How Workers Demanding Work From Home is Quickly Changing Where People Choose to Live

By: ROS Team

The Covid19 crisis has undeniably changed the world as we know it. It has affected nearly every aspect of the way we work and live, from international policy decisions to businesses struggling to stay afloat, and people trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in the midst of this unprecedented crisis. The casualties of the virus have been many, and we as a society have still not recovered completely.

However, as things are starting to stabilize again, there are some positive changes this pandemic has brought about, one of which is the way we approach our jobs, and the implications it has when it comes to where and how people choose to live.

Return To Nature

One of the most significant changes that have come about as a result of Covid19 is what is that people simply don’t need to chase overpriced housing so that they could be closer to their workplace. With so many people now working remotely, there has been a shift in priorities for where people want to live, with more and more people wanting to move out of the big cities and into rural areas where they can have more space and be closer to nature.

As a result, houses for sale in Kamloops, Greenwood, New Westminster, and other cities where you can enjoy the natural beauty of British Columbia are selling like hotcakes. This is especially true for young families who are looking for a better quality of life for their children.

There are a few factors that have contributed to this trend, including lower rents in many rural areas and the increased availability of high-speed internet access. But perhaps the most important reason is that people really just want to be able to disconnect from their jobs for at least part of the week, and having remote work capabilities has made that possible.

Focus On Family

Another change that has come about as a result of the pandemic is that people are now starting to prioritize their family lives more than ever before. The first year of the pandemic was especially brutal, with many people losing their jobs, and having to work for scraps in order to make ends meet. As time passed, however, people started to realize that the internet offers them a wealth of opportunities for making money and building their careers.

This had made a revolutionary shift, with people quitting their jobs en-mass in order to pursue a remote career path and spend more time with their children who were home from school during the pandemic. And once people started gaining financial stability again, the focus shifted to spending time with family and loved ones.

For parents especially, this has been a dream come true. Now that remote work is becoming more popular than ever before, it is no longer necessary to live in a big city in order to have a good job. This means that people are now changing their priorities when it comes to what they want from their homes. It’s no longer about how close they are to their jobs, and what the daily commute would look like, but about more substantial things.

How good are the schools in the district? What does the city offer for cultural activities? Is there a strong sense of community? These are the questions that people are now starting to ask themselves before making any major decisions about where they want to live, which has given rise to a new trend in city planning and real estate.

Personal VS Professional

For years now, people have been talking about finding a good work-life balance. Before the pandemic hit, because of the costs associated with living in a big city, many people found themselves working long hours just to make ends meet. This left little time for anything else, and as a result, many people were burnt out and unhappy with their lives.

Their work was their life. As many businesses had switched to a remote-working model during the worst of it, and people realized how many benefits that offered them, they started to change their priorities. This has led to the great resignation, with workers seeking better jobs that have more balanced work-life schedules, and are not as demanding on their time.

Work no longer needs to be something that takes over your life and leaves little time for anything else. It can simply be a means of supporting yourself financially while you pursue other things in life.

Apart from people that are starting a family, even young professionals that were in their mid-20s when the pandemic hit are now looking for homes in places that are more suited to their personal interests and goals. Cities like Los Angeles and New York, which have always been popular among young people, are now being seen as places that are too expensive and too demanding, both in terms of work and in terms of lifestyle.

This has led to a mass exodus from these cities, with people moving to smaller towns and locations that were previously deemed less desirable due to the low job opportunities. Because the focus is now on their interests outside of work, people are quickly rediscovering the beauty of places that have more to offer.

The New Office

Apart from the general mindset described previously, people are also looking for certain features when looking for a home that previously wasn’t as important. One of these is a good home office space. Texas A&M University professor Anthony Klotz has explained that, with the current trends, businesses are offering their employees more flexible work hours, as well as offering them the option for remote work.

This means that people are no longer tied to a 9-5 job, and can instead work from home at hours that suit them better. A good home office space is therefore now one of the most important features that people look for in a home. It needs to be well-lit, quiet, and spacious enough to accommodate all the necessary equipment.

The pandemic has also led to a rise in the popularity of coworking spaces. These are places where people can go to work, without having to be in an office environment. They offer all the necessary amenities, such as a good internet connection, printers, and scanners, as well as a place to sit and work quietly.

