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Original poster

If working from home becomes the norm; top 3 house requirements?

28 replies

Justaboutnotmanaging · 30/04/2020 07:12

The UK has a large service industry and I am hearing that many companies are considering going to majority work from home days during the week. Employees may only need to be in the office once or twice a week, if at all.

My question is, if that is going to be a trend for the next few years, and you are looking to move, what will be the top 3 requirements of your next property? I'll start with mine:

  • large enough to have a private home office space
  • in an area with culture/buzz, given there will be no 'social contact' that you normally get at work.
  • garden
OP posts:
inwood · 30/04/2020 07:39

A garden would be a prerequisite for me anyway the only additional thing would be decent home office space, ideally big enough that could be partitioned off so we could both have our own space.

PippaPegg · 30/04/2020 07:42
  1. Annex for nanny
  2. Annex for me
  3. Annex for DH
Grin
imausernamenotanumber · 30/04/2020 07:46

Separate space to work - don’t want to work in my kitchen.

Excellent broadband so you can video conference properly and not prevent anyone else in the house working.

Um. Dunno.

Humina · 30/04/2020 07:46

Exercise space / gym equipment of some kind. We don't have the space in our current house and I'd love a treadmill, stepper or cross trainer.

Reginabambina · 30/04/2020 07:46

Fast broadband speed
Short walk to cafes etc.
Walking distance to school (currently live walking distance to train station to get to work but have to drive to school).

Humina · 30/04/2020 07:47

We will look to build a home office / posh shed in our next house. We were hoping to move within the next year, so all of these have become very real considerations. Although who knows if that will be possible within the next 2 yrs even!

okiedokieme · 30/04/2020 07:48

We have decided to look at 4 bed rather than 3 beds so we can both have a home office, prices have dropped a bit which helps

Original poster
Justaboutnotmanaging · 30/04/2020 07:49

@Humina, ah yes, forgot about gym. Most people's gym routines slightly intertwine with their work routines. So maybe less gym goers...

I should revise my list to include space for a Peloton bike..

OP posts:
working5to9 · 30/04/2020 07:55

When we moved 10yrs ago I was already working from home one day a week so a home office was on our list. Never expected to both be working from home all of the time!
Our spare room is currently set up as a fully functioning spare room as we have one or other set of grandparents staying for 4 - 6 nights once a month or so but our need to have a second work station at home might soon outweigh their need to have a chest of drawers, wardrobe etc.
The largely open plan downstairs is losing its appeal too and we might put back in one of the walls that had been taken out before we moved in.

Humina · 30/04/2020 08:12

It's made me think completely differently about what we might need in a house if we do enter a period of rolling lockdowns, food shortages (?) and environmental issues.

Will probably want something with good storage areas too and places where the DC can work downstairs if they find it hard in their bedrooms. Open plan will not work for this at all, so that's out.

My grandparents have gleefully completely rearranged their house now as for the foreseeable they don't have to conform to the expectations of visitors about e.g. which ways chairs should face and which furniture should be in which room. That got me thinking too - how much of our furniture is where it is just because that's what's expected, not what is actually the best use of it!

Byllis · 30/04/2020 08:18

As others have said - room enough for not just one home office but two. I'm lucky enough to have a good-sized spare bedroom and already worked from home some of the week but my Dh joining me has meant I've moved out to a less convenient spot.

I'd expect companies selling those garden studios to do well and those doing garage/loft/cellar conversions will surely benefit too.

senua · 30/04/2020 09:11

I think the 'new top requirement' will be the 'old top requirement' viz good catchment area for schools, but no longer having to think so much about the parents' commute to work. I can see people leaving densely populated areas for satellite towns/villages which, by their nature, tend to have more space (for wfh etc).
There will be a turn away from open plan; we will go back to rooms with separate functions. There will also be a reaction against thin walls / noisy neighbours. We will want neighbours close (community, fast broadband) but not that close (nuisance, noise).

senua · 30/04/2020 09:16

We will also, at some stage, go back to pre-Covid concerns. As well as wanting space for WFH we will also want space for our cars (otherwise known as off-street parking) because of electric charging.

HathorX · 30/04/2020 09:28

For me, the home office space should be north facing.

Wait until.the weather gets hot ... it is AWFUL wfh in a hot sunny room.

Fortyfifty · 30/04/2020 09:50

For the first time ever, I'm pleased we did not knock through to the second reception room when we extended our kitchen. With two teens and 2 adults working at home, we've been able to move around and work in various combinations.

Realistically though, I'd love a garden office/gym if I worked from home permanently. The act of leaving the house would suit me and I'd love to be able to take 10 minutes out here and there to go on a treadmill and give myself a an energy boost.

I agree with decent broadband and somewhere local to walk to.

middleager · 30/04/2020 10:02

I'm grateful I have a larger house in lockdown than my old 3 bed detatched small house. New house is a four bed semi (the dimensions are relevant to my post).

But for those of you wanting more space...we are in lockdown over spring and summer. But if you wfh in winter and your house is big and hard to heat, then this will make a big difference to bills. This house costs significantly more to heat than previous house.

I already wfh 2 days a week. In the winter I work in bed under the electric blanket - if we're all at home in the winter though I will have to put heating on now. If the winter's harsh the bills will be astronomical.

I'd like to see employers giving employees a small sum for wfh (DH firm are giving £20 a month - if we both got that it would help) or the energy companies giving concessions. But as I can't see that happening can I suggest you explore the most efficient/cheapest way to use energy in your home - comparing suppliers/boiler efficiency/radiators.

MarieG10 · 30/04/2020 10:14

Decent office space , good broadband and then all the other things you want in a house.

I introduced agile working for me team ages ago. Loads of residence from work but they are glad now. They are so effective as whilst not normal as some need to change hours for kids they have been effective.

Humina · 30/04/2020 10:17

^ very good point about heating concerns. Is thought about how unbearably hot our house is in Summer, but not weirdly, the other way around.

senua · 30/04/2020 10:38

But if you wfh in winter and your house is big and hard to heat, then this will make a big difference to bills.
Another argument against open-plan.
Open-plan was all the rage in the Sixties until the Oil Crisis hit in the early Seventies.

Rainbowqueeen · 30/04/2020 10:43

Good broadband
WFH right now from my bedroom but at a desk which works fine
I make sure I get outside at lunchtime to get vitamin D so having a couple of good walks from my doorstep would be essential

SunnyDeals · 30/04/2020 12:35

Housing estates will have to be different.

We live 45 mins from Melbourne (train just over an hour). The estate is sold as a lifestyle. We have a big lake with playgrounds, BBQ area. The other end of the estate has a river, and lots of wetlands dotted around the estate. It has a small shopping precinct with a couple of cafes and a decent bar (not typical in Aus housing estates) and other speciality shops and 2 big supermarkets.

It's been amazing throughout lockdown, our daily walks have been lovely and calming.

We were thinking of moving closer to the city but dh really loves it out here (him and dd1 rode all over the estate pre Covid 19). I was the one pushing to move even though we're close enough to my DP here (45 mins in the other direct).

ChocoTrio · 30/04/2020 19:35

Yeah I agree with everything everyone has said. I think new builds going forwards are going to adjust a little to become more home-working friendly.

Land is still at a premium, so I imagine they may get around it with more 3 storey homes. It's a more efficient use of space to add extra rooms.

pussycatinboots · 01/05/2020 17:12

  1. Upgrading internal wall sound insulation.
  2. Upgrading floor/ceiling sound insulation.
  3. any of the points made be other posters Grin

The reasons for 1 and 2 mean I can have a pee and flush the loo without all of DH work colleagues knowing about it!!! Blush

actually...

  1. sound insulation to be installed around all interior soil stacks Grin
artisanparsnips · 01/05/2020 17:20

We renovated our house and had to completely rewire it from scratch, because it was like a museum of electricity. As we were doing this, we ran network cables into each room at the same time. Seemed a bit extravagant, but I am SO grateful now. All computers are on the network rather than wifi, and it makes things work so much more easily.

NotMeNoNo · 01/05/2020 17:29

Good broadband and internal Cat 6 wiring to all rooms
Flexible rooms and spaces that can be used as bedrooms/ offices/social spaces
Somewhere you don’t have to drive everywhere but can cycle/walk/ use public transport
Well insulated with good natural light

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