LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — The remote working phenomenon made all the more widespread by the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to lead to a shift in housing trends, with more and more homeworkers looking to have their own set workspace or home office.
With the highly contagious omicron COVID variant forcing the government to reinforce work-from-home policies, and workers increasingly seeking out flexible working options, it does not seem that a return to the office can be expected anytime soon.
According to a report entitled “Working from home: Planning for the new normal?”, a collaboration between housing developer Barratt Developments and consultancy firm Lichfields, some “7.5 million workers in the UK are hoping to do their jobs from home permanently, double the estimated number pre-lockdown, and 72 per cent want a mix between home and office working in the future.”
However, the report also underscored that remote workers’ satisfaction is directly “influenced by size and quality of their homes, with younger households in smaller accommodation having a less positive experience.”
To this end, it said, “Working from home has led to a fundamental shift in what people want from their homes. The majority of home purchasers now demand more space.”
Work-from-home-friendly housing
It has been widely reported that as homeworkers get more settled in with their working arrangements, some are encountering challenges with having an adequate space in their home to work well and without distractions.
The Barratt and Lichfields report noted similar findings, stating, “Just 52 per cent of all households believe their home is well suited for working from home, with many people having to work from their living room or their own bedroom. Just 28 percent had a specific study or home office from which to work.”
It added, “The change in working patterns has caused many people to revaluate the space requirements in their homes. Having an extra room to create a dedicated space to work and having a ‘work-from-home-friendly’ layout is appealing for seven in 10 home purchasers.
“Across all age groups, two-thirds said they would take working from home into consideration when making their next home move, and a similar proportion believed new homes should be built and designed with working from home in mind.”
The report said this view was held even at the loss of other space in the home, highlighting how important it has become especially alongside such unprecedented times.
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Links:
“Working from home: Planning for the new normal?” report by Lichfields - https://lichfields.uk/media/6692/working-from-home-planning-for-the-new-normal_lichfields_barratt-developments-plc_dec-21.pdf
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