Due to the global health crisis, many people today are working from home (teleworking), prompting them to reconsider their living and working environments
(Available in Japanese only). An April 2020 survey* conducted by real estate and housing information website SUUMO(Available in Japanese only) found that 48% of teleworkers wanted to change their floor plans, 24% wanted to relocate, and 84% wanted to continue teleworking in the future. More people are choosing not to live near their workplace because they no longer need to commute to the office. Many young professionals and families are taking advantage of vacant houses and shared homes in the countryside, opting to live "dual lives" split between the city and the countryside. SUUMO will continue to analyze housing trends among teleworkers and publish insights (Available in Japanese only) that help inform people's future housing choices.
*Source: "Telework x Housing Attitudes and Realities in the Wake of the New Coronavirus Disaster" (SUUMO survey)
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In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of previously vacant or shared houses used by business people and families in their 20s and 30s who lead a dual life split between the city and the countryside.