Predictions for how we’ll navigate the world now that everything’s different.
Most Americans are in month two of quarantining and coming to terms with our new lives during this pandemic. At this point, most of us have settled into at-home routines, where our work, family, and social lives all seem to blur together. But with states like Georgia starting to reopen, we have to begin thinking beyond hunkering down and consider what our post-coronavirus lives are going to look like. Though it’s unlikely we’ll get back to our previous version of “normal” anytime soon, certain parts of our lives—like education, travel, and dating—will resume, at least in some form. But what’s that going to be like? Here are 12 predictions from experts.
Though open-plan homes and loft apartments with little distinction between rooms have been popular for the last 30 years or so, there’s a good chance that will change in the post-coronavirus era. “Times have changed, and people need different things from their homes,” says Shaun Osher, CEO and founder of CORE Real Estate NYC. Part of this involves having flexible rooms that can serve a variety of different functions, like a home office, meditation room, guest area, music room, library, or nursery. “Homebuyers today are looking for a smart, efficient layout that provides flexibility with no wasted space or excess,” Osher notes. “We are starting to look at every square foot in the home and making sure the design intelligently responds to the buyer.”