The pandemic has motivated those who own starter homes to trade up to still larger properties with oversized kitchens, home gyms, dual home offices and yards big enough for a custom fire pit. But even more eager to move are young renters who fantasize about escaping apartment living to buy their first house.

What’s propelling this present push for first-time homeownership? Much of the momentum is coming from the younger adults now forming households and having kids.

“The demographic tailwind has arrived, as Generation X and millennials drive housing demand,” says Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic (corelogic.com), which tracks housing trends.

It’s understandable that as the nation emerges from the pandemic, first-time buyers who’ve been living in cramped quarters for months will want to move hurriedly toward their goal. But veteran real estate specialists urge novice buyers to exercise caution as they think through their priorities.

“Any house in the burbs seems like utopia to people burned out on living the limited apartment life. But it’s very unwise to jump for the first affordable place you encounter because your choice of a house has so many implications,” says Michael Crowley, who’s represented buyers in Spokane, Washington, since 1997.

One factor is that most detached houses are more spacious than apartments.

“Anything bigger can seem thrillingly large to long-time apartment dwellers -- tempting them to decide quickly. A swift purchase is especially likely if they’re in a hot area where houses are flying off the market,” Crowley says.

Just because a house gives you plenty of space for the money doesn’t mean it’s a good choice. He encourages novice purchasers to shop thoughtfully before making a decision. That means being selective about both their target neighborhood and the target house within that neighborhood.

“On occasion, first-time buyers do locate the perfect property at the front end of their search. But even then, it’s important they view alternative options before solidifying your choice,” Crowley says.

Here are a few pointers for first-timers:

-- Look for a place that would work for your future lifestyle.

First-timers sometimes make the mistake of expecting to keep their property for just a few years before moving on.

But Tom Early, a longtime real estate broker who specializes in helping buyers, strongly advises clients to buy with a time horizon of at least five years, due to the high transaction costs associated with selling one house and moving to another.

“These days, you can’t necessarily count on tons of appreciation in home values to bail you out if you wind up selling in just a couple of years,” he says.

Young buyers should also consider their personal plans when selecting a house.

“If you’re thinking of having kids in the near future, for instance, it’s a good idea to pick a house with extra bedrooms and play areas for young children,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

-- Avoid buying an offbeat property.

“You don’t want to buy a contemporary in a neighborhood full of colonials,” says Mark Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

The problem with what Nash calls “the odd man out house” is that one day it could be hard to sell.

“We live in a society where housing is increasingly homogenized. Most people feel safer about their investment if the place they buy looks like all their neighbors’ homes,” he says.

-- Put your priorities in writing.

“Nearly everybody has to make trade-offs when they buy a home,” Early says.

Before you go home shopping, Early encourages you to compose two lists. One should itemize “must have” home features and the other -- a “wish list” -- should include features you could live without if trade-offs must be made.

-- Seek out a place with appeal for multi-generational buyers.

Assuming you can afford it, one excellent investment is a house with an extra bedroom that has its own “en suite” bathroom, meaning a private bath. The reason is that more homebuyers want a space suitable for elder family members, according to recent research on resale trends from Zillow, the national real estate company.

“People are increasingly looking for ways to add space and make homes more comfortable -- and safe -- for multigenerational living,” says Haley Johnson, a Zillow spokeswoman.

-- Don’t buy the biggest house in the neighborhood.

Though extra bedrooms are a valued feature, it’s usually a bad idea to choose one of the biggest houses in a neighborhood. Early explains that the so-called “king on the hill” house is unlikely to gain as much value as an average-sized place in the same area.

Granted the biggest house will likely appreciate --assuming it’s located in a popular area. Still, its owners will get less of a boost in value on a per-square-foot basis than will the owners of a smaller house. That’s because the median home will set the standard for the area.

“Sometimes it’s smarter to be in the middle of the pack rather than an outlier,” Early says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

For years, a finance officer for a large university had planned to leave her California-style contemporary upon retirement in 2021. Once retired, she had expected to sell her 4,000-square-foot suburban place in favor of a low-upkeep city condo. But living through the pandemic changed her mind.

