Remote working has become the new normal in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and it has been proven to be a largely successful experiment in many cases, with perks for both employees and employers. There are some areas of the UK that it works particularly well, including Belfast, Birmingham and Nottingham.
A survey carried out by specialist banner printing company instantprint revealed the best and worst cities for working remotely based on a number of key factors, including internet speed, property size and price, rent costs and the cost of living, with Belfast, Birmingham and Nottingham coming out on top.
Belfast
Belfast came out on top and those that work remotely in Northern Ireland’s capital are likely to be amongst those hoping that remote work will continue once the threat of the virus has passed. Belfast has excellent average download speeds of 64.1mbps meaning that communication is not an issue and with the average property and monthly rental prices lower than other major cities at £138,300 and £597, affordability is also high on the list. This means that people should be able to work comfortably at home and not have the worry of high living costs, despite the fact that they are in a capital city and all the perks that this can bring.
Birmingham
Birmingham is another good city to be working from remotely with fast speeds of 58.3mbps and 4G signal strength of 24.1mpbs which is one the fastest of those researched. Birmingham is slightly more expensive to live in with property prices of £168,100 and monthly rental prices of £668, but you must also remember that this is the second biggest city behind the capital and somewhere that is incredibly well-connected, has great job opportunities and many historic and cultural attractions.
Nottingham
Nottingham ranked the third best city to work remotely in with fast internet speeds of 62mbps and the strongest 4G signal at 24.2mbps. It is slightly cheaper to buy here than Birmingham with average house prices at £158,800 and rental prices at £679, plus you must also factor in that Nottingham is conveniently located right in the heart of England and often considered one of the nicest places to live in the Midlands so it has a lot going for it and those that work remotely will benefit from this.
Many people have different opinions on remote working and it is likely to depend on your home situation, but for those that live in Belfast, Birmingham and Nottingham, it is likely that a large percentage will be keen to carry on with remote working even once the threat of the virus has passed. Whether or not things go back to being the same as before, working from home has been effective for many people and it’s hard to see a complete return to the office.
Best UK cities to work from home
