If you're looking for a new semi-detached home near Lorraine and you work mostly from home, the question goes beyond the number of bedrooms: you also need to know where the computer, the chair and the files will go.

First, here is what the data says about working from home in Lorraine, on Montreal's North Shore, without stretching it. Then come the ways to set up a home office near Lorraine in BÉAcité's homes in Sainte-Julie, as they appear in the floor plans and photos.

Working from home in Lorraine, by the numbers

In Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, 29.9