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Rent a tiny office in a neighbor's backyard

While the pandemic has seen some people move to larger homes, others are stuck zooming from bedrooms or trying to focus while kids take remote classes. Which makes an office of one's own sound like a dream.

Irish start-up Nooka is hoping to make that dream come true with a two-pronged approach. Firstly, a homeowner (or property manager) can lease one of the company's prefab, smart office units for their own use. Secondly, those backyard offices can be rented out to Nooka members, creating a revenue stream for the lease holder. 

Nooka offers various office sizes, ranging from a 9 m2 unit for EUR 299 a month, to an 18 m2 version with two desks, for EUR 599 per month. All models include desks, chairs, whiteboards, high speed wifi and heating. The units are delivered free of charge and pre-ordering has started in Europe.

While Nooka isn't the first company to offer pre-fab (work) units, including a built-in network makes the concept particularly useful. Both to owners of backyards who can use it to generate rental income, and to neighbors who'd welcome a quiet spot to work from, knowing exactly what they'll get, since every Nooka has a similar set-up. 

Odds are that white collar workers will continue to work remotely at least a few days a week, so now's the time to figure out how to help them stay productive and sane.

(Related: Spanish platform connects urbanites with villages to work remotely from.)

Innovation of the day