“Working from home for months, she fell in love with her house and garden all over again. That’s why she’s postponing her sale in favor of renovations she can enjoy for several more years,” says Stacy Berman, her future listing agent.

The finance officer is focusing much of the remodeling project on her dated kitchen. There she’s replacing dark granite countertops with those in bright white quartz and renewing her flooring with a sparkling marble glaze. She’s also updating her master bath with all new tile and fixtures. For these and other improvements, she expects to spend no more than $20,000.

“Because she still plans to move in a few years, this owner is limiting her changes to those in good taste that will pay her back when she sells. Nothing odd or gaudy,” Berman says.

Unlike the finance officer, many boomers are planning to pursue their long-held plans to sell their big family house as soon as the pandemic clears.

“For many older people, downsizing isn’t just a preference, it’s economic necessity. As soon as it’s safe and easy to move, they’ll do so,” says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “House Selling for Dummies.”

But a minority of boomers are now treating themselves to the pleasures of renovating their properties several years in advance of a sale. These are homeowners with the discretionary funds to cover remodeling costs.

According to researchers at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, remodeling expenditures are one major factor explaining the surprising resilience of housing markets, despite COVID-19, says Chris Herbert, the center’s managing director.

“The remodeling market is bouncing back from the initial shocks caused by the pandemic as homeowners continue to spend significant time in their home,” Herbert says.

One risk facing boomers who are renovating several years in advance of a sale is that they might invest in upgrades that won’t enhance their property values.

“You don’t want to overspend on unnecessary renovations unless you’re going to stay more than five years,” says Kathi Fleck, the author of “Renovate, Remodel ... Relax!”

Here are a few other pointers for renovators with delayed selling plans:

-- Seek guidance from local real estate specialists.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” says by consulting a knowledgeable real estate agent before heading into a remodeling project, homeowners can often avoid major errors.

Owners who are unsure when they’ll move are often reluctant to ask for advice until they have a certain timetable. But Nash says good agents won’t pressure you to list your property until you’re ready.

“Look for agents who truly know your local market. They’re probably in touch with well-priced contractors who might be cheaper than the ones you hired,” Nash says.

-- Keep improvements within neighborhood standards.

Tom Early, who twice served as president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), says most purchasers are reluctant to pick up the tab for renovation work that raises a property above neighborhood standards.

“Even though many markets are now strong, buyers are still selective. They remain very focused on property values and hate overpaying,” Early says.

What sorts of upgrades constitute “over-improvement”? For example, you’re unlikely to recoup the cost of adding a three-car garage in a neighborhood where most homes have no garage at all.

-- Avoid overly personal improvements.

Nash tells the true story of an architect who owned a colonial house in a desirable city neighborhood. Given his plans to retire and sell his high-end place, the man spent $150,000 for an ultra-modern kitchen renovation that suited his taste alone.

“What he ended up with was extremely minimalistic and included a bunch of tiny pin lights in his 12-foot ceilings. The buyers who came through thought it looked like an embalming room,” Nash recalls.

-- Back off of pricey over-the-top renovations.

If you think you’ve arranged for too much remodeling, Nash suggests you phone your contractors to negotiate alternative scenarios. For example, you might decide to forgo top-of-the-line kitchen and bathroom appliances and fixtures.

“Most buyers aren’t looking for the finest slabs of granite or super-brand stoves or refrigerators in the kitchen. It’s usually the overall look they want, not the famous brands,” Nash says.

Often, real estate agents can suggest less expensive products than those recommended by contractors.

-- Avoid rushing into renovation work.

As the architect with the ultra-modern kitchen discovered, a thoughtless pre-sale renovation can be costly. Nash says the design was so objectionable to buyers that the owner had to discount his property by 10% to close a deal for the house.

“People looked at that kitchen and groaned. All they could think of was how much they’d have to spend to bring it back to normal,” he says.

