According to a recent survey*, more than 8 out of 10 French people would like to continue telecommuting after the move. Popular with employees, this paradigm shifts not only changes practices within the company, calling for negotiations between unions and management, but also changes attitudes to housing. By lifting geographical constraints, the democratization of telecommuting is making it possible to seriously consider changing one’s life or making a dream come true; an opportunity for Groupe Mercure to take stock of the new uses offered by prestige properties and the motivations of buyers.
Covid has given new meaning to the campaign, and telecommuting has made it possible to act
With the development of telecommuting, new buyers are emerging, bringing to fruition a project they’ve been thinking about but haven’t been able to bring to fruition. The confinement was an opportunity to carry out research (+ 40% of traffic on the Groupe Mercure website and more than 25% of contacts between January and October 1, 2020).
As a result, the owners of an apartment in Paris sold their property for a magnificent property in Saint Valéry-sur-Somme, a project made possible by telecommuting two days a week. Their choice of the Baie de Somme was dictated not only by their attachment to the region, but also by its proximity to the capital, making commuting easier on face-to-face working days.
Others, less tempted by the break with urban life, swap their large city-center apartment for a pied-à-terre and the acquisition of a property that satisfies their desire for space and nature, while maintaining a professional activity thanks to telecommuting.
Mercure Forbes Global Properties has sold a 170m², 7-room village house on a 2,300m² plot near Hennebont. A true haven of peace, where it’s possible to telework in complete serenity. (Ref. 19538BR)
Confinement and the call of the open sea also create an appeal for Castles
While the purchase of a château is always the result of a carefully thought-out project supported by the entire family unit, the popularity of these exceptional properties has increased, driven both by the desire for fresh air and space, and by the benefits of telecommuting. (Over 50% of requests for visits to this type of property, despite all the constraints imposed by Covid rules).
Even more so, châteaux located within a 15km radius of major cities and 100km of Paris are seeing their value increase. Around Paris, the Oise, Picardie and Normandie regions are on a roll, as are the Indre, Cher and Nièvre regions, all within 2h30 of the capital.
If the surface area of a château makes it easy to set up a space dedicated to telecommuting, some even go so far as to set up their professional activity there, thus combining the heritage and historical setting with professional constraints.
For example, the Mercure Forbes Global Properties group sold a 1,200m² MH listed château on 4 hectares of land 15 minutes from Rennes for €2,280,000. It has a dozen offices and meeting rooms, and two small apartments for employees: the ideal residential château for remote working. (Ref. 235VM)
*Yougov survey conducted from September 8 to 9, 2020 on 1043 people representative of the French national population aged 18 and over. The survey was carried out online, on the panel.
