Whether they’re still weary of going to a gym full of people or just looking to work off those extra pandemic pounds in privacy, homebuyers are increasingly prioritizing home exercise rooms.

The National Association of Home Builders’ new report “What Home Buyers Really Want” shows that 47% of buyers say a home gym is either essential or desirable. The popularity of home gyms was already on the rise, but the pandemic accelerated the trend, bumping it up a full 20 percentage points from 2003.

While nearly half of buyers are looking for a home gym, those stats shift substantially when considering age. More than three out of every five Generation X (61%) and millennial (62%) buyers are looking for the workout space, compared to just a third (33%) of baby boomers.

Image courtesy of NAHB

Also, those paying over half a million dollars for a home cited exercise rooms as a desired amenity.

An analysis by Rose Quint, NAHB’s assistant vice president for survey research, noted that laundry rooms topped the list of top five most wanted specialty rooms, with 87% deeming it essential or desirable. That’s followed by dining room at 70%, great room at 64%, home office at 63% and separate living room at 62%.

The report noted that size matters when it comes to workout spaces. More than 70% of those looking for a home gym prefer the space is at least 100 square feet.