Real Estate Sydney, NSW: Home feature more and more buyers want – more bedrooms

It used to be all about the kitchen for homebuyers, but those days are long gone.

The pandemic has permanently altered the way many Australians live and work, so it’s no surprise that housing preferences have changed.

Comparing pre- and post-Covid, there has been a sizeable shift in the number of bedrooms buyers and renters are searching for. Larger properties are more in demand, particularly when it comes to units.

The rise in work-from-home is the key driver here, with many looking for additional bedrooms to convert into studies.

Two years ago, two-bedroom units were the most popular option with buyers in New South Wales, accounting for 48 per cent of the share of all searches on realestate.com.au.

This has now shifted in favour of three-bedroom units, which have seen their share rise from 38 to 44 per cent over the two years ending August.

It’s all about the bedrooms now.

MORE: Ex-NRL star offloads classic Byron home

$10m beach pad to be given away for $5

When it comes to buying houses in New South Wales, it’s properties with four or more bedrooms that have seen increased demand, while those with fewer rooms have seen their share of searches fall.

Turning to the rental market we see a similar trend.

Across both houses and units there has been a decline in searches for two- and three-bedroom properties in favour of four or more.

But here is where the trend diverges.

In contrast to buy searches, which saw demand for one-bedders decline, searches to rent one-bedders have instead increased.

This fits with census data which shows that the proportion of one-person households increased from 24 to 26 per cent between 2016 and 2021.

Properties like this with four or more bedrooms are enjoying increased demand.

The pandemic likely contributed to this growth, with lockdowns compounding the challenges associated with share houses and family living, inspiring many to move out on their own.

Aside from a rise in searches for extra bedrooms, property seekers are looking specifically for homes with studies. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of buy and rent searches filtered to include a study increased by 160 per cent.

With remote and hybrid working expected to stay, the changes in property preferences that emerged over the past two years are likely to remain – whether that’s a need for more bedrooms, a designated study, or the move to single living.

Anne Flaherty is an Economist at PropTrack.

MORE: Sydney’s most popular streets revealed

Quirky home perks luring shy buyers

Buyers call shots as listings jump to 3-year high

Originally published as Real Estate Sydney, NSW: Home feature more and more buyers want – more bedrooms