Working from home is increasingly required for many professions and sectors. Thus, post-pandemic households continue to reassess how much room they want from their houses. 49% of house purchasers believe their property is inappropriate for working from home, and 28% do not have a separate workplace or office in which to work from home. According to Dataloft’s analysis of the 2021 Property Academy Home moving Trends study, 35% of house buyers and sellers regarded an office/space to work from home as “very significant.”
Housebuilders are attempting to meet this shift in demand. However, the planning strategy defining the mix (bedrooms) was based on demand modelling before the pandemic.
Tips for working from home
Maintain Consistent Hours
Make a plan and stick to it…most of the time. A lot of remote workers find that having clear boundaries for working times and when to call it a day helps them keep a work-life balance.
However, when your employer allows for it, one of the biggest advantages of remote work is flexibility. To accommodate someone else’s time zone, you can extend your day or begin earlier. When you do, make sure to finish up sooner than normal or sleep in a little longer the following day to compensate.
Establish a Morning Routine
It’s one thing to choose to sit down at your desk and begin working at a particular hour. It’s another to develop a routine that actually gets you into the chair.
A routine can be more effective than an alarm clock getting you out of bed each morning. What part of your morning ritual suggests that you’re going to begin work? It could be brewing a cup of coffee before starting on your to-do list. It could be coming home from a jog or getting ready. (While wearing pyjamas is an advantage of working from home for some, it is a horrible approach for others.) Look for an established routine, such as brushing your teeth or returning from a dog walk, to serve as your signal.
Establish Ground Rules with the People in Your Household
Establish ground rules with other people in your house or share your workspace.
For example, if you have children who are learning at home or who come home from school while you are still working, they need clear guidelines about what they can and cannot do. If you share a workspace with another adult who works from home, you may need to agree on quiet periods, meeting times, and shared equipment, such as desks and chairs.
Furthermore, just because you’re home and can let service personnel in or care for pets doesn’t imply that other family members should think you always will.
Schedule Breaks
If you work for a company, be careful of its break policy and make use of it. Allow yourself time during the day to step away from your computer screen and your phone if you are self-employed. A lunch hour and two 15-minute breaks seem to be the norm for full-time employees in the UK. When completing computer work or other sedentary employment, it’s vital to get up and walk around every so often, or at least once an hour. It also helps to take regular screens breaks, even if it’s only for 10-20 seconds.
If you are thinking of moving house and aren’t sure where to start looking, give our team at Qube Residential a shout for any queries.
Source: Dataloft, 2021 Property Academy Home Moving Trends Survey, Barratt Homes/Lichfields.
