A survey on home working by a national loft conversion company has found that many home workers are having to do their job from the kitchen, dining room or spare bedroom and the majority are tempted to continue work out of hours. Econoloft say this goes some way to explain the rise in demand for home office loft conversions.
The Econoloft survey found that the majority of homeworkers, 35%, were working from the kitchen or dining room with 25% working in a spare bedroom. A staggering 87% admitted they were sometimes, or often, tempted to work outside their usual hours.
Before lockdown, less than 30% of the workforce worked from home. However, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that almost half of us are now working from home. The government is also considering plans to encourage flexible working even after restrictions are eased.
Becke Tibbert, Director of Econoloft said: “We have seen a surge in demand for a home offices over the last 12 months. The pandemic has seen many more people having to work from home – and with this like
ly to become the new normal, setting up on the kitchen table just won’t cut it.”
The Econoloft survey asked respondents why they believed a separate space was important for home working. The majority wanted that delineation between their home and work life. In addition, most respondents, almost 60%, said they expected to be working from home when restrictions are eased and that a separate home office space would be very important to them.
“The loft is the ideal space for a home office,” said Becke. “Going up onto a new floor clearly separates your home and work life which is important for a good work-life balance. As our respondents admitted, there is the temptation to check your emails or finish that report, when you should have clocked off.”
Econloft’s top tips for creating the ideal home office in the loft:
1. Natural light is crucial for well-being, add
in plenty of Velux windows or even a Juliet balcony to let natural light flood into the office space.
2. Add an ensuite bathroom if you can – it’s not only handy when you are working but having an additional bathroom will add value to your home should you ever want to sell.
3. Your circumstances could change and so take a flexible approach - today’s home office could be tomorrow’s guest room.
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Press contact: debbie@republicrelations.co.uk