Best WFH Destinations in the UK
When you work from home, you work from anywhere. There's an upswing in people leaving the city to live in destinations that were previously reserved for holidays or retirement. We explore why.
It’s a time where millions of us have left office buildings behind and started remote working. We’ve gathered our families, moved out of cities and embarked on a new work-life balance adventure.
The events of 2020 and beyond have given us a taste of a new way to live. Little did we know that we would be entering an age that would drastically change how we work and interact with each other and show us what we really value. As work became more flexible, we realised that it doesn’t matter where we work, only that we’re working while we’re there. And so holiday destinations became our new homes as fluorescent office lights became distant memories.
Embracing remote working
Leaving the office behind has not meant leaving office culture but taking it with us wherever we choose. Driven by the concept of ‘live, travel, work,’ professionals are becoming nomads, or promads, and still honouring their 9–5 commitments despite working from anywhere.
Having our job security and choosing a destination that suits our souls is probably the most positive aspect of living this lockdown life. As we start to question our city life and our family’s future, we’re seeking a life surrounded by the outdoors, smaller schools with more focussed learning environments and a greater sense of community.
So it’s no wonder that so many of us are moving to new destinations where we can live the life of our dreams without the stress of finding new financial opportunities.
Rural chic in the countryside
Does your WFH dream include cottagecore? The lockdown (and post-lockdown) trend is about taking back time to a quieter, simpler life filled with good, wholesome, home-cooked food, animals to care for, a garden to tend, clothes that are flowy and light, and above all else, a deep-rooted appreciation for nature and the natural world.
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This could mean sowing seeds on kitchen windowsills from hanging pots, decorating walls with vintage-inspired painted trays and building vertical gardens on handcrafted shelves. It’s about decorating with sustainable, handcrafted art, serving as a distraction from the modern world.
Coastal living is a shore thing
Inspired by summer, one of our favourite trends is coastal living. We’re flocking to sandy shores to create our WFH futures. Why does the ocean have such a calming effect on our well-being? It’s the combination of a placebo effect, the colour blue and fresh salty air in our lungs.
Shop the Coastal Collection
Whether you’re drawn to the easy-going aesthetic of Cornwall or the bold and bright vibes of Brighton, WFH living has never been more stylish than at the seaside.
Best WFH destinations in the UK
Like any corporate culture, rules still apply when you work from home: working in similar time zones, keeping regular, reachable hours and honouring meeting attendance.
Here are our top UK WFH destinations ranked by connectivity, green spaces, and proximity to the sea.
1. Salcombe, Devon
If you have a bit of dosh to spend to set up a new life (the rent is high), the picturesque seaside town of Salcombe is waiting. Just 0.7 miles from the shoreline with a population of 1909 and access to a train station, setting up a new coastal life full of sea-renity could be the answer to achieving the ultimate work-life balance.
2. Lymm, Cheshire
Whether you’re looking for a family move or a change of scenery, Lymm is the most affordable option in renting real estate. Home to the UK’s greenest spaces, you’re bound to reap the benefits of nature's touch and fresh country air.
3. Linlithgow, West Lothian
Nestled in the Scottish countryside and just 2.9 miles from the sea, this idyllic town ticks all the boxes for a city escape. Not only does it boast beautiful views of the Linlithgow Palace, but it also offers 248 WiFi spots to choose from, making it the perfect remote working town for promads.
What lockdown living taught us about work-life balance
It’s a phrase that’s circulated the watercooler for decades, “you need a work-life balance.” Traditionally, before ‘all this,’ it meant clocking off at a decent hour, enjoying after-work drinks and getting home in time for family dinner and bedtime stories. These days, we’re juggling career commitments, homeschooling and healthy cooking, while trying to find the time for downward dog – all within the four walls we call home.
It’s taken practice, but we’re winning at WFH work-life balance. By removing our daily commute, we’ve clocked in more time for simple tasks that usually pile up for a weekend. Our lunch breaks are opportunities to connect with our kids or prepare a healthy non-cafeteria meal in our own kitchens. Hours-long boardroom meetings have been replaced with quick check-ins allowing us to be more productive.
And best of all? Our corporate wardrobes have been replaced by loungewear or activewear, giving us the flexibility to jump from a quick workout back to our desks, keeping our wellness tank full.
We’re saying goodbye to corporate wear and hello to the life of loungewear. Our lives have become flexible, which is why our wardrobes must too. We’re adopting capsule items to keep up with the times and investing in pieces with timeless appeal. We’re beginning to focus on what makes us feel good rather than trends, and taking a more relaxed outlook on what we wear.
Rediscovering family time
Never before have we had so much time to connect as a family. Breadwinners and stay-at-home parents have come together as a team and have discovered compassion for each other's pre-‘C’ roles.
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We’ve started to carve out futures that involve more togetherness and found personal routines that work (is it coffee, work, kids, then yoga? Or yoga, coffee, kids, then work?).
When this all ends we know that we are on a path to enjoy life at a level that we only ever dreamed about. It may not always be fully remote as we as humans crave interaction but we have tasted the freedom of a flexible life can be, and there’s no going back from that.
