The real estate market is increasingly agile and flexible. If in the last fifty years no other housing option has been taken into consideration other than the apartment to buy or rent (the more “adventurous” have dared to talk about shared apartments), in the last five years infinite ways have emerged to make the search for a place to live is accessible. Esteve Almirall, co-founder of Node Livingtalks about the advantages of ‘flex living’, a sort of evolution of ‘coliving’ but more focused on young professionals and digital nomads and, above all, with a focus on temporality.
As it is easy to see, the price of rents and housing in general has been experiencing an exponential increase in recent years, especially in large cities where the greatest number of inhabitants per square meter is concentrated. Faced with this situation, new accommodation alternatives have begun to emerge which present themselves as the best option for those young professionals who find themselves in a transition moment in their lives and who, for personal, academic and work reasons, must undertake new adventures and leave their places of origin.
Until now we were used to hearing about the concept of coliving, an innovative housing alternative that concentrates its efforts especially in city centres, allowing people to stay in more central places in exchange for sharing spaces. Nonetheless, the evolution of our environment has led to new aspects, such as ‘flex living’, a still little-known concept that focuses on large-scale development in the first and second rings of large cities.
Intended more for medium-term temporary stays, it offers a real housing solution that aims to be the most appreciated option for young professionals in a transition phase of their lives and which is, little by little, gaining ground in Europe.
In summary, ‘flex living’ offers a solution to the existing housing problem which implies the creation of greater supply by generating a new stock of temporary accommodation, as well as the self-regulation of the supply and demand market once the creation of new spaces has become effective.
The new flexible and temporary accommodation alternative adapts more to people’s needs and preferences, as it not only offers services that facilitate their daily lives, but also focuses on creating a family networking environment among users staying in the same ownership through the dynamization of experiences, sharing of interests and projects, among others, something that helps fight the well-known but forgotten epidemic of “loneliness”.
Furthermore, ‘flex living’ contemplates other advantages, in addition to the generation of community, for people who opt for this type of accommodation and goes hand in hand with the current reality that today’s young people experience, as in the case of the competitive price in relationship to the traditional market and the use of common spaces for carrying out countless activities.
This type of accommodation includes all types of services in the monthly price to simplify the routine, from digital booking of accommodation via an app, through which users can also meet other members who find around them and in the same situation, even more basic services such as cleaning, maintenance, supplies, Wi-Fi, among others.
The price also includes the enjoyment of large common spaces that promote coexistence, such as gyms, spaces for workshops or yoga classes, padel courts, outdoor terraces, among others. All this is collected in a single monthly fee, avoiding surprises for users and helping to control savings.
In short, as the name indicates, ‘flex living’ allows new generations of young professionals to enjoy accommodation in a more flexible way whilst encouraging the creation of bonds and relationships between those who settle in these spaces, becoming a park themed for adults and the dream destination for those who have to leave their home.
Tags: find home evolution coliving idealistanews
