Coliving: A great community concept for mobile professionals

In our blog we have touched this subject many times already: The trend of location independent working is becoming increasingly popular since the Covid travel restrictions. Previously we identified the best digital nomad hotspots in Europe, and discussed how remote working is changing. More and more employers are allowing their workers to adopt a digital nomad lifestyle and the list of "remote professions" keeps on growing.

This constantly growing group of nomadic professionals usually gathers in coworking spaces, while renting a private AIRBNB or GLOBEXS apartment, or a room in a shared apartment. However, recently we notice that many digital nomads do not only want to work together, they also want to live together. As a matter of speaking, they are taking they nomadic lifestyle to the next level.

Indeed a new concept is gaining traction in countries and cities all over the globe: Coliving for mobile professionals.

What does Coliving mean?

Coliving is a modern form of shared housing whereby young professionals move in with like-minded people to create an inspiring community.

In a fully furnished house or apartment, every individual has his or hers private bedroom, but there are specially-designed common spaces (kitchen, living room, terraces, pool, gym, etc.) that create an inspiring environment for the residents to interact and share experiences.

Coliving communities are designed for digital nomads to live, work and play with like-minded people. Their goal is to provide traction for personal growth, creativity and productivity. This video explains very clearly what the coliving concept is all about.

Don't confuse Coliving with Flatsharing

Coliving is not to be confused with flatsharing. The concept is very different than the traditional flatsharing concept, where a group of strangers are living together in a large house or apartment.

Difference 1 - the mind-set

The main difference between coliving and flatsharing is the mind-set behind the concept. Residents are looking for a community where get inspired by like-minded people. People who use flatsharing are usually primarily looking to save money on expenses.

Difference 2 - the length of the rental

Another difference between coliving and flatsharing is the length of the rental. Coliving is designed for shorter stays (as short as 1 week, a few weeks, or a few months) while flatsharing is usually intended to provide permanent homes, and the residents are often allowed to officially register on the address.

Difference 3 - the common areas

In coliving communities everything evolves around the common areas while many shared apartments do not even have common areas other than the kitchen and bathroom. Communal areas in coliving communities often account for more than 30% of the facilities.

Difference 4 - the host

Coliving communities have a host that usually lives on the premises and who organizes the events, guides the community, organizes cleaning and maintenance, etc.

Difference 5 - the price

Being a resident in a coliving community is not cheap. For the price of becoming a resident you can often afford a private studio apartment. Flatsharing on the other hand is the cheapest possible living concept.

For some "coliving" is just a fancy word for "flatsharing", but the difference between the 2 concepts is huge. Coliving is not just about living together, it is an opportunity to improve and learn business skills with new ideas and experiences.

The advantages of the Coliving concept

Give everyone the opportunity to really develop themselves.

An enriching experience

The concept of coliving is a great opportunity to get to know people. It is very common to live with a mix of residents of different nationalities and cultures, which is super enriching for yourself and your business.

Social events

If you are moving abroad or if you are busy with work it may be difficult to make new friends. Coliving is the perfect solution for this. You enter in a built-in community of people who are willing to share meals, host movie nights, talk about your days,... On top of this you have your own private bedrooms, but just share living spaces. So, you can socialize when you want to and be alone when you do not feel like socializing.

Synergy and knowledge sharing

The biggest value of joining a coliving is access to a community that designed to exchange knowledge, and provide traction to innovative ideas and creativity.

Partnerships

Because you end up living with like-minded professionals, coliving is a great opportunity to build a network and form potential partnerships. Networking for digital nomads has never been this easy.

Mobile coliving

As if the concept of coliving was not revolutionary enough, some digital nomads and organizations even go one step further. Instead of coliving in one physical place they travel the world together.

Companies such as Remote Year and Selena are the reference of the industry, promoting the ultimate remote living experience. The operate as a kind of travel agency for digital nomads. They create a coliving community of like-minded professionals and travel from city to city. The group spends around 1 month is each place and everything is taken care of: Accommodation in private bedrooms, common areas, activities, workshops, coworking spaces, travel arrangements, etc.

Joining a group of inspiring professionals to work and travel in different cities around the world is truly taking the concept of coliving to the next level. And how about this idea? Living and working on a cruiseship for 6 months? All tickets were sold out in 1 day.

Opportunities for employers

Not only digital nomads, but also their employers are starting to discover the benefits of coliving. If well managed it can be a fantastic tool to improve employee commitment and increase employee loyalty.

Having their employees living and working together is an attractive idea for companies. With professional workshops, guest speakers, and networking events the personal development can be encouraged within the company culture and values.

Companies like Remote Year offer coliving plans for companies to keep their employees productive, engaged, and inspired.

Globexs Colivings in Valencia, Madrid and Antwerp

At Globexs we embrace global mobility. We believe that everyone should be an expat, remote worker, digital nomad, erasmus student…. at least for a brief period in their lives. Global mobility brings people together and embracing all trends and concepts related to global mobility is the best way to improve the world around us.

Although the coliving concept is not for everyone, at Globexs we believe that many young professionals might benefit from this experience. Sharing a home has always been the first step to independence for millions of young people. The concept goes a few steps further than flatsharing, and helps young professionals develop their skills in an inspiring environment.

Coliving communities are popping up in many cities and countries, and not only in the the traditional digital nomad hotspots. The are being created all over the globe by open-minded, interesting people that embrace today's share-economy trends.

At Globexs we are pleased to offer the coliving concept to our customers. The first cities where we offer the concept are Madrid, Valencia, and Antwerp, but other cities will follow soon. Stay tuned, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions or remarks. Contact us for more information.

Join the local Globexs digital nomad community

Join our Facebook groups in Spain: Expats living and working in Valencia,  Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Asturias and Basque Country.
Join our Facebook groups in Belgium: Expats living and working in Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent.
Join our Facebook group in Holland: Expats living and working in Holland