home office among buyer priorities

The recent lockdown has made a home office a priority for people looking for a new home.

According to research by property portal Zoopla, more than one in five people surveyed (22 per cent) said that an office or a designated working area is a key consideration, with this figure increasing to 34 per cent for those in the 35 to 49 age category.

These findings come at a time when more and more people have been forced to work from home and have seen at first hand the benefits that home working provide.

Ben Furnell, Managing Director of Furnell Residential, said: “The lockdown has made people change so many aspects of their life with working from home being one of the main ones.

“People who have not been used to home working suddenly realise how much time was wasted commuting and how much more productive they can be at home. It also helps with work life balance as time spent in the car or on public transport at either end of the working day is being replaced with quality family or recreational time.

“The key to successful home working however is strong discipline and a dedicated area which helps separate working life from family life. It is no surprise therefore that a home office is now on a large number of ‘wish lists;” said Ben.

Other priorities for buyers of all ages include being close to friends and family (21 per cent) and having the ability to exercise at home (20 per cent).

In contrast to the need for a home office the Zoopla research found that the proximity to pubs and shops was less important with just 13 per cent of respondents prioritising it.