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Even as mandates to work from home during COVID-19 have ended, people have now adopted remote working as a more permanent lifestyle.
While the future of remote working remains a moving picture for some industries, for others, it is the new normal. This shift in how business is done has led many to redefine what is important to them. For many, one issue they are rethinking is the space they live and work in, and where they work from.
Two main things remote workers look for when searching for a location are warm weather all year and reliable, high-speed Internet.
Where are remote workers moving to?
In search of sun and year-round beach weather, many workers have turned vacation destinations like Portugal, Latin America, and the Caribbean into permanent homes.
Forbes recently produced a report displaying the top 100 best destinations for remote workers.1
Flexible working patterns may mean saying goodbye to the big city.
Those who aren't fully remote, but only in the office a couple days per week, may be more willing to take on a longer commute from suburb into city.
Top 10 Destinations
The criteria used for the study were internet availability, quality of life, attractiveness, safety, cost of living and incentives offered by the host country, and openness. The top 10 destinations are:
- Toronto, Canada
- Madrid, Spain
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Madeira, Portugal
- Helsinki, Finland
- Svalbard, Norway
- Berlin, Germany
- Valparaiso, Chile
- Dublin, Ireland
- Sydney, Australia
Most sought after property features2
Potential buyers who once hunted for features such as open-plan rooms and south-facing gardens now find themselves preferring a property with more outdoor space overall. They are also seeking out properties with a potential separate home office.
A study by FJP Investment3 in the UK showed that 23% of homeowners credited remote working for making them reconsider their priorities for future property purchases. 27% of homeowners have noted an increased importance of having a dedicated home office space. Just over a quarter of homebuyers noted that the amount of square footage is more important than it used to be.
Why do remote workers want these features?
In one word: productivity. As a CIPS Designee, you can speak to a remote worker's necessity to retain and even enhance their productivity by knowing what will help them achieve this. Homebuyers need to have the space to work seamlessly and productively, and your awareness of this will go a long way in helping identify the right space for them!
2 https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/property/the-most-valuable-post-pandemic-property-features.html
