Home offices are top priority for buyers

Global pandemic causes employers and homebuyers to adapt to working from home

Office space has always been a nice value-added home feature, even if it’s a space not intended for 9to-5 use, but the pandemic – which created millions of new telecommuters – has caused homebuyers to rethink the utility of home office space, giving them higher priority on their home buying wish lists.

“It seems that everyone who is buying is looking for at least one home office, usually two,” according to Houlihan Lawrence Realtor Julie Church. Church is also the listing agent for 200 Byram Shore Road, a five-bedroom shingle-style colonial on 1.14 acres. The property, currently on the market for $5.995 million, has a dedicated home office space.

“The office is conveniently located next to the kitchen, as well as a half bath. The doors lead to the terrace, which is great if you want to step outside for some fresh air, or leave the doors open while you work,” Church suggested. “A fireplace is also a great feature to have in an office.”

The 9,855 square feet of living space at 200 Byram Shore Road offers some flexibility, as well, if multiple offices are required.

“There are also other spaces that can be used as an office in this house,” Church explained. “The library, which is also on the first floor, is a great office space. There is also a large room on the third floor, with built-in desks, that could be used as an office or homework room.”

Office options

What makes an interior room “office appropriate?” Dimensions, lighting and workspace are of the utmost importance, but where the room is in the floor plan – whether it’s private, quiet and conducive to focus – is also imperative.

“In the past, buyers viewed a home office as a luxury or bonus room in a home,” according to JoAnn McCarthy, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Greenwich. “Now, it is viewed as a necessity, and in most cases, they need an additional work space – for example, an attic space, a finished room in the lower level, or taking a bedroom as a second office space.”

McCarthy represents the sellers of 19 Weston Hill Road, Riverside, a 5,084square-foot colonial with an attached two-car garage and a 0.43-acre lot. Built in 2012, the seven-bedroom house “incorporates timeless architectural details” and interiors that exude a “sophisticated casual elegance,” according to the listing brokerage.

Here, the dedicated home office sits just off the garage and mudroom and has its own partial bath. Built-in bookcases and a workstation render it ready for work.

“This office or sitting room is perfectly situated for ultimate privacy and comfort, overlooking the private backyard,” McCarthy noted. One of the home’s seven bedrooms could also be leveraged as office space, including a lower-level bedroom suite.

The asking price for 19 Weston Hill Road was reduced this week to $4.15 million.

Contributed photo The floor plan at 200 Byram Shore Road has several options for home offices – a dedicated office just off the kitchen, the first level of this two-story library, and a third-floor bonus room that has built-in desks.

Daniel Milstein Photography / The home office at 19 Weston Hill Road is a 17-by-12-foot space, positioned just off the garage, mudroom, and close to the eat-in kitchen. The office has its own partial bath and built-ins for organization and workspace. 19 Weston Hill Road, Riverside, is listed for $4.15 million by Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, New England Properties.

Contributed photo The office at 200 Byram Shore Road is conveniently positioned next to the kitchen and a half bath. The property is listed for $5.995 million by Houlihan Lawrence’s Greenwich brokerage.