Comfort is important. You want something convenient and fully equipped with everything the team needs so they can focus on work. However, not all corporate housing is created equal.
Perhaps you’ve heard horror stories about places that looked great online, but when viewed through the lens of real life, (“when was the last time this place was cleaned?!”) it’s another story entirely.
Or worse, you lived that first hand.
Regardless of past experience (or if this is your first time) your obvious goal is to find the right corporate housing for your team, and we’re here to help.
The Plan
The first step (if you haven’t done this already) is to jot down the logistics, the good old who what where why when:
- Who’s going, and for how long?
- What do they need?
- Where are they going, and why?
- When will they be there?
Budget is another important factor. As you start to put together yours, check out the cost of living where your team is heading. See how it compares to your region. Don’t forget any additional factors, such as the tourist season.
The Requirements
The reasons people travel for work vary, and finding a home base that aligns with your teams’ specific needs is key.
Considerations include:
- Onsite washer and dryer
- Gym or other amenities
- Kitchen and comfy living space
- Place that’s pet friendly
- Graveyard or other odd-hour shift requirements, such a quiet place with black-out curtains
- Location requirements
From studios to 5-bedroom pads, today’s corporate housing does a pretty good job of reflecting housing in general.
Will a multi-bedroom dwelling suffice – in which your team gets their own room, but shares the rest of the space – or does each team member require separate housing?
For those who will be on site for three months or more there may be additional needs – will family members be joining? Is the place fully-furnished and able to comfortably accommodate the requirements of everyday living?
The Perfect Corporate Home
There are a few ways to source an ideal corporate home for your team. Some require less effort than others, but ultimately, it’s up to you to choose the method you’re most comfortable with.
Here are the methods frequently used:
Do it Yourself
If your team is off to a densely populated urban area, it should be pretty simple to find corporate housing options online.
Jot down all the properties that list your must haves, and begin to contact each for additional details, such as the cost of the rental.
Oftentimes, hotels will advertise themselves as corporate housing and many rooms are now equipped with small kitchenettes. However, staying in a hotel for an extended period of time gets old pretty quickly. They can be noisy at all hours, and it’s a challenge to settle in and make it feel like home. Hotels also tend to cost more long term than month-to-month corporate housing rentals.
Airbnb
Sites like Airbnb and VRBO feature an option to rent for a month or longer. These properties tend to feel warmer and homier and may be a viable solution for your team.
Depending on the location, you may have to book in advance. No team should undergo the hassle of moving out for a weekend to accommodate a random booking made by someone else.
Use Free Service to Do It For You
Trying to weed through an unfamiliar city looking for corporate housing solutions is time consuming. If you’re uncertain about the whole process, you’re not alone.
For example, say you have a team traveling to Portland, Oregon. You don’t want to spend additional time (on top of making a list of potential rentals, calling and emailing – filling out the form provided on the website and waiting days to hear back) trying to familiarize yourself with a large unfamiliar city. Nobody has that kind of time and thankfully – nobody has to do that anymore.
As businesses continue to open branches in different regions and states, and travel nursing and relocating temporarily as part of a construction crew increases, so does the need for adequate short-term housing.
This widening gap in the market gave way to the workforce housing industry, which takes the worst part of searching for corporate housing, and does it for you.
For example, Travelers Haven provides on-demand housing solutions, no matter where your team is headed. They take your requirements (give them the list you created earlier!) and find it for you, free of charge.
Using a company to book through helps guarantee satisfaction – properties are vetted beforehand. Plus, accounting is usually simple and streamlined.
Conclusion:
The right corporate housing for your team is out there. Now that you know what to look for and how to look, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find it.
