Spare Room Tax – Time to Rent out the Spare Room and Move to a Serviced Office

We are often slaves to convenience, and the home-based office can offer benefits that the commercial office cannot. A packed fridge, for example, or the luxury of conducting business in a dressing gown. However, with spare rooms for rent in London areas at a premium and the government charging for unoccupied rooms – ‘bedroom tax’ – it may be prime time to move out of your home office into an away-from-home alternative.

1. Incentive

Motivation can be hard to come by; on good days you may be able to work for hours at the home desk, but bad days in a house full of distractions may be even worse for your business than you think. Research has suggested that wearing the right clothes and travelling to a specific location every day has a boosting effect on productivity. So unless you are very good at adapting your mind-set whilst working from home, it might be worth considering an office away from home.

2. Social support

Being in a building full of like-minded individuals can be highly advantageous. Great ideas often spring through interaction, and it can be very useful to have people around to bounce ideas off. Not to mention the expertise and knowledge you can share in a Co-working space or shared office. Some business centres even provide workshops for advancing your skills and enabling your business to progress.

3. Money

That spare room could be worth its weight in gold, especially if you happen to live and work in London. The average rent for a single room in a flat-share in London is now £552. This amount of money per month is more than enough to rent office space in many prime locations throughout the capital. So not only would it potentially cost you nothing extra, you could even end up making extra money, in exchange for a spare pair of hands for help around the house.

4. Facilities

The technical infrastructure provided by a business centre can be hugely beneficial. At home it’s another burden of responsibility. If that computer goes down on the day of an important deadline, or the Wi-Fi stops working during a conference call at home, you may find yourself in hot water. There is a much lower chance of technical issues occurring in a serviced office. You also have the added benefit of a cleaner at the office, leaving you the chance to finish at 5pm and leave without the worry of keeping the office clean.

5. Impressions

First impressions are everything, especially in a customer facing role. Your home can be a less-than-ideal place to meet potential clients and partners. With a great location and a well-presented office, you can make sure that every person that walks into your business sees it at its best. The postcode can be just as important as the image, depending on the industry you do business in. The right location can provide you with easy access to other businesses and local amenities that are conducive to your business.

Looking to move soon? You can contact one of our serviced office brokers today to find you the perfect premises for your new office location!