A Trend on Living in the Country
Many people have longed to live outside the city. Movement from urban areas to rural areas is now even more possible with the covid pandemic and working from home. In the past, one of the limiting factors for moving to remote locations has been the absence of high-skill job opportunities. But the new "lifestyle" trend allows people to have more flexibility in where they live – they can work from anywhere.
Ruth Alexander from RARE Group | Coldwell Banker Mountain Central as is quoted in popular Calgary's Business news article by Mario Toneguzzi - Growing Popularity For Acreage Living in Calgary.
"COVID-19 has influenced not just the way we live but where we live," said Ruth Alexander, a realtor with the RARE Group with Coldwell Banker Mountain Central in Calgary. "The way we live has changed in the sense that social distancing has made it now perfectly, normal, natural to work from home for many."
"And for many Canadian cities, their centres are suffering for real estate because people are so much happier not to be doing those commutes, even though we might miss elements of it for sure . . . Now with technology and people becoming comfortable with it, and it's been normalized, it's a huge relief and a big time saver. I think it's going to change the way people work permanently even if COVID goes away."
The COVID-19 crisis forced many companies to transition to work from home quickly. When the economy starts to open up, businesses will have to decide if they'll go back to the onsite world of the old normal or continue with the remote-work model of the new normal. Employees of companies that choose the latter will have more options for where they live.
Communication technology makes it possible for more people whose work primarily requires digital connectivity rather than constant physical presence. Email, video conferencing, and online project management software are tools that people can use to work remotely outside an office. The ability to work at home, even part-time — all of a sudden, you don't have to go anywhere very far from home, at least on some days — work that does not require face-to-face contact — actually takes place.
Will the ability to work remotely encourage people to sprawl even farther into urban locations, far from the city?
Average daily commutes in Calgary can be time-consuming and contribute to lower job and life satisfaction. You could say that commuting in the city is also a health hazard. Because the time we spend driving decreases the time we have for other activities like exercising, our families' socializing or time is vital for our well-being. Flexible work arrangements like this mean a higher quality of life for employees. Cities will also benefit from reduced commuting congestion.
Let's say they don't go back — at least not full-time. Has a trend started that will accelerate office employees working at home full or part-time. There's no question that this trend to remote work among office employees will thoroughly change both cities and suburbs.
A perfect example of this amazing country living lifestyle is our beautiful luxury acreage currently listed in the DeWinton area at 48046 286 Avenue, Rural Foothills County.
