Manning Stainton boss on how home working has created a new group of house hunters in Leeds

Some friends of mine live in a four-bed detached family home with two kids. They have good jobs and have both worked from home since the start of the pandemic, on their laptops, opposite each other at the dining room table.

They’re happy with the arrangement of working from home, but they’re increasingly frustrated with working at the same table together, the one where they have breakfast with their children and dinner parties with friends at the weekend.

They follow a trend: people don’t have clear workspaces at home, and a few years into our new ways of working, that’s now causing problems.

A home office has never been more important for homebuyers.

It’s become one of the most looked for spaces and conversations we have when we’re showing potential buyers around homes - can they convert that room into an office? Is there potential to extend to make room for an at-home office? Can the kids go in one bedroom so we can work in the other? Will we disturb each other on our back-to-back Zooms all day?

As this new breed of homebuyers prioritise a more defined office space, larger houses that better suit their needs have never been more in demand - and with the money we’re saving by working from home, it’s looking more affordable.

In a recent ONS survey, over half of those surveyed said they were spending less because of home working; no expensive café lunches, coffee shop visits in the morning, drinks after work. Many are also saving more money on fuel and commuting costs than what they’re paying out on increased utility bills.

The main requirement from these buyers - mainly young professionals and young families, ranging from 25-50 years old – is a completely separate office space from the living areas.

People want to reclaim their kitchen tables, dining rooms and living spaces again for what they’re meant for, and that’s relaxing, socialising and being together as a family. We need a clearer distinction between home life and work, physically and mentally.

So guest bedrooms, lofts, extra reception areas and even utility rooms are all being sacrificed for offices, and properties with annexes that have the potential to be converted to offices have never been more in demand - as have properties with larger gardens.

Home workers want to look out at a garden while they work, take breaks outside, work on the patio when the weather is nice. Garden space is now being divided up into flower beds, vegetable patches, and home office garden rooms.

Shed companies have been inundated for such facilities, and it’s become an interiors trend to do them out like the most fashionable marketing agencies.

People are willing to pay a premium for a property that allows them this extra space, and larger family homes with home offices are going over the asking price, quickly.

The good news is, there are properties that fit the bill spread right across Leeds, from Pudsey to Crossgates, and borrowing conditions are still decent, making buying these types of properties achievable for more.

We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the east Leeds corridor, where the new orbital route is being created. There’s going to be a lot of action in that part of the city, so buyers are rightfully investing there.

My advice to this new breed of buyers who will pay a premium for a separate home office space would be make sure you’re in a financially viable and market-ready position to buy.

Demand in the housing market is very much being driven by large properties at the moment, predominantly those with four bedrooms or more; this is the most competitive market so lots of people will miss out.

If you have a house to sell, put it on the market and find a buyer who’ll wait for you to find a house you want; rent; or move in with family or friends temporarily, so you are in the strongest position to secure your dream home / office space.

Mark Manning is the managing director of Manning Stainton.

Manning Stainton is the city’s leading estate agent, with 19 sales and letting branches across Leeds, Wetherby and Wakefield. The company also operates Fine & Country, its specialist division that deals with high-value and unique properties.