SAN FRANCISCO—For better and for worse, home is the center of life/work/shelter during COVID. But during quarantine life, homeowners have come up with definite ideas about home design.

Several million new households are projected as a direct result of COVID-19, with an additional 7.6 million switching from renters to homeowners. Not only that but the definition of home itself is in the midst of a historic paradigm shift, as are the specific home features people want and are willing to pay for, which provides a competitive advantage for builders and developers going forward.

The America at Home Study surveyed thousands of consumers and the insights show that homebuying is not only top-of-mind but more in demand than the industry had anticipated. The survey was developed by three leaders in the homebuilding industry, Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki, principal of tst ink; Belinda Sward, founder and chief strategist at Strategic Solutions Alliance; and Nancy K. Keenan, president of Dahlin Group Architecture/Planning.