Are you a freelancer who needs only a laptop and Internet? You can work from home or rent a workstation in a co-working space. Both solutions have advantages and disadvantages. Is there a third way out? Is it possible to work remotely, and at the same time have a co-working space at the ready? Let’s see.
Home office – pros and cons
Working from home is the dream of many people. You sit at your own quiet desk. You don’t waste time commuting and standing in traffic during peak hours. You manage your own time. You’re always around for courier deliveries.
However, working at home also has its challenges, which are sometimes difficult to deal with. At the end of two years of the pandemic, Newspoint prepared a report “Home office through the eyes of Internet users”. Respondents indicated that the biggest disadvantages of working from home were:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- No direct contact with colleagues.
- Lines blurred between professional and private life.
It turns out that silence at home can make focusing on tasks as difficult as the buzz of a company office. Getting the dishes out of the dishwasher becomes definitely more urgent than the task list at hand. In the long run, the feeling of isolation can become unbearable.
Also, when working from home, you need to make sure you have everything you need, without using office infrastructure. Not only a computer, but also, for example, a printer, photocopier or scanner.
So, if you’re starting to feel the shortcomings of remote working, you can choose to work in a co-working space.
What is co-working
Co-working is nothing more than renting your own workspace in a room that you share with other freelancers. You can just come and sit at a desk that is free or rent a permanent place.
Most often, co-working spaces take the form of open areas with separate work desks or stations. However, most co-working spaces also allow you to rent a separate room, for example, when you want to take part in a video conference and need more privacy.
The great advantage of co-working spaces is that they offer the infrastructure necessary for comfortable working conditions – a desk, an ergonomic chair, Internet access, printer, kitchenette, toilets. It’s a fully-equipped office that you can rent for a certain period of time. So, you can work there and your home can be used solely for rest and relaxation. You leave the office and finish your work day. No more work desk hidden in the living room behind a screen.
Co-working spaces are also attractive because of their modern interior design. If you’re the type of person who appreciates a visually-pleasing environment and it impacts your well-being, renting a co-working office is definitely a good idea.
Co-working space – an atmosphere that inspires
The biggest advantage of co-working is social. In the report “2020 – the human face of co-working”, 30% of respondents admitted that they chose to work in co-working environments because they could meet people from other companies. Working in a co-working space is an opportunity to make new friends, exchange experiences and maybe even develop business relationships.
Not without significance is the creative atmosphere that usually prevails in co-working situations. It’s much easier to motivate yourself get your work done when surrounded by people with a similar approach to work and lifestyle. In the aforementioned report, as many as 41% of respondents admitted that since starting to work in co-working environment, they were able to concentrate better on tasks and better manage their time.
Co-working – what are the disadvantages
Of course, working in a co-working space is not without its drawbacks. First of all, there’s the financial issue. Although co-working is definitely cheaper than renting a full-size office, it is an additional cost when running a business.
The downside of co-working is the fact that it’s in an open space. You’re surrounded by other people’s conversations, your mobile phone rings, Messenger notifications come in, and there’s a coffee machine gurgling behind your back. If office noise helps you concentrate, that isn’t a problem. But if you like to work in silence, co-working spaces can be tiring.
Co-working spaces aren’t usually open all day, so it’s certainly not a solution for people who work best at night.
Co-working spaces – where to find them
Currently, there are about 245 co-working spaces in Poland. If you’re a freelancer working in a large city, you’ll have no problems finding one where you live.
However, renting a co-working space – just like working at home – has its pros and cons. Sometimes you may feel like working alone fully-concentrated, sometimes you want to connect with others. That’s why more and more people who take up work in Warsaw, Wrocław or Kraków are choosing to rent apartments near co-working offices.
That's a great idea and the best of both worlds. How about renting an apartment in a building, where you have a co-working space at the ready, and you don’t have to pay anything to use it?
Urban Home – we combine home office with co-working
Do you have to choose between working from the comfort of your home and the stimulating buzz of a co-working space? At Urban Home, we definitely don’t think so. That is why we designed our rental apartments and common spaces so that they are conducive to hybrid or remote working.
All Urban Home apartments can be arranged to be home offices. The functional layout of rooms and furniture means you’ll find a corner to set up a work desk even in a studio apartment. We also offer 2- and 3-room apartments. So you can turn one entire room into a home office. Urban Home provides tenants with access to a high-speed Wi-Fi network. However, if the standard network is too slow for you, you can increase your internet speed to 1Gb/s for a fee.
Residential buildings also include dedicated spaces for co-working. These are fitted with office workstations, poufs, a sofa and a kitchenette. You can move your work into this space when you get tired of working in your apartment. Do you usually work in a company office? Our co-working space is the perfect place to organise a brainstorming session outside the company’s headquarters.
Co-working in Warsaw and Wrocław with Urban Home
Take a look at Urban Home apartments with co-working facilities in Wrocław and Warsaw.
In Wrocław, Traugutta Apartments are just 800 metres from the Market Square. In Warsaw, we offer Rubikon Apartments in the district of Włochy – a quiet, green area, but with excellent access to the very heart of the city.
We provide all our tenants with facilities that ensure a safe, comfortable life – keyless locks in apartments, parking spaces, a bicycle room and CCTV.
Choose professional apartment rental
At Urban Home, we specialize in professional apartment rental. You can count on fully professional rental services:
- Fair agreements verified by lawyers
- Quick formalities – the possibility of renting within 48 hours
- Resident assistant available 24/7
Do you have any questions about Urban Home apartment rental? Contact us, and let’s talk it through. We’ll find an apartment for you that combines the advantages of home office and co-working.