![]() Before the age of shopping malls and sprawl, the downtown areas of most towns featured grocery stores, bakeries, and offices on the street level with apartments directly above. There’s also a growing sense this ship has already sailed, with partially abandoned industry websites and a lack of public awareness suggesting that Hackney’s bold experiment hasn’t captured the national mood.The concept of living above your workplace isn’t new historical examples can be found in small towns all across the country. Similarly, it’s difficult to switch off from work when it’s in your living space. ![]() Working and living with the same group of people may become claustrophobic, particularly following the breakdown of friendships or professional/personal relationships. And most people are forced to rent anyway – two-bedroom live/work flats in central London still command seven-figure price tags. However, paying two lots of tax during occupancy and then surrendering a share of the profits is a bitter financial pill to swallow. One way to formalise live/work environments involves paying business rates as well as council tax and accepting a capital gains tax liability on equity amassed from a sale. That’s particularly true given the undefined nature of certain creative industries – it’s quite difficult to ‘prove’ you’re a comedian or a counsellor. ![]() While some residents were probably guilty of trying to exploit a loophole, proving the use of a dwelling as a workspace isn’t always easy. It claimed residents were ignoring the requirement to work in the places they lived, breaching planning consent by treating these spaces as cheap accommodation. Within a decade of introducing this concept, Hackney Council began clamping down on tenants. Businesses requiring out-of-hours maintenance can be serviced spontaneously at night, or on a quiet Sunday morning, and adverse weather becomes a topic of conversation, rather than a cause for alarm or problematic journeys. The absence of commuting frees up huge amounts of time and saves money which can be reinvested in business development – or simply more of a chance to enjoy life. Traditional benefits of working from home also apply. They also mirror the short-term aspirations of transient young professionals yet to want (or need) a three-bed semi in the suburbs. Live/work spaces aren’t forever homes, but they suit creatives and entrepreneurs. Live/work accommodation in remote locations suits artists who can be inspired by their surroundings day and night, without having to brave the elements or rely on patchy transport links. They’re also great for those whose careers don’t fit into a spare room, such as photographers and artists.īeing in close proximity to other vibrant minds fosters an inspirational environment while having co-workers as neighbours engenders community spirit. They are ideal for young professionals in creative industries whose imagination isn’t necessarily commensurate with their income. And, as is often the way with concepts pioneered in London, similar schemes now exist from Southampton to the Shetland Isles. Given the chronic overcrowding and astronomical property prices endured by Londoners, it won’t come as a surprise that live/work spaces were enthusiastically embraced across the capital. Typically costing ten to twenty per cent less than comparable residential properties, these live/work spaces are also more affordable and cost less than paying for both residential and commercial rents every month. It hit on the idea of regenerating redundant commercial buildings for mixed-use roles – combining loft-style apartments with open-plan offices designed for creatives. The council was looking to find a way of repurposing derelict industrial units, without them being replaced by swathes of anodyne new-build apartments. Known as live/work spaces, the concept of merging a small office with a number of residential dwellings originated in pre-gentrification Hackney. That’s why the UK is experiencing a growing trend for accommodation designed to be equal parts professional and personal… Work from home, live at work It’s often impractical for parents of young children to concentrate when they’re working from home, and spare rooms are hardly a professional environment for meeting clients. However, few of us live in homes specifically designed also as a place of employment. With more than four million people now classing part of their property as a workspace, bedrooms and garages across the UK are being repurposed as improvised offices. Over the last ten years, the number of Britons working from home has increased five-fold.
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