People are expecting more from their homes and offices as space is being reimagined as a service. Savills What Workers Want survey asked 11,000 European office workers what they considered most important for the ideal workplace. Here’s what the findings mean for living.

Location matters most

Some 54% of European office workers want to work in a town or city centre. This isn’t the preserve of the young, the desire to work (and live) in vibrant urban environments with easy access to amenities is common across all age groups.

Length of commute was identified as the single most important factor for workers, with 86% of European office workers deeming it of high importance. This has implications for the residential sector as renters look to be as close as possible to their workplace.

As the chart below shows, how close exactly varies by city. In Lisbon, 64% of renters commute for up to 30 minutes, and 31% for just 15 minutes. Relatively affordable city centre living means that purpose-built product rental needs to be centrally located to compete with existing stock. Madrid, meanwhile, has a very similar commute profile to London, where just over half of renters travel for more than half an hour. This suggests outer zones are likely to be as viable for dedicated product as city centre locations – at the right price point.

At the other end of the spectrum, more than half (61%) of Parisians have a commute of over half an hour. This reflects limited affordable rental stock in the city’s historic core. Le Grand Paris, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, will reduce commutes and unlock opportunities in the outer suburbs for development at strategic transport nodes.

At the other end of the spectrum, more than half (61%) of Parisians have a commute of over half an hour. This reflects limited affordable rental stock in the city’s historic core. Le Grand Paris, the largest infrastructure project in Europe, will reduce commutes and unlock opportunities in the outer suburbs for development at strategic transport nodes.

Seamless connectivity

The Savills survey identified quality of Wi-Fi as the second most important factor for workers, but this also featured in the top ten factors employees were most dissatisfied with. Mobile phone signal drew similar complaints.

Seamless connectivity at both work and home is now essential as digital life moves to the cloud, whether it be working with online applications or streaming media. Building certifications are emerging in response to help landlords improve their digital infrastructure and promote buildings to tenants. Wiredscore, a company that rates digital connectivity in office buildings, has launched Wiredscore Home, aimed at build to rent landlords.

With the rise of online retail, parcel collection was identified as a major gripe in the workplace. Over 50% of 18– 24-year-olds consider parcel delivery to be of high importance, against less than 30% of over 55-year-olds. However, only 36% of Europe’s workers are satisfied with parcel delivery and collection lockers. Better parcel collection facilities at home are a potential solution here, an area where rental buildings with dedicated concierge or lockers have a distinct advantage.

_{Read the articles within Report: Global Living below.}