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Spaniards seek big, bright and airtight homes

Security, ventilation, and no nosy neighbors: consumer trends in Spain are offering clues to what the homes of the future might look like after a stringent lockdown turned many off their cramped, urban flats.

Angel Cavas is the founder of Modular Homes, which specializes in building self-sufficient houses equipped with solar panels, private water wells and even armor-plated bunker rooms.

“We have sold more houses than last year. It is true that we suffered a stop during the lockdown months, March and April, but July was the month that we sold the most in the history of Modular Home. Regarding the panic room, last year in 2019 we built two and this year 12.”

Cavas predicts an accelerated move towards off-grid living and expects greater interest from homeowners in producing their own energy and food.

Heightened anxiety has also led to a greater desire for distance, with interest in detached homes skyrocketing.

Architects say new designs are all about being bigger, brighter, and multi-purpose, with flexible spaces to accommodate working from home.

Air quality is high in clients’ minds, too.

Ander Echeverria is the founder of a low emission building company.

The air in his homes renews just over once every hour, thanks to a rigorous ventilation system.

“This is an F7 filter. As we can see comparing it with the new one, all this filth would have gotten into the home if we didn’t have the filter. This is a F7 filter but we could even put a F9 or HEPA in, like the ones used in planes.”

Echeverria said he has been flooded with enquiries and sales have more than doubled on last year.