New Housing Preferences in the COVID-19 Era: A Best-to-Worst Scaling Experiment

The COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, as in many countries around the world, has imposed rigid restrictions on outdoor activities, resulting in forced confinement. The new condition requires an analysis and a rethinking of the way of life and of the new pre- and post-pandemic needs related to the use of domestic spaces, necessary to work, study or carry out other daily activities. Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, with the collaboration of the institute of studies and research Scenari Immobiliari, have launched a survey for exploring the new needs and preferences of residents. These needs, which arose in conjunction with the pandemic, concern not only the desire to readapt their homes, but also to change them. In order to investigate these preferences, a questionnaire was developed using the Best to Worst Scaling (BWS). The items consider both modifications of the internal distribution and inter- ventions on the efficiency of domestic appliances and systems components. The study aims to highlight how the spread of the pandemic has changed housing needs and how physical space affects people’s well-being.