ShiftWorks began at two kitchen tables. Alex and Scott were each running a business from home, and each found the same thing: the house is full of distractions, the internet drops at the worst moment, and nobody is there to talk to at three o’clock. The space they built in Hoylake in 2019 was the answer. Seven years on, here is an honest reckoning of what working from home costs, and what a desk changes.
The bills you do not notice
Heating a house all day through the winter. Upgrading the broadband because the calls kept freezing. A second screen, a proper chair, a desk that is not the dining table. Lunch out because the fridge was empty. None of these appear on a single invoice, which is why working from home feels free, and why the first month’s membership can look expensive by comparison.
The hours you lose
The bigger cost is focus. A delivery, a load of washing, a child home from school, the sense that the house needs tidying before you can start. Most people who move to a desk say the same thing: they get more done by two o’clock than they used to by five, and then they stop. Work stays at work, which is good for the work and better for the home.
The company you keep
Working alone is fine for a week and hard for a year. A coworking floor gives you people to say good morning to, to ask a quick question of, and to celebrate with when something lands. Our members run very different businesses, and more than one piece of work has started as a conversation by the kettle.
What it costs instead
A flex desk, which is unlimited weekday access to any free desk, is £120 a month in Hoylake and £140 a month in Chester, plus VAT, with superfast internet, the meeting rooms, printing, kitchens and events included. A resident desk with access around the clock and a registered business address is £180 or £200. For most self-employed people a workspace membership is an ordinary business expense; your accountant can confirm how it applies to you.
What it changes
- A door between home and work, in both directions
- Internet that does not depend on the neighbours’ streaming habits
- A professional address and somewhere to meet clients
- A reason to leave the house, and people to see when you do
- A day with an end to it
Making the switch gently
Nobody has to go from the kitchen table to five days a week in one jump. Start with a day pass and see how the day feels. Try a flex desk for a month, which is all the commitment it asks for, and keep one day at home if that is what suits you. Most people find the shape of their week settles within a few weeks, and the membership can change with it.
If any of that sounds familiar, come and sit at a desk for a day. Book a tour of Royal House in Chester or Market Street in Hoylake, or read about which membership suits you.
