This is what our homes could look like in 2041, according to experts

Have you ever wondered what our homes of the future will look like? According to a recent report, they'll feature underground greenhouses, pet-caring robots, and drones that call your children for dinner.

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The report from Vodafone, authored by a panel of industry leaders and academics, has predicted some remarkable home-living trends we'll be seeing by 2041.

'Looking ahead to the next 20 years, we can expect to see vast differences,' says Piers Taylor, a leading UK architect and TV host. 'Not only in the way our houses look and feel but in the way we are connected through our homes, with everything we do being assisted by digital technology.'

Unsurprisingly, connectivity is set to become the most important factor in creating the homes of the future. In other words, we'll be demanding seriously strong wifi to support our homes.

Leading tech analyst Ben Wood even predicts up to a tenfold increase in bandwidth speeds by 2041.

Drones

Drones will be an ever-present helper in our homes. We'll use them to pass messages to our family or housemates. They'll also monitor the temperature and air quality throughout the house, ensuring a healthy and energy-efficient environment.

Pet-caring robots

Robots, powered by home broadband, will play a part in keeping our furry friends company. They will be able to entertain, feed, and provide companionship when owners are not at home.

No more switches or setting the boiler timer

Fixtures, furniture, lighting, and heating will automatically adapt to the household’s learned preferences. Creative Director at lifestyle brand Arva, Abisola Omole, is already there, with Sonos and Hue Lights in her London home.

'In my house, it’s basically a house of the future,' says Abi. 'Everything in my house is smart, the light system, the sound system - it’s a lot.

'The reason why I’ve introduced that is I’ve noticed how well it can create a vibe and distinct areas.'

Home-working

Meetings will be revolutionised from video calls as home workers will be able to collaborate with colleagues who are projected as holograms onto virtual seats, from anywhere in the world. Until that's a reality, check out our home office ideas hub for inspiration.

Tech-enabled care

Care and health in the home will be a huge feature. There will be heat sensors in flooring that will recognise when someone has fallen and notify carers. There will also be reminders telling us to take our  medication.

Personalised surroundings

Each family member will use smart glasses to arrange the space around them, with their own choice of artwork, virtual clocks, and windows into different worlds.

Underground greenhouses

Smart tech will be adopted by households to keep plants healthy in the dark. So the future garden trends will include growing your own vegetables underground to maximise space.

Click-and-deliver homes

Building and renovating homes will be like real-life SimCity, with designs being made online, ordered from the comfort of our best sofas, and craned into sites.

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Smart home ecosystems

Voice-operated virtual assistants will keep us healthy and efficient, tracking the food we buy, and bringing it together with health measurement data from linked fitness tech.

We're hoping there'll also be housework robots so we'll never have to do the dishes again.