or renters. Many as they work from home want an extra work space, so they ask us for houses with an extra space that they will make into an office. Also, some people request a larger living room so that a desk can fit in this space. We see this demand every day," he says.
Are prospective customers choosing an apartment or a single-family house, and even in areas outside the center? "In principle, the increase in demand for plots is remarkable. Which in recent years have not been in demand. This means that the world is oriented towards single-family houses in their own measure. They mainly choose the regional districts but not the surrounding villages. There is a decompression from the center. In previous years, we experienced a very strong demand for housing in the city center. We have clearly been affected by the coronavirus and that is why we want to be more independent. We want to not be in such close contact with the rest of the world. There are people who do not want to enter the elevator. All this changes the way we think. There are others who ask for ready-made single-family houses," he says.
Having been in the field for years, Ms. Vergou observes that we clearly want better quality constructions and not necessarily an expensive kitchen. "They want the property to be in a good energy category, to have new frames and of course natural gas, as well as a security door. One will look at the quality and not the opulence. We now want our homes to be more humane and more practical, we no longer look at luxury," he notes.
But what about commercial real estate? "In commercial real estate, it seems that the market is moving to smaller spaces. Companies with telecommuting are reducing their square footage. They don't want to pay high rents in the center and go more regionally. There is a great demand for warehouses for logistics. Online orders have increased, so larger warehouses are needed. They are looking for many places for e-shops", Ms. Vergou concluded.
