The pandemic redefined many points of our lives: a few of us labored from house for the primary time and stayed distant, giving many others an opportunity to relocate as simply and as usually as wished. Though residing as a digital nomad (somebody who works remotely whereas touring the world) shouldn’t be a very new idea, it did acquire way more traction through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a report by impartial expertise supplier MBO Companions, the proportion of People who described themselves as digital nomads elevated to 131 % between 2019 and 2022. San Antonio felt the pattern with about thrice as many distant employees holding robust “after” the pandemic as earlier than it, in accordance with a report by Axios.
Embracing this new life-style is what gave solution to Touchdown, a versatile residing community that gives digital nomads — or these trying to relocate — a neater, extra reasonably priced, and hassle-free choice to discover new cities whereas nonetheless having fun with the identical perks of a conventional long-term lease.
Touchdown makes use of a subscription-based mannequin to hire fully-furnished properties with choices in over 375 cities. Which means customers do not have to fret about deposits, signing contracts, or hauling furnishings from one place to the opposite.
“It’s a distinct, extra versatile solution to hire and dwell that unlocks experiences that you just would not in any other case have with conventional renting and staying in a single place,” says Touchdown spokesperson Emily McMahon. “Their mannequin has seen a lot progress and demand over the previous few years as individuals proceed to embrace this work from wherever world that we’re in.”
Austin has turn into a hotspot at Touchdown, claiming the highest place within the nation by way of whole reservation. Simply this 12 months, Touchdown has seen a 25% improve in new Austin reservations from Q3 to This autumn. In the identical hypothetical interval in January, Touchdown lists 128 flats in Austin, 85 in Houston, 79 in Dallas, 55 in San Antonio, and 36 in Fort Price — to not point out all of the suburbs round them. Customers may search by state, revealing that Texas has the second most out there locales (26 in comparison with California’s 38, and Florida’s 22).
Leona Marlene is amongst these preserving Austin on the prime of the checklist. She got here throughout the rental community final 12 months whereas researching reasonably priced options to short-term leases. Though at first she thought it sounded too good to be true, she determined to offer it a try to has been a member ever since. Marlene coming again to town in a number of weeks to remain at a Touchdown property.
“It’s been actually tough to seek out reasonably priced locations to be within the U.S.,” says Marlene. “For me, [Landing] provides me entry to those cities I would not in any other case have entry to. I believe those that I frequent most are Chicago and Austin, simply because we have now household in these places, and we do not essentially need to dwell in both of these full time. It’s very nice to have the flexibleness to be within the cities once we select to be and take a look at completely different cities that we take pleasure in.”
The appliance course of is straightforward and easy, with a response as quick as quarter-hour. The usual subscription requires a minimal 30 days, however earlier this 12 months the corporate launched an much more versatile and reasonably priced choice known as Standby.
Standby is its personal month-to-month subscription that offers member entry to Touchdown’s properties for a month-to-month hire value ($1,295-1,995 relying on town) with a stunning twist: They might be “bumped” at any time, which means a regular price member might hire that residence and the Standby member must transfer — to a different property in the identical metropolis or elsewhere — inside a brief body. Typically the discover could be as quick as 3 days.
Though thrilling for some, it could sound demanding and scary to others. Therein lies the appeal of Touchdown and Standby. It’s not meant to be for everybody, but it surely might be an incredible alternative for many who crave journey and the thrills of a brand new metropolis each few months or so. It may be a solution to check the waters of a brand new potential house earlier than totally committing to it.
On-line opinions differ — a typical phenomenon for rental platforms — from gushing to giving up. If a lesson could be realized from combing by way of opinions, new renters ought to think about how versatile they’re keen to be earlier than committing. A standard grievance was that exact flats that seemed to be out there couldn’t be nailed down, forcing customers to compromise from their authentic imaginative and prescient. Optimistic opinions state that Touchdown is accommodating, however requires flexibility and a spotlight.
As for Marlene, who’s on monitor to dwell in 10 cities in 12 months; She retains coming again for not solely the value, however the sense of normalcy that Touchdown gives from one metropolis to the opposite.
“At Touchdown, you actually know what you are getting,” she says. “I am fairly certain the mattress is similar in each residence. It looks like house. I’ve the identical plates, I’ve the identical silverware. I actually love making smoothies within the morning. I do know I’ll have a blender. Whereas, with another platform, you type of do not actually know what you are getting.”
Browse Denver, Seattle, Chicago, and different flats at hellolanding.com.
