Skize.com is a website and eCommerce store dedicated to creating balconies with the goal of inspiring residents, to increase their happiness and enjoy urban life to the fullest. Skize recently released a report on the role that balconies play in urban living. They conducted a survey and asked a group of urban residents about their design preferences and the role a balcony plays in their life. Below are some of the findings from the report:
Balconies are essential for urban living
In the survey, the participants were asked about the role balconies played in their decision-making process when buying/renting their apartment. Of the participants, 32.7% said that it was an important factor in their decision-making process, 22.7% said that it played a small part in their decision-making process, 20.6% said they would only choose an apartment with a balcony, while 18.2% said it made no difference to them. From the data above, it is clear that balconies are important for urban living and over 75% of the respondents felt that balconies play a role in their decision when buying/renting an apartment.
Time Spent on Their Balconies
During the survey, residents were asked how much time they spent outside on their balcony. In their responses 40% said they spent over an hour on their balcony daily, 24.1% said they spent a few minutes on their balcony each day, 21.5% said they go out on their balcony a few times a week, 7.9% said they spent time on their balconies a few times per month and 5.7% said that they rarely used their balconies. This shows that balconies are a welcome and enjoyable part of urban living with over 64% saying that they use their balcony daily.
Paying Extra for Apartments with Balconies
Also in the survey, respondents were asked if they were willing to pay extra for apartments with balconies, and if yes, how much extra they would be willing to pay. 50% of the respondents said that they were willing to pay up to £5k extra, 20.6% said they would pay between £6k to £8k extra, 11.8% said they would pay an additional £9k-£10k for an apartment with a balcony. Residents, therefore, are willing to increase their budget by a significant amount for an apartment with a balcony.
Uses of Balconies in Urban Living
The participants of the survey were then asked to select what they used their balcony for. 72.8% said they used it for gardening, 63.4% said they used it to relax, 33.1% said they used it for meals, 18.1% said they used it for entertaining and connecting with other people and 9.1% said they used it as an outdoor office space. These varied uses need to be kept in mind while designing so that balconies can be devised to be more suitable for customer use.
Balcony Gardens are Important for Urban Living
When participants of the survey were asked for their view on balcony gardens, 71% of the respondents said they were very important, 23.3% said that they were important and 4.5% said they were undecided. This shows that urban gardens are almost essential for the wellbeing of residents and so, at the design stage, this needs to be kept in mind so that outdoor spaces can be equipped for balcony gardening.
What about the future?
The residents who participated in the survey were finally asked to select the things they wanted in future balconies. In response, 38.3% of the respondents said more direct sunlight, 37.1% said more space outdoors, 28% said more privacy, 19.1% said better views and 18.3% said improved decor.
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