They are the perfect complement to working from home. Apart from a home office, another feature that’s at the top of the priority list when it comes to choosing where to live is a rich cultural scene. The ability to connect with others and have a social life is now more important than ever.

Business Benefits From Remote Working

Of course, businesses aren’t relenting to workers’ demands just because people want to work from home. There are plenty of benefits that businesses can reap from having a remote workforce as well. One of these is the ability to recruit from a larger pool of talent. With more people working from home, businesses no longer need to limit their recruitment to people that live in close proximity to their offices.

They can now choose from the best candidates, regardless of where they are. Another benefit is the reduced overhead costs associated with hiring office space and having a big on-site workforce. Businesses can instead choose to rent out coworking spaces, which also offer them increased productivity, as well as better team cohesion.

Many businesses are now starting to see the benefits of remote working, and are slowly but surely adapting their policies to accommodate it. The pandemic has forced them to change the way they operate, and many are seeing that these changes can be beneficial in the long run. It remains to be seen how permanent these changes will be, but it’s safe to say that for now, things are changing and the way we approach our jobs is being revolutionized.

Personal Benefits Of Remote Working

While some of the personal benefits of remote working were mentioned in passing above, it’s worth having a closer look at them. For example, with remote working, people no longer have to worry about things like traffic or crowded trains delaying their arrival at the office. This means that they get to spend more time with their families and friends, as well as enjoy a better quality of life overall.

Another benefit is that people no longer need to live in close proximity to their place of work. This means that they can choose to live in areas where the cost of living is lower and the quality of life is higher. It also gives them the opportunity to move closer to nature, which has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health.

Their professional life is benefiting as well. With more time on their hands, people can focus on sharpening the skills that they need to further their careers. They can also take on side projects, which will help them build a portfolio and improve their earning potential in the long run.

Not only that, but the quality of their work has improved because they can focus more when they’re not in a noisy and distracting office environment, or having to rush to get other things done. Of course, this significantly increases job satisfaction and motivation, which leads to even better work.

Adapting To The New Normal

There’s a growth of many online businesses focused on teaching people how to become successful entrepreneurs, and this includes making money while working from home. Many of these courses are only available at specific times and can sell out quickly, so it is important to stay on top of things.

As the new normal continues to take shape, it’s clear that it is having a huge impact on how we do our jobs and live our lives. While there are many liberties that people can now enjoy, there is a growing sense of responsibility as well. When there are no bosses or office hours to dictate our schedules. We need to be more disciplined and motivated than ever to get things done.

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to help us make the most of this new way of working and living. It’s up to us to take advantage of them and adapt to the new normal. People were struggling at first to find the motivation to be productive on a daily basis.

Learning to keep themselves to a functional schedule was a challenge that many people had difficulty with, especially during the lockdown period. During that time, there was a rise in videos, reels, and posts, sharing how to build a functional schedule and how to keep yourself accountable. These videos would include tips such as setting daily alarms, taking breaks, and using to-do lists.

Now that people are more familiar with the idea of remote work, they are able to take on more responsibilities and be more productive with their time. This is because they have been able to overcome challenges such as finding the motivation to stay on their schedule and working in a more focused environment. Once people had started to adapt to the new normal, they are finding that there are many benefits to this way of working, and have begun making housing plans and goals that previously seemed years away.

Buying A Home

There are still challenges when it comes to buying a home. The housing market is still in that bubble that has supposedly been on the verge of bursting for close to a decade now. It’s still much harder for a young professional to earn enough money to buy a home than it was for their parent’s generation. That said, with the switch of priorities of living in a certain area, and the additional income that can be gained from working remotely. More young professionals are able to save up money and invest it in a property.

Moreover, there are numerous tips and guides available on how to make homeownership even more affordable, from saving tips to information on down payments and mortgages. As working from home becomes more common, people have a wider range of options at their disposal when it comes to housing.

Overall, the new normal is having positive effects on the way that we work and live our lives. The change in where people choose to live is just one of the many ways that it is shaping the future. The shift towards working remotely and buying homes rather than renting is becoming commonplace. More people are taking advantage of this opportunity to improve their lives. While there are challenges along the way, change and growth are always good thing as long as we learn to embrace them.