Working from home – An attractive option

The desire to work from home is on the rise and with National Work From Home Day on 15th May, shunning the office in favour of the home falls under the spotlight once again.

The benefits of working from home are greater than ever. Cutting out your commute can reduce your carbon footprint and save you money, while a home-based office means far less distraction. In fact, a recent survey by Chevrolet discovered that Britain’s business executives spent over 4 hours a day dealing with unnecessary calls and emails.

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, the organisation behind National Work From Home Day, says: “Working from home provides a host of benefits to people, companies and the environment. Home working reduces people’s stress by reducing or removing the need to commute, freeing up time for a better work-life balance and saving money on transport. It also cuts car use and congestion, helping to reduce their carbon footprint. Companies enjoy increased productivity: BT, a pioneer in smarter working practices, reported productivity increases of 20 per cent when it introduced home working.”

However, having the right working environment can make or break a move away from office life. In order for a home-based business to flourish, there needs to be a dedicated work area – not a bedroom cum office or a laptop on the dining table. Berkeley Homes (Urban Living) Ltd recognises this need and has responded by creating The Courtyard Apartments at its West 3 London Apartments development in Acton.

The Courtyard Apartments are a collection of 15 one-bedroom live/work units that help residents strike the right balance between the professional and the personal. The units provide flexible space designed to suit any small business, with clearly defined work and live areas.

The work area of each apartment sits almost as a separate ‘wing’, with its own access door, en suite bathroom and private patio – all coming under business rates. Having this distinct boundary between the professional workspace and the living quarters avoids piles of business paperwork gathering on the dining table or laundry being stacked on the desk.

There is ample room in the workspace for a desk, filing cabinets, an informal meeting table and pull-down bed, and with direct access to the private paved patio. The Courtyard Apartments’ business credentials are further enhanced by the on-site Business Suite, which is based in the West 3 management office. This residents’ only space offers cutting edge conferencing and office facilities, including full networking support for PC technology, a private hire dining/board room, kitchen and shower facilities.

Paul Vallone, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Urban Living), comments: “The Courtyard Apartments are specifically designed with small businesses in mind. We have created generous working areas that can be shut off from the rest of the apartment for a high level of professionalism. Coupled with the on-site business suite, The Courtyard Apartments enable residents to run a highly professional business from home without the need to rent expensive office space.”

Of course, The Courtyard Apartments offer a superb standard of living, with 10-foot high ceilings in the living area, Rational fitted kitchens in a walnut finish, stainless steel Bosch appliances, heated towel rails, contemporary bathroom suites and tiling, fitted wardrobes in the bedroom, a private terrace off the living space and wiring provision for a sound system.

The Courtyard Apartments are priced from £420,000. For further information about the development, visit West3londonapartments.com.