{
Property Alert

Latest News

Property outside cities - the search for space

30th September 2020 < back to archive
Property outside cities - the search for space
A fundamental change in lifestyle ?
One of the biggest changes that has impacted office workers this year is the rapid extension and adoption of homeworking by employers, forced to adapt to satisfy Covid restrictions almost overnight when confinement started. And due to confinement itself, in a revealing study by the job website Cadre emploi in August, a huge proportion (83%) of professional and managerial staff living in large cities like Paris wish to move and live outside the city. 

These 2 factors have accelerated the migration of city dwellers to the country, and for Paris 23% of this segment of the population are actively looking for property in the country. The reasons given for this are as expected, to have less stress, preserve their work-life balance and lower their costs and benefit from the huge price Vs. space bonus when you move out a from a city centre.

Life after the second wave
Will employers remain lenient and open to homeworking when the Covid epidemic ends ? And can you base a property buying decision on the current policies of companies ? Certainly some  companies will wish to backtrack and ask their employees back in offices to improve team work. But the genie is out of the bottle, and even those companies will be forced to realize the benefits of reducing the cost of office space and meeting employees new expectations and accept a proportion of homeworking time of 1 or 2 days a week. As for forward looking companies that aim to follow the lead of silicon valley firms, employee satisfaction will come first. And based on the study above, those expectations are quite clear !

How far can you work ?
Some early adopter homeworkers I have met have been linking to the Internet from as far as Pacific islands and Australia for their European client companies.
That remains an option, but for most North Europeans, moving and working in Southern Europe is already a huge bonus. Staying within the EU with all the facilities and security that provides, while overlooking a sun drenched mediterranean landscape is the dream of many when they reach retirement. Yet now, there is an opportunity to make that switch when still employed. At Smartfinder Home we have already helped and advised younger professionals in their dream move to the South of France.

So why wait any longer ? 
Get in touch with us, whether you prefer villas on the coast, stone houses near Provencal villages or flats near the sea front with superb sea views, we can guide you on the best areas in the South East of France.

Get in touch with us

By completing this form, you agree to Smart Finder Home Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Data may also be used to send relevant property news and marketing tips.