Home Work!
What a difference a day makes –well, actually about ten years but who’s counting? No one can hide from the digital world we embrace, the need for instant information and the effect it has had on the property market. I am not talking about how estate agents have changed their marketing strategy but the impact on property itself. I talked before about how fortunate Devon is with communications so the natural extension to that is for people to want to live and work here whilst businesses are based in London or other urban environments. There is a rapid expansion of entrepreneurs creating new small businesses that can be operated from a single room. Not for them the daily fight with tubes, trains , buses and queues –they can go to work in their pyjamas!! How green is that! The market for homes where an office can be included has taken off. What is the broadband speed, is there fibre optic etc. are questions now asked. And, to be honest, the southwest has a long way to go to catch up with superfast speeds but, for the determined it can be achieved. Internet via a satellite dish is one way.
So a house with a barn to convert, a basement without a current use, maybe a garden big enough to build an “office pod” or for the romantic a purpose built shepherd’s hut will all create an adequate working space. Visual conference calls are quite normal and e-mail allows instant (usually) written conversation.
Usually those wishing to enjoy such a live/work lifestyle still need the important road and rail connection so don’t want to be too far from access to stations, the M5 etc. That still gives the opportunity of a house near the Moors, the sea or maybe in Exeter. This culture benefits schools, particularly the independent schools, as the lifestyle has brought many people here looking to educate their children in the private system yet retain the income needed to do so.
Many houses can be used for a small office based business if only by using a bedroom, although it is best to keep work out of the actual house environment if possible. Brookside in Cullompton has a wonderful room that would create a stunning office –maybe a little large for a single desk operator, but incredibly accessible for anyone needing access to the M5. Seddons Cullompton office (01884 32100) have the instruction to sell.
In East Devon, Stags (01392 255202) have Little Upcott at Marsh Green –a listed period farmhouse with a studio/office over the garage and an annexe to expand into when the business grows. It has 3.5 acres to wander in when inspiration runs dry!! Just down the road Strutt and Parker (01392 215631) are offering another listed property, Middle Allercombe near Rockbeare. This one boasts a thatched roof and a 30foot games room that would create a wonderful office space with an adjoining gym to escape to when the frustration sets in!
And if indoor space is at a premium you could install a shepherd’s hut in the garden. Blackdown Shepherd Huts (01460 929774) can fit one out to your own design.
So , there’ no excuse not to mix business with pleasure- work from home- that is what is all for –“it’s all about coming home”.
Nigel Bishop
Founder & Managing Director of Recoco Property Search