The site-reality checklist
Before you look at any property, write down the site reality. What are the shift start and end times? Where do the crew need to park a van with tools inside? Where do wet boots and hi-vis go overnight? Is there a hot meal available on site or does the crew need to cook?
- Off-street parking for at least one van per two crew
- A boot / drying area separate from bedrooms
- A functional kitchen with hob, oven, microwave and a real fridge
- Wi-Fi that works on a Sunday night
- Beds sized for adults, not students
Exclusive use is the default
Construction crews are noisy at 5:30am and quiet by 9pm. That's incompatible with hotel guests or unrelated house-sharers. Exclusive-use whole-house is the default answer — the crew has the property, the property has the crew, and everyone sleeps.
Site-adjacent vs city-centre
Cut travel time before you cut nightly rate. A crew that spends 90 minutes a day commuting from a cheaper city-centre flat costs more in unbilled travel than any nightly saving. Site-adjacent contractor houses within 20 minutes of the compound almost always win on total cost.
Welfare and retention
Good temporary accommodation is a retention tool. Specialists remember which contractor booked them into a decent house and which one put them in a Travelodge for four months. On rotation programmes, welfare quality directly affects who says yes to the next mobilisation.