At Provenance, we are finding more of our buyers asking for telecommuting options — and we are able to deliver to that need.

(Original article was written by Jeffrey Steele for Forbes.com, found here).

Excerpt:

If it seems more people you know are telecommuting, it’s not your imagination. Almost three percent of the U.S. workforce, or approximately four million workers, spend at least half their work hours working from home. Regular remote work soared 115 percent from 2005 to 2015, a clip 10 times that of the workforce in general. Employers save more than $11,000 yearly for every half-time remote worker in their employ. Those savings total $44 billion across the entire existing population of at-home workers.

Little wonder Builder Magazine found a dedicated home office buyers’ favorite choice of bonus rooms. The increasing amount of work undertaken from home is starting to reshape how builders lay out rooms, and impacting how real estate agents market homes with dedicated office space.

Flexible floor plans

At Provenance, a Northbrook, Ill. master-planned community, home builder Red Seal Homes grants buyers of the community’s single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes a choice of home office selections. Its single-family home option, The Estates, features a first-floor office or study, Its Terrace townhome option delivers an unfinished basement that buyers can transform into a home office.

“Many Provenance buyers work from home at least several times weekly, ranking dedicated home offices high on their must-haves lists, says Red Seal Homes’ executive Brian Hoffman. “Likewise, buyers of our townhomes can easily convert their loft or third-bedroom space to an office, if they don’t want to finish their basement.”