NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Beau Alford was a road warrior, traveling constantly for his job in medical sales. Now, sidelined by the pandemic, he’s become a digital nomad, using technology to work from his home office.

“I just finished a Zoom call with 35 people,” he said.

Alford was never a daily commuter to his employer’s office, which is on the West Coast.

“My business cards actually have a California address on them,” he said.

Alford isn’t alone. Even before the pandemic, many workers were ditching the daily commute or constant travel and working from a home office. Home builders are working to keep up with the trend.

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Internet, workspace are necessary amenities

For many people buying a new home today, having dependable high-speed internet service and a space for an office are just as important as granite countertops, stainless appliances and hardwood floors.

“A majority of clients all over town are looking for a dedicated workspace since so many are working from home full time or at least part time,” said Tiffany Caine, director of sales and managing broker for Parkside Builders.

Parkside Builders’ communities in Tennessee include Oxford Station, a new neighborhood of 152 townhomes and single-family houses in Gallatin, Waterford Village in Hendersonville, Parkvue luxury condos in Bellevue, The Village at Carter’s Station in Columbia and Three Rivers in Murfreesboro.

Regent Homes, one of the region’s largest builders, offers a three-bedroom “flex area” home designed so one of the bedrooms can easily be converted into an office. It is introducing a new floor plan with a flex space near the front door that can become an office.

“The pandemic has caused a lot of people to rethink. Everybody’s finding they can work very efficiently from home. They don’t have go to an office every day,” said David McGowan, president of Regent Homes.

“We have couples looking for homes and want space for an office. In some cases they want space for two offices,” he said.

Live-work lifestyle trending before pandemic

Well before the pandemic, Regent Homes began offering live-work townhomes with commercial space on the first floor and living space above. The space is perfect for service businesses like insurance offices and small shops.

Alford and his wife, Kristen, converted a spare bedroom to an office in their Green Hills, Tennessee, home. Carbine & Associates, their builder, makes a point of including space for offices in its new houses.

“How many computers do you have at home? We used to want everyone to have a TV. Now it’s a computer,” said James Carbine, president of Carbine & Associates.

Alford was using three separate screens during one recent work day.

“Everything’s going on at once. I’m doing things I’ve never done before,” he said.

In addition to being efficient, working from a home office has a welcome benefit.

“If I get a break, I can step in and spend time with my son,” who is 4 months old, Alford said.

Will Starling, like Alford, used to travel constantly for his job in industrial automation sales. Today he’s working from his home in the Nations neighborhood. The home, built by Carbine & Associates before the pandemic, has a spare bedroom he uses as an office.

He simultaneously uses his laptop, a large computer screen, an iPad and a smart phone to communicate with customers. His employer’s offices are in Nashville, but he rarely needs to go there.

“Until COVID, my role was in front of the customers. Much of it is home now, as you can imagine,” Starling said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Real estate: Home offices top wish lists for new and existing homes