One reason the architect made his expensive mistake was that he launched the kitchen redo without thinking through its implications.

“When you rush renovations to suit your personal taste, you’re at risk for one day putting a white elephant on the market,” Nash says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

The economic crisis caused by COVID has sparked two major housing trends. On the one hand, those who’ve lost jobs are struggling to keep homes they own or rent. On the other, many who’ve retained well-paying jobs are loading up on luxury real estate.

Take the true story of a married couple of executive-level lawyers. Both teleworked through 2020. As a result, they cut discretionary expenses and amassed savings. Hence, they built on down payment funds to buy a historic house in Washington, D.C. In 2021, they’ll also close on a vacation place in Maine.

Low mortgage rates have empowered homebuyers at every price level. But well-heeled buyers who’ve been working remotely during the pandemic have been most advantaged, says Dorcas Helfant, the broker-owner of several Coldwell Banker realty offices.

To a drastic degree, COVID cut the costs of upwardly mobile lifestyles. With so few parties, events and fancy vacations, upper-end families are stashing away lots of cash. That and low interest rates have greatly enhanced their buying power, says Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Of course, extremely wealthy people have never relied on low mortgage rates or budget savings to actualize their real estate purchases. But for upper-middle-class people, low rates and personal savings have made all the difference.

Jeff Hyland, the founder and head of Forbes Global Properties, which caters to the luxury home market, says the trend toward upsizing has been driven by countless Americans feeling space-constrained during the pandemic.

“There’s been very strong demand for people looking for backyards and ‘walk streets.’ This has fueled our market at the high end,” says Hyland, who predicts that strong luxury home demand will push through to the end of 2021.

Of course, not everyone has the desire or wherewithal to move larger. Young families know their lives will change dramatically after the pandemic has cleared, which could lessen their craving for more space. And older people often hanker to simplify their lives by downsizing.

Even so, many wannabe-upsizers who’ve been waiting warily on the sidelines are now eager to move forward and they figure 2021 could be an ideal time to do so -- so long as low mortgage rates hold.

“The next home shopping season will be the hottest in recent memory, and it could be the last of its kind,” says Jeff Tucker, a senior economist for Zillow, the national real estate company.

Here are a few pointers for those weighing plans to upsize:

-- Consider your housing options in a holistic way.

Making a housing change inevitably involves trade-offs, says Michael Byrd, a California real estate broker.

“Every decision on housing is a lifestyle decision. You have to figure out which house and neighborhood features are vital for you and which you could sacrifice,” says Byrd, a former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

To sketch out their priorities, Byrd recommends prospective buyers take out a legal pad and draw vertical lines to create three columns. In the first, list “must have” features; in the second, “really want to have”; and in the third, “nice to have.”

When it comes to married couples (or those living together), Byrd says it’s critically important both partners do the paper-and-pencil exercise separately and then compare the two lists.

Though financial planners can help with trade-offs, they can’t tell you which factors to weigh most heavily, says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying Kit for Dummies.” Buyers forget to take into account their other financial priorities at their own peril.

-- Factor retirement savings into your real estate plans.

Before deciding how much to spend on better housing, Tyson urges you to think through your retirement savings situation.

“You really should start saving for retirement as soon as you start earning money. This is especially important if you’re working for an employer who doesn’t offer a traditional pension plan, which is increasingly likely,” Tyson says.

To gauge how well prepared you are for retirement, he suggests you use the free planning calculators provided by such investment funds as Vanguard and T. Rowe Price.

-- Remember that ownership of a large home can be time-consuming.

Perhaps your ideal involves a much bigger property. If a financial analysis shows you can afford it, should you go ahead on that basis alone? Not without considering the time implications of owning a much larger property.

“Many people underestimate how much time it can take to own and manage a big property. This can be a huge commitment, even if you’re handy and can afford to hire help,” he says.

Tyson suggests people carefully review their personal priorities before taking on ownership of a property that will tax their time.

“Perhaps you’re comfortable with the idea of taking care of a big house. But also be sure to ask your better half what he or she thinks,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)