If you’re like many Triangle-area professionals, you’ve so successfully navigated a new world of remote work, you’re seeing new possibilities. Today’s commute is now a walk down the hall to your home office and meetings are happening from the comfort of the living room. This reality has opened an entire world for remote work that was previously unavailable to most employees.

The Raleigh area has seen massive growth in the area’s rural communities because of the needs the pandemic has placed on employees. Now, city dwellers want larger, more spacious homes to make their work/life balance even better than before. Because employees don’t have to be close to their job centers in urban locations to have a successful career, it opens up the possibilities to work from nearly anywhere and for homeowners to spend their dollars on the perfect home.

The Triangle area is filled with rural communities that offer an affordable cost of living and a short commute into the city when needed. And while growth is happening throughout the entire area, rural locations like Pittsboro and suburban communities like Wake Forest and Apex are popular as people seek new types of homes that meet their needs.

Here are three reasons rural and suburban homes have shifted from being just-a-trend to the new norm.

Home offices continue to grow, not just in popularity, but in necessity. With kids still at home, it can be difficult for parents to focus or even get away for meetings. Many homebuyers are looking for dedicated spaces that are comfortable, inspiring, and where they can put in a solid day’s work without interruption. Homes in rural and suburban areas tend to have more land and space, affording homeowners the luxury of a specific space where they can find quiet, then easily walk away at the end of the day.

As people continue to stay home, they want more out of their living spaces. That means more space for swimming pools, gardens, and outdoor dining. Interior entertaining spaces and comfortable locations for school and homework have also become a greater priority. City homes don’t always come with the luxury of space, but more rural and suburban locations do, which is why they’re growing in popularity.

With remote work becoming the new norm, there’s also a growing population of people moving from other major cities to places that are more affordable. That means a resident of Cary can work for a tech company in San Francisco or a new homeowner in Chapel Hill can be an employee of a firm in New York. Remote employees from major metropolitan areas can get more home for their money by living in smaller Triangle communities. As more companies allow their employees to telecommute, the need to live nearby could start to become outdated as people seek out more spacious and affordable homes in smaller communities.

Check out our featured Town Highlights below to learn about these growing cities and for available homes for sale.