Houses that come complete with full fibre broadband, landing pads for delivery drones and robots who do the vacuuming will all be an option with 10 years.
That’s the prediction of a leading property expert who believes there will be major changes to our living spaces over the next two decades, because home and work areas have been forced to merge during the pandemic.
“Our homes will change even faster and more dramatically in the years ahead,” says Jonathan Rolande, from House Buy Fast. “In the decade ahead key driving factors are likely to be the fast developing pace of new technology, environmental factors, living costs and the changing ways in which everyone wants to live.
Outlining how he believes houses will change in the next 10 years, Jonathan said: “By 20232 our homes will be more sustainable as everyone takes the risk of climate change seriously at last and as land and natural resources become scarcer. Homes will be better located, so that they have access to shops, schools and workplaces without having to make long journeys every day. The idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods, where most things everyone needs every day are within 20 minutes by walking or public transport, will be well established. Homes will support active travel and lower carbon travel. They will offer features like secure cycle storage, and parking and EV charging for residents and visitors.
“Homes will be more resistant to severe and freak weather, and to future climate change. More thought will be given to flood prevention and flood protection for example.”
Jonathan believes that, over the next decade we can expect homes to be more liveable and more flexible.
“Homes will likely be larger,” he predicts. “So there is space for everyone to live, work or socialise. But they are likely to be on a smaller footprint to make better use of scarce land. High rise living could make a comeback. Homes will have dedicated working from home space. Family-sized homes may have several work from home spaces.
“There could also be more dedicated leisure space, with home gyms for example. Home amenities will adapt to our changing day to day lives. For example, letter boxes will be replaced by secure delivery boxes to receive online shopping. They could even have a landing pad for delivery drones!”
Jonathan says that in 2032 our homes will be more energy efficient to help moderate climate change and meet a national commitment to be net carbon zero by 2050.
Jonathan says: “Energy efficiency will also become even more critical as energy becomes more expensive. Homes will be better designed and much better insulated to consume as little energy as possible and to a net carbon zero standard. Homes are likely to be designed and positioned to benefit from solar gain, gathering free heat and light from the sun.
“Microgeneration will be a buzzword. As well as solar PV panels more homes may make use of local wind and even water power. More homes will be able to collect, store and use their own electricity to partly meet their own needs and even resell any surplus. Some homes may even be able to go completely off grid. Home heating will have undergone a shift change away from natural gas. Effective and affordable electrically-powered air or ground source heat pumps or hydrogen powered boilers will be the main options.
The Government has already indicated that it plans to ban gas boiler installations in new homes from 2025, and ban the replacement of existing gas boiler systems from 2035.
And Jonathan believes one knock on of this will be that more homes in towns and cities will be connected to local combined heat and power.
He added: “Homes will be much more water efficient. There will be more use of water harvesting where water is collected from roofs and more use of ‘grey’ or recycled water.
Some homes may be able to treat their own effluent, perhaps by using living plants, rather than it being transported to a central treatment works.”
Jonathan’s final prediction is that homes will be more connected and smarter due to the quickening pace of technology, and by everyone’s desire to spend less time on routine and more time on leisure.
He adds: “Most homes will have full fibre broadband and Internet speeds of 1GB will be routine or maybe even obsolete by then. There will be no practical limit on the speed and number of connected devices in the home. Most homes will be within a 5G network area …. or maybe even something better.
“Homes will have smart systems. heating, lighting, media and entertainment systems, security alarms, security cameras and access points will all be connected to our home networks and be controllable from an app or voice control.
“We will be able to access our homes using facial recognition. Smart systems enable us to keep an eye on our homes when we are away from them, and save us time and money. They will also supply a massive amount of data about how we live and drive the development of new products and services even faster.
“Homes will have smart appliances and the so-called ‘Internet of things’ will have become a reality. Washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, cookers and pretty much every home appliance will be connected to our home networks and be controllable from an app or voice control. Smart appliances will enable us to be more efficient by carrying out domestic tasks when we are away from home.
“They will also save us time and effort by, for example, monitoring the contents of our fridge and automatically re-ordering our groceries. They may even be able to suggest menus and monitor our diet.
“Media walls, where an entire wall is a media screen, will be replacing TVs. Watching a film or making a video call to friends will be a totally immersive experience.
“After being predicted for decades, robots will be inexpensive and in use in more and more homes. Routine tasks like vacuuming and grass cutting will be carried out by robots.”
