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    Chasseurs immobilier - Homelike Home
    Since 2003

    Investment in co-location and co-living : an innovation of the future

    In a context of high real estate prices and the search for rental solutions that promote social ties, colocation is on the rise. Shared real estate is rapidly growing at a rate of 40% each year. With attractive tax incentives and high rental profitability, investment in shared-accommodation real estate offers a new opportunity. 

    Colocation or coliving, is a new way of life which is particularly suited to large cities due to high cost of living and rents that are inaccessible for many students or young professionals. But what is really the main difference between the two options? 

    What is the difference between colocation and coliving ?

    • Colocation or shared-accommodation is the act of renting accommodation with other people, regardless of the nature of the relationships. Colocation is also used to benefit from larger accommodations that could not be financed by one person alone. It is also a way to avoid loneliness and to be able to share activities with roommates/flat-mates that share common interests. 
    • Coliving, born during the 2000s in the United States, is a mix between shared accommodation and coworking. Coliving therefore means living in the same place, but with a certain independence. Tenants own private spaces such as bedroom, bathroom, WC, and sometimes a kitchen, but also different common spaces to share, such as a gym, a TV room, a living room, a terrace, etc.. and often these shared spaces resemble what we find in classic hotels. Coliving is particularly well suited to self-employed workers, entrepreneurs who often travel, etc.. hence the widespread adoption of this new way of living facilitated by the ability or option to work from home. 

     

    The phenomenon has also become much more pronounced with the rise in real estate prices which has increased rents. Shared accommodation or Colocation has thus emerged as a solution allowing people to occupy larger or better located accommodation, primarily students and young professionals.

    In general, coliving spaces are managed by companies specializing in real estate, while shared or colocation rentals are generally managed by a lessor agency or individual, who rents the property.

    The difficulty of accessing housing in large cities favors shared housing solutions. The cost of rent being a particularly strong driving force behind colocation, which makes it possible to pool common expenses and have a larger space.

    What are the different types of coliving spaces ?

    The priority target of coliving space managers and colocation platforms such as Cooloc, are Millennials that are weakly attached to home ownership and tend to consider career paths that are less linear. They are more open to flexible solutions in terms of housing. 

    The coliving offer can be segmented according to the type of accommodation, the area in which it is located, (house, apartment, residential building) and the duration of the stay. 

     

    • Collective: a private room in a house or apartment that also includes shared spaces (kitchen, bathroom, living room, garden, etc.). It is worth mentioning that the apartment can be located in a residence building designed for coliving with purpose built or designated spaces. This type of accommodation is the one that is closest to traditional shared accommodation.
    • Semi-private: a private space, consisting of a bedroom with a kitchenette and/or a bathroom in an apartment or house with shared spaces (living room, dining room, relaxation areas, gym, etc.).
    • Private: a fully equipped studio (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen) in a residential building which is organized around large collective spaces (coworking, relaxation, bar, restaurants, etc.). This model shares similarities with that of student residences.

    For coliving managers who focus more on short stays, the model is close to that of the hotel industry, with higher management costs due to turnover, but higher prices than long-term offers.

    Conversely, long-term offers rely on longer-term relationships, which make it possible to limit the costs of marketing offers.

    A type of housing accommodations intended for Millennials

    Coliving is mainly aimed at “millennials”, particularly students and professionals aged 18 to 35. Around 16 million French people belong to the millennial generation and part of this target population is characterized by a different relationship from previous generations to work, consumption and housing. Coliving also corresponds to a desire to create communities…

    Quality of life and flexibility are therefore particularly valued. The coliving offer is based on the economy of functionalities, which consists of promoting the use and enjoyment of a good or service, rather than its ownership.

    In this case, roommate customers benefit from an all-inclusive service (accommodation and services including concierge services, cleaning, various subscriptions). The offer thus replaces a traditional lease and a set of additional services, associated with daily life and leisure. 

    • Price and costs are the main reasons that push individuals to join a shared accommodation
    • Living together is the second reason that pushes individuals to stay in shared accommodation. It should be noted that 40% of roommate requests are made by students, while 46% of shared accommodation requests are made by young professionals

    Millennials attach greater importance to quality of life than previous generations, particularly within the professional world. In addition, this generation desires to be independent. This is evidenced by the proportion of single people within this generation that trend towards freelance work and the implementation of remote work or work from home.

    What are Millennial’s housing expectations ?

    The changing consumer preferences of this generation are impacting the real estate market. For example, 40% of millennials are still living in rental housing at age 30, while this proportion was half as much for the generations born between 1965 and 1980.

     

    Further insight and explanation to these trends illustrate the obstacle that high prices pose when purchasing property as well as the desire to remain independent and not limit one’s mobility. Nearly a third of millennials would not consider homeownership. At Homelike Home, in 20 years of property hunting, we have seen the average age of our first-time buyers go from 31 to 37!

    Two factors can partly explain this development: the increase in property prices in large cities making purchasing impossible for young professionals without family help on the one hand and on the other, real estate investment which is considered a barrier to mobility.

    The coliving offer is still in its infancy in France but is set to develop. Beyond coliving, the search for social connections, the difficulty of accessing housing, including shared accommodation in large cities, the search for flexibility, as well as the quality of the services provided, are the explanations for the growth of shared housing.

    Any advice, need, or desire to buy an apartment to rent as a shared accommodation, contact our team of Homelike Home real estate hunters. We will be able to find the ideal apartment for a future shared rental and above all we will be able to advise you on finding the right company to manage your future co-tenants…

    Crédits photo : Cooloc

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