Why live in coliving rather than in a traditional shared apartment?

The coliving phenomenon is presented as the “innovative solution for urban living” and is in fact in line with many real estate projects whose guidelines are focused on the sharing and optimisation of spaces. The coliving offer is indeed an attractive, modern alternative with a real estate component adapted to the new lifestyles of young workers (millennials) oriented towards sharing and social interaction. Although sharing accommodation is not new, through this article you will discover how at Beelive we are developing a coliving concept that addresses the limitations of traditional flatshares and accommodation. We ensure that each of our residents has the best experience: from the design of our large shared houses, our turnkey services, to the animation of our community.

• Space: large houses optimised for living together
• The services in Coliving: a turnkey offer
• The community: our raison d’être
• A sustainable alternative to traditional housing

Space: large houses optimised for living together

Our large city homes are carefully selected to encourage mobility and the development of our residents. We give a second life to houses located in the city centre, with an exterior and a great potential for collective and singular living quality. Unlike a traditional shared house, here each square metre is optimised in a logic of distribution of common and private spaces. We provide our residents with unparalleled comfort and a fair standard of living. Here, it is no longer a question of adapting collectively to the existing accommodation and equipment and having to make compromises with your flatmates, with coliving it is the spaces that adapt to collective and individual uses.

“Coliving is no longer about selling square metres but offering an experience, although the square metres are part of the experience.” BeeLive

Our craftsmen renovate these same spaces in a state of the art way using solid and durable materials. Our architects thoughtfully design interiors, developing a range of bespoke furniture with the guidelines of optimising storage, comfort, durability and timeless, authentic design. Collectively, from the installation of partitions to the selection of equipment, every detail of our coliving houses has been thought out by and for living together, while ensuring the individual comfort of each person.

• The common areas: these are the main rooms of our houses where social interactions are encouraged and where all the friendships between Beelivers are created. This is why in each of our houses, we find beautiful large kitchens, dining rooms, lounges, outdoor areas and other “extraordinary common areas” such as cinema rooms, wine cellars, dance halls, sports halls, etc. A standard of living in the city that is without equal.
• The rooms: we offer three categories of rooms to our residents: standard, comfort, premium. All our rooms are furnished and equipped, and all have a shower room and toilet. Linen is even provided on arrival, so all you have to do is pack your bags!

Finally, although our houses are not subject to the provisions of spaces receiving the public, we want to ensure the safety of our facilities. So, for everyone’s comfort and peace of mind, we have put in place solutions, from the renovation of fireproof systems to secure access to the houses and rooms.

Coliving services: a turnkey offer

The main difference between coliving and traditional housing is that it is managed by a specialised operator (the BeeLive team for example). This implies a flexibility of the offer and of the services included in the rental contract. This logic places coliving halfway between residential and hotel accommodation, and allows young professionals to live in a large house in the city centre, with the advantages of coliving, without the disadvantages! Moving into a new home has never been easier! There is no longer any question of scrolling for hours on end to find a vacant home on the bon coin or other ad sites. Just go to our website and submit your application. Depending on your criteria and our availability, we will quickly offer you a room. Afterwards, we will offer you a video call to present the concept and information about the room and the house you want. Finally, to ensure that the coliving experience is optimal, without unpleasant surprises and with a strong sense of belonging, we organise a digital or physical co-optation meeting with the residents of the house. Once the contract is signed, all that’s left to do is settle in and enjoy your new life. Our rental leases are flexible and are the perfect solution for young workers in transition, newcomers to a city or people who like to be surrounded by people. In addition, this solution is a financial and peace of mind boon, as the administrative burden and investment (furniture, equipment…) at the time of moving in are a thing of the past: the charges are mutualised, and the contracts are included in the rental lease. To make the coliving experience as pleasant as possible, we offer all-inclusive services, such as water and energy charges, but also cleaning of common areas, fibre optics, home insurance, maintenance, and even a Netflix subscription!

Community: our reason for being

In recent years, individual housing has shown its limits in general, but more so since the health crisis, by highlighting realities such as urban loneliness. Yet, many people prefer to live alone in a flat for their own peace and comfort. At Beelive, we allow our residents a singular and comfortable freedom in their private spaces, and develop the affinity aspect through the sharing of collective spaces, a cooptation, but also our activities for the community. In order to encourage exchanges and social interactions between residents, within a house but also through our network of shared houses, we propose through the animation of the community:

• Events and activities throughout the year (afterworks, hikes, outdoor sports…)
• Community services such as the delivery of a brunch once a month in the houses, in order to share delicious moments between roommates.
• Through our internal networks, we propose events and offers from our partners, so that beyond Beelive’s activity, our community integrates in a sustainable and local way for an authentic experience.

A sustainable alternative to traditional housing

In order to become the sustainable housing solution, it is natural for us to establish a real sense of trust and transparency about our business, both for our residents and for our partners, as soon as the interest in our offer begins. From the moment they discover our homes on our website, we ensure that our tenants know the ins and outs of the experience they are embarking on, and what the home they have chosen has to offer:

• With each application, we organise a telephone interview to establish a first real contact with the future resident and to respond more judiciously to their expectations. We offer a virtual visit of the room and the common areas, as well as a description of the overall equipment of the house.
• Finally, through our cooptation system, a physical or digital meeting is organised with the residents of the house, which favours the general good understanding and avoids bad surprises.

In our houses, we take care to have as little energy impact as possible compared to individual housing. We favour collaborations with local actors, select sustainable equipment, and want to reason our consumption thanks to different levers: insulation, energy alternatives, and finally by sharing equipment and energy. Moreover, sharing a home encourages us to be more sensitive and respectful of our daily consumption. At Beelive, we are also nature lovers, whose activities within the community raise awareness of these issues, and bring us back to basics.

Conclusion:

Today, we are the leading affinity coliving operator in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. We are already actively developing three houses in Clermont-Ferrand, with the aim of extending our network of large shared houses to Lyon within the year. Our vision of being the alternative to traditional housing commits us to improving our homes as we grow, by listening to and trusting our residents. If you are curious to learn more about our concept or would like to join us, please contact us.

The BeeLive Team,

Beez