The future of Australian suburbia and what it means for builders and property developers

The COVID pandemic has had many unexpected consequences, and for the army of office workers who once squeezed into CBDs around the country for work, there’s been a sizeable shift to working from home.

This inner-city exodus has led to a revival of many suburban shopping strips and communal areas, as those working from home seek local services and good coffee to break up the working day at home.

Many experts and industry commentators are predicting that there will be a fundamental shift in the number of people working from home in the future - even as we emerge from the pandemic. As a result, many homeowners are rethinking what they now actually need in a home.

Because many home owners are using their homes differently today than they were prior to COVID, home builders need to rethink what their standard home designs look like.

Home buyers will favour designs that facilitate how they now use their home, so more and more homebuilders will need to keep their fingers on the pulse of what the market is demanding. Rather than being reactive, moving forward home builders will need to innovate with truly smart designs, as simply offering standard cookie-cutter designs will no longer appeal to home buyers.

And this trend will also carry over to greenfield property developers, who will look to further incorporate convenience and amenities into their new communities to meet the new expectations of home buyers.

Suburban shift provides opportunities

In March, when seemingly overnight office workers set-up their workspaces in their homes, it felt like a very temporary situation. But as the months continue to wear on, it is clear that we aren’t looking at a quick fix. What was considered temporary will, for some, became a permanent arrangement.