Are You In Need of A Property With A Home Office?

We’ve seen those property features becoming more common than ever as working from home continues to be the new standard for many of us.

Estate agents tell us that more buyers are searching for space to work from home, with a 326 percent rise in property listings using the words – office, workplace ‘and’ working from home ‘.

The number of buyers and tenants looking for a property with an outbuilding has increased. There has also been a leap of almost 90 percent in people searching for properties that have an ‘annex’ (or ‘annexe’ as it’s often spelt.)

Compared with the same time last year, between June and October last year, 28 percent more new properties came on the market, and of all those new listings, there was an annual leap of 326 percent in listings that listed words such as ‘office’,’ workplace’ and ‘working from home’ in the description of the house.

Agents have also identified a rise in demand for individuals searching for outbuildings and annexes where individuals can set up a home office, mirroring this trend with the use of Rightmove’s keyword sort tool.

Home-hunters searching for ‘outbuilding’ with the search tool are up 90 percent on this time last year and up 89 percent for ‘annex’ or ‘annex’.

People who use the tool to check for ‘no chain’ properties are also up 110%, possibly as individuals looking to purchase quickly to take advantage of the temporary stamp duty holiday ending in March.

What Do Property Experts Say About Home Offices?

Property experts are noticing an increase in singles, couples and families all seeking larger homes. Large enough to accommodate a home office or home office conversion.

Workspaces are evolving from bulky computers in rented offices and units and are becoming lightweight laptops or sleek MacBooks in home offices or converted workspaces in garages.

What Are They Saying About People Working From Home?

Many home-movers have determined that their current property does not provide ample space for successful homework and have been trading for that larger home, either within their local area or looking further afield.

Agents I have been speaking to have said that they have been overwhelmed with enquiries from prospective buyers for properties with an additional reception area, an additional space, or an additional outside building that they can convert into a working office.

Will People Have To Work From Home Forever?

Working from home is here to stay for many, maybe not full-time, but certainly a few days a week, and so it seems that the trend of home-hunters settling for a make-shift place to hang a laptop seen back in March has been replaced with a more permanent need to add space to their property checklist.

How Much Value Does A Home Office Add To A Property?

You could increase your house price by as much as 10% by adding an office space to the house you are selling. With that being said, if buyers want to save money then you should sum up the price differences between buying a house with an extra room that you could convert into an office , houses with a good size back garden where you could install an outbuilding or shed There are very few properties on the housing market that have a home office and with the current working climate and uncertainty about ever being able to return to office life and so having a good space where the buyer could work from could be really beneficial, especially if you are looking to add value to your home too.

Estate agents will be happy to promote your property if it has a feature room like an office or an outbuilding that has been converted into an office space. You could turn your box room into a study or perhaps create a work space under the stairs or in an outdoor insulated garden room/lodge/work shed.

Take a look at some of the great value DIY home office space ideas that you can recreate in your own home. These are really useful suggestions and could help you create the study you’d like in a new home that you have your eye on buying or they could help you to create a home office so you can increase the value of your home and be more appealing to work from home buyers.

DIY Home Office Space Inspiration

Here are some office styles that you could recreate in your own home or desired office space (maybe out in the garden).

Minimalist Home Office

The minimalist home office is one that is free from clutter, is easy to keep clean and tidy and it looks super stylish. More often than not the wall and furniture are white with indoor houseplants and a few natural outdoorsy touches to the rooms accessories and decor. This style has been proven to ensure your mind stays clear so you can remain focussed all day and remain productive at your job. Losing productivity is often related to your working environment and how it makes you feel.

The Best Home Office Furniture For A Minimalist Office

Here’s a few desks, office chairs and decor ideas so you can recreate a minimalist office design in your own home:

White & Glass 3 Piece Double Office Desk – £95.99

JL Comfurni Home Office Swivel Chair – £99.99

Fresh, Clean & Built In Study Room

Your estate agent will be impressed with you for installing a built in office come study into your home and it will certainly increase your house price. So many parents have longed for a room like this during lockdown – where they can make calls, talk to clients and get some work done with a little more privacy and in a somewhat quiet place! Having built in desk space is like getting a desk extension and with a stylish and home style comfort chair to sit in, I’m predicting anyone who sees this will either want a room just like it or will want to move in just so they can enjoy working from home whether we’re in lockdown or not!

These types of rooms are also good for students and work great in apartments too. Have fun planning your room, find table tops or work tops that work well for you and the design of the space you have in mind. You won’t necessarily need to buy four legs for each table top you buy as you can fix these to the wall and use a few legs for balancing the middle sections as required. Have fun looking at the options below.

Ikea LINNMON – White Table top

These white ikea desk tops come tables can be joined together to make any length desk you need. Use them on all the walls around one room to get the most desk space possible for your entire family to work if you’re in lockdown together. Living together 24/7 is already challenging so we know studying together might not be on the top of your list so buy as many as you want or need, 2, 4, 6, 8! See the legs below.

 

Adjustable Chrome Desk Top Table Leg – £14.99 Each

These desk legs are adjustable and chrome which means they won’t just look great but you’ll be able to position your desktop on the wall exactly where you need it to be. You should always check what height your desk should be according to an ergonomic measurement guide based upon your individual height.

Home Office Property Extension VS Buying A New Home

If you love where you live but are in dire need of a place to work then maybe planning for an extension on your home wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Extensions often increase the value of homes and also increase pay per month earning from rental income. It can be challenging to find the right four bed with that additional hide out for you to work from and when you start including how much planning there would be to relocate (especially during lockdown) you might think that planning an extension would be way better but then you’ll have to consider work people coming and going, noise, mess and you’ll have absolutely no guarantee of when the work will come to an end so you can use it.

If you can’t get a home office out of your head but you can neither move home and don’t want to build an extension then maybe you should consider putting a new building or space for yourself out in your garden area.

Garden Office Buildings – Out Buildings

With so much to see in the world and having to be locked away inside each day because of lockdown, an outdoor project and a mock walk to work down the garden, kind of daily routine could be just what the dr ordered.

Take a look at some of these garden buildings that you could put up yourself or get someone else to construct for you. They’re reasonably priced, less hassle than moving house and way cheaper and far less intrusive and disruptive than building an extension.

Serenity 12′ x 8′ Garden Room – £11,999

Dunster House Insulated Garden Office Pod – £7,574.99

Insulated Garden Log Cabin Warm Man Cave Home Office Severn 5mx3m – £5,774.99

Conclusion

We hope you found this article useful and hope you manage to find the home office of your dreams whether it be inside of your own home, in a new home that you purchase that already has a great office room inside the home or you get the studio garden office of your dreams you work in your own out of the home office area!

In our opinion the garden studio or office is a great option because it allows you to escape from the house to get more work done in peace and in a much more comfortable environment that you create to your own tastes, needs and requirements. Once you’re finished at work you can switch off the lights, lock it up and take a short commute from the bottom of the garden to the house where you can carry on with your family life.

Whichever you choose, we hope it works out well.

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