What do people want in coliving?

There are multiple factors the one considers while selecting a coliving space (not necessarily in the same order) -

• Amenities
• Location/ commute to the workplace
• Cost
• Strong Community/ Social Mix
• Social Impact & Sustainability
• Design
• Technology

Different people rank these different factors according to their stage of life. Looking closely, another growing niche market within coliving consists of slightly older people with higher incomes who desire additional space and privacy. Most are in their 30s, single or married, without children, and have just moved to a new city. In their opinion, co-living offers not so much a financial solution but a pursuit of a sense of community. Their apartments include a private kitchen and living room - decorated and curated by designers - while the communal activities occur at events organized by the company, such as wine tastings, dinners, decorating Christmas trees, plays, and trips to film festivals.

Research conducted by Space 10 - IKEA's innovation lab - focused on understanding what people would like to experience in co-living and what they would be willing to share - or not. The results published in 2018 show that most of these people are drawn to shared housing to socializing with others and not due to saving money. The majority also claims to prefer living in small communities of four to ten people, which is counterintuitive to today's developments.

Another interesting observation is that most would prefer to live with people of different origins and ages. In addition, almost all of them would prefer living with childless couples and single women - the least popular house members were small children and teenagers.