Should estates cater to work from home residents, or was WFH just a temporary fad?

With more people than ever working from home, the prospect of loneliness is ever increasing. So, how can estates cater to WFH residents and have any estates begun to do so while still facilitating the need for a ‘buzz’ of human companionship?

How many people WFH and need company?

What can estates offer to cater for WFH?

There are several amenities that estates can offer to combat loneliness for those no longer attending the office every day, or maybe even at all. It can range from social hubs to encourage a positive community to shared workspaces to promote concentration and a change of scenery.

Stephan Thomas, secure estate specialist in Constantiaberg, Cape Town, explained, ‘Traditionally, most of our buyers in estates have been families, but we’re now fielding more enquiries from professionals who predominantly work remotely from home or flexi-time, and therefore, have the luxury of being able to live where they want to rather than in close proximity to work.

‘And it’s not only South Africans who are doing so – one of our most recent clients is a British couple who are both retaining their jobs in London but, being able to work remotely, have decided that our lifestyle and climate suits them better. Others don’t settle permanently but come for three or four months over our summer instead.

‘And, with ‘work-from-home’ and ‘work on-the-go’ having become the norm, on-site facilities like restaurants and club houses at estates are therefore increasingly sought-after as they are perfect venues for meeting people, business lunches and family get-togethers.

‘It’s also become critical that estates have reliable high-speed internet connectivity and if they have sports facilities like gyms, so much the better for those who work from home, as they can take a break without having to leave the estate and waste time driving to a sports facility.

‘For this reason, estates are upgrading or facilitating walkways in the estate as well as mountain bike trails.’

Are any estates catering to WFH already?

Many South African estates are offering certain facilities to promote a ‘buzz’ and to tackle any loneliness working from home may cause.

‘For instance,’ Thomas adds, ‘residents at Stonehurst Mountain Estate, at the southern end of the Constantia Valley, enjoy free access to the Lifestyle Centre which includes a first-class gym, café, restaurant, swimming pool, bar, creche and recreation areas at no extra cost to the home owner’s levy. And I know that Stonehurst, like many other estates, recently upgraded their fiber for this very reason.’

Elsewhere, on the south side of Paarl, the Zanddrift Lifestyle Estate is looking to promote various WFH facilities. Situated close to the N1, shopping centres, and the Paarl Golf Club, this prestigious Combined Developers estate offers dramatic views and natural beauty. The more than R2 billion estate boasts architecturally designed residential and retirement homes with lifestyle amenities, large public open spaces and parks.

Guided by the desire to establish a vibrant community that celebrates authenticity and nurtures creativity, Zanddrift’s Retirement Village offers extras such as a vegetable garden and concierge.

It also features The Work Hub, with its hot-decking spaces, meeting rooms and printers. The Leisure Hub will be an elevated lifestyle centre with a ‘play’ room for dance and art classes, as well as a library, restaurant, heated swimming pool, and gym. This pet-friendly estate ticks plenty of boxes.

Alternatively, other estates are designed to cater for specific needs, such as recreational activities or work-based projects, so choosing a residential estate close by may be the ideal alternative.