Is Coworking Worth It?
A real look at the costs, the benefits, and whether it actually makes sense for the way you work.
What you're actually paying for
A coworking desk isn't just a desk. At RedDeskCo, £225 per month covers your fixed desk, fast internet, air conditioning, heating, a private meeting room, showers, bike storage, a kitchen with tea and coffee, cleaning, building insurance, and maintenance. If something breaks, we fix it. If the internet goes down, we deal with it. You just turn up and work.
If you tried to replicate all of that by renting your own small office, you'd be looking at significantly more per month once you factor in all the extras. And if you're working from home, you're covering your own energy, internet, and equipment costs, plus losing the separation between your work life and your personal life.
The value of coworking isn't really about the desk itself. It's about everything that comes with it and everything you don't have to think about.
The real cost comparison
Here is what the numbers actually look like in Peckham. A hot desk at one of the larger coworking spaces starts from around £210 per month plus VAT, which comes to £252. A fixed desk at the same spaces is typically £290 plus VAT, so £348. At RedDeskCo, a fixed desk is £225 with no VAT. No deposit either.
If you're comparing that to working from home, think about what your energy bills look like when you're running heating, lighting, and a computer for an extra 8-10 hours a day. Most people find that adds £60-100 per month to their bills. Add in the occasional coffee shop visit when you need to get out of the house, and the gap between free and £225 starts to narrow.
If you're comparing it to a conventional office, even a very small space in south east London will cost you £400-600 per month once you add business rates, utilities, internet, insurance, and cleaning. Plus a deposit of several months rent upfront.
The things that don't show up in the numbers
Cost is the easiest thing to measure, but it's not the only thing that matters. The people who get the most value from coworking tend to mention the same things: having a routine, being around other people, and being able to properly switch off at the end of the day because work stays at the office.
These are harder to put a number on, but they're real. If you've been working from home for a while and you've noticed that your productivity has dipped, that you're feeling more isolated, or that your evenings don't feel like evenings any more, a coworking space addresses all three of those things. Whether that's worth £225 a month is something only you can answer, but for most of the people at RedDeskCo, it's been one of the best decisions they've made.
How to test it without committing
If you're not sure whether coworking is worth it for you, the best thing to do is try it. RedDeskCo offers a £100 first month trial, which gives you a full month at a fixed desk to see whether it works for the way you work. There's no obligation to continue after that, and if it's not for you, you've only spent £100 finding out.
You can also book a tour to see the space first and get a feel for whether it's the kind of environment you'd want to work in. We'd rather you visited and decided it wasn't right than signed up and regretted it.
It varies by space. Hot desks at larger spaces start from around £210+VAT (£252). A fixed desk at RedDeskCo is £225 per month with no VAT, and that includes everything.
Almost always. A small office in south east London typically costs £400-600 per month once you add utilities, rates, internet, insurance, and cleaning. Plus you'll need a deposit upfront.
Yes. RedDeskCo offers a £100 first month trial at a fixed desk. There's no obligation to continue afterwards.
Everything. Your fixed desk, internet, air conditioning, heating, a meeting room, showers, bike storage, kitchen, tea and coffee, cleaning, insurance, and maintenance. The £225 monthly price is all you pay.