New housing trends: Micro homes and other innovative concepts

Micro homes are one of the most popular trends in urban housing. In Britain, the construction of micro homes has increased by 172% since 2014. In Tokyo, the most densely populated city in the world, micro flats have been extremely popular for many years, and the capital of Japan has taken a leading role in developing them. In Vienna, the capital of Austria, the “Viertel 2” urban living project in the 2nd district is an excellent example of how popular and successful micro homes can be.

The term “micro homes” describes tiny homes with an average size of 20 to 35 sqm. To give you an idea, the average flat size in London is 43 sqm. Micro homes use the available space and furniture very efficiently: During the day, beds can be folded up and stored in a wall, and the area under the stairs can be used as storage space (more creatively than just your average cupboard under the stairs). For micro homes you don’t only pay less rent and service charges, but they open up new opportunities, such as being able to live in popular areas at an affordable price. Properties that embrace this concept usually also follow a trend called “sharing economy”: Rooftop gardens, gyms or party rooms are shared with all the other tenants in a building.

The demand for tiny homes is growing steadily. One reason for this – the space available for housing is getting scarce and more expensive in big cities. On top of that, more and more people are living on their own which increases the demand for small flats. Another key factor is worker mobility, which is increasing: Employees won’t always work at the same office and therefore need affordable and convenient places to live.

Serviced apartments

Hotel-like properties are getting more and more popular. So-called “serviced apartments” are somewhere in between a flat and a hotel: They are fully furnished with modern consumer electronics, and services such as breakfast, a 24-hour front desk or a gym are also included. Companies usually book serviced apartments for their employees if they work at more than one place.

Adaptable, modular homes

Household structures and therefore people’s needs are changing: There is a clear trend towards adaptable homes: Due to movable walls and ceilings, homes can quickly be adapted to new circumstances – the office can be converted into an additional bedroom or a gym.

Adaptable homes make micro homes even more attractive. Companies that also offer prefabricated homes have already discovered the huge potential and are selling homes that can be quickly adapted to their residents’ needs. The most significant advantage of modular homes is probably the fact that it can save a family from moving house/flat, and therefore saves them time and money.

Co-housing

In co-housing projects tenants have their own private flat, but spend a lot of time in the spacious common areas, such as the kitchen, where all the tenants cook and eat together. This concept was developed in Scandinavia and has many benefits: in-house child care, supporting the elderly, living in a great community and using resources more efficiently are only a few examples. Time-consuming daily tasks like shopping for groceries can be split up; also car sharing is quite common, which saves money on the one hand and is better for the environment on the other.

No matter if we look at traditional or more innovative concepts – real estate asset management software is definitely going to come in handy. At the same time, property management software for landlords is going to become a must-have.

Property management companies as well as tenants/owners benefit from implementing iDWELL, which can be used to communicate efficiently with all parties, be it managers, contractors, tenants or owners. Dwellers can also use iDWELL’s popular room booking tool. Damage reports are automatically assigned and dealt with, so anything that’s broken or out of order will be repaired in no time at all. Inhabitants can be informed about important news via the Digital Newsboard – Traditional noticeboards won’t be necessary anymore.

Your property management company doesn’t use iDWELL yet? Then feel free to contact us today at contact@idwell.com – We support you in digitising your business.