The appeal of working from home during the Covid-19 lockdown is here to stay.

That is the view of Terri Hayes-Pugh, sales and marketing director at Cotswold Homes, the Yate-based housebuilder whose current Gloucestershire developments are nearing completion in Chipping Sodbury, Tytherington, Rangeworthy and Fairford.

Only a handful of the 60 plus homes on those developments are still available. Buyers snapped them up long before building work was complete in many cases.

In addition to families and retired couples, purchasers include young professionals for whom, in many cases, a daily commute to the office is becoming an occasional requirement rather than a daily chore.

‘The benefits of the arrangement are numerous,’

‘By working at home they waste less time travelling, are more productive and, with an improved work-life balance, they will be happier. With fewer distractions and interruptions they can achieve more in the time available.

‘For employers, benefits include cost-savings resulting from the need for less office space. Furthermore, it is easier for them to hire the best people regardless of the proximity of their homes to the office.’

Cotswold Homes is believed to be in the vanguard of local housebuilders planning ahead to meet the future needs of home-office workers in the region.

‘Our versatile multi-purpose room designs make it easy for owners to decide which one suits them for use as a home office,’

‘It might be located upstairs in one of the bedrooms or on the ground floor with French doors opening on to a generous garden.’

Cotswold Homes installs BT and, depending on local availability, fibre or broadband in all its properties. In addition, a generous number of landline telephone connection points are provided on both floors.

Other features of the versatile new homes include a wealth of integrated appliances in the kitchen and utility room. They include a stainless-steel oven, hob and hood, dishwasher, washer-dryer and fridge-freezer. Master bedrooms benefit from an ensuite and wardrobes.

‘Flexibility has always been a key feature of our homes,’

‘Designed with spacious, open family suites offering a variety of furniture placement options, each home can evolve as the family grows. Our additional reception rooms multitask; if they are not used for working from home they may evolve over the years from a playroom to a hobby room, for example.’

Outside, each fully-enclosed landscaped garden comprises a generous patio and a lawn. Every property has a garage with a private driveway and a charging spur for an electric car.

For more information visit www.cotswoldhomes.co.uk/developments. Fully-furnished showhomes are open for viewing on all Cotswold Homes’ Gloucestershire developments. To arrange a visit call 07917 376854.