A whole lot has changed over the past year, particularly when it comes to our sense of home. In the early days of quarantine, we looked inward, doing everything we could to turn those spaces into a sanctuary from the pandemic-stricken world outside. Then, as the freshly repainted walls started closing in on us, many people began spending hours browsing real estate listings online, imagining what it’d be like to live in some of the most extravagant mansions they could find. Seriously, Realtor.com shattered its traffic records this past June and Zillow’s traffic for sale listings is up 41 percent since 2019. Now, as we ride out the third wave of the pandemic, a handful of people are making those dreams a reality—just not in the way you’d think.
Sure, existing home sales have hit a 14-year high, meaning more people are buying houses right now, but the coronavirus home trend we never could have predicted is…how many people would be recreating their dream homes on The Sims.
Yes, the best-selling video game that lets people create virtual characters and, well, simulate real life. And honestly, the trend makes perfect sense. As more people flock to video games as a way to escape while maintaining social distance measures (a movement so hot, in fact, that Kiplinger’s Personal Finance just recommended buying stock in The Sims’s parent company, Electronic Arts), why not create the life you’ve always wanted, especially when you don’t have to worry about a pesky mortgage? You don’t need a vision board, a five-year plan or even decent credit; a laptop, PlayStation or Xbox will do.
