Property agency reports office surge to the suburbs, satellites and scenery

Commercial property agents John Truslove are reporting a surge to the suburbs and satellite towns as business starts to reflect on office needs post the Covid-19 lockdown.

Joint managing director Ian Parker said there had been a sharp rise in interest in office space outside of city centres.

“Lockdown, and working remotely, has made a lot of business owners reflect on what office space their business really requires.

“Not only the square footage, but where it actually needs to be.

“Battling through rush hour traffic, leaving home an hour earlier than should be necessary just so you can be at your desk spot on 9am – and then repeating the same sometime after 5pm – the penny has dropped.

“Maybe there is another way.”

He cited examples of the kind of office space now proving popular.

“We have been contacted by one business owner who has been persuaded to retire by the pandemic and has instructed us to sell her open plan rural offices.

“It sits on a hill at Temple Grafton above Alcester.

Another one, Ravens Court at Ravensbank Business Park, sits on the outskirts of Redditch just off the A435.

Just south of Birmingham, The Archway at Alvechurch is an old building which has been modernised to meet the demands of 21^st century business with Category 5 telecom and data network cabling.

Mr Parker said: “These examples are representative of the kind of office space more and more companies are considering and this bodes extremely well for landlords with extensive holdings in the suburbs of cities, satellite towns and nearby rural locations.”