The rise of co-working spaces
- 27th Oct 22
Being able to work from home and enjoying working from home are two completely different scenarios. However, homeworking or hybrid working is here to stay, so the question is how are the developers responding by building homes that suit this new way of life?
According to the Office for National Statistics – Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, most people who took up homeworking because of the pandemic plan to both work from home and in the workplace in the future. Even in the spring of 2022, when guidance to work from home because of the pandemic was no longer in place, 38% of working adults reported having worked from home at some point over the past seven days.
Although working from home has many benefits, what can’t be ignored is that many homes are just not properly set up for it and people still work from sofas or laptops propped up in bed. This is especially true for those renting a home, with those in apartments not being able to carve out an office space.
Even before the pandemic, the forward-thinking Build to Rent sector anticipated the need for separate co-working spaces and developments that offer a sense of community, so people continue to feel connected. Build to Rent feature professionally managed properties, with flexible tenancies, security features through a concierge or 24/7 surveillance, on-site repairs and maintenance teams and quality fixtures and fittings.
“Properties need to be spacious enough to allow people to comfortably work from home, but beyond that, many people are also looking at developments that allow them to go from gym to desk to night out with ease,” says Anne-Marie Brown, Founder and CEO of Love to Rent, the first and only digital marketing platform for the Build to Rent sector. “Many Build to Rent developments come with gyms, yoga studios and co-working spaces so people can make the transition from work to play seamlessly.”
The need for a separate space to work within a building is gaining popularity with stats from Love to Rent showing that 40% of current developments have a co-working space for residents to use.
“Helen Brett, Senior Account Manager, Full Fibre to New Developments, BT Consumer comments, “Life doesn’t stop for a house move. Gaming, streaming, working - customers need to be up and running from the second they move in. WiFi is the key. And with EE Personal WiFi, our new dedicated WiFi for the Build to Rent market, we make this possible.''
During the second Love to Rent week on 24th to 28th October, the spotlight will be on how the Build to Rent sector is approaching the growing demand for homes that work as flexibly as we do. Even before the pandemic, the 9-5 norm was becoming a thing of the past, thanks to technology creating many new jobs and ways of working
“We no longer compartmentalise our life,” adds Anne-Marie Brown. “Jobs have become more flexible, work can be done from a range of locations and prioritizing physical and mental health is starting to be accepted as the norm. A house or apartment is not just somewhere you sleep at night, it is a place where you can form connections with your neighbours, something that the Build to Rent sector encourages through a range of social interactions and physical events. The co-working concept is more than just about a place to work, it is a community where you can share ideas and feel part of a creative space.”
It's not just co-working spaces that tenants are looking for. Agents who are part of the Love to Rent platform are seeing tenants ask for a whole range of things that will make working from home more enjoyable. Outside areas in the form of shared gardens or balconies, bigger and more flexible internal space, more natural light, and superfast broadband for connectivity are now non-negotiables on tenants’ wish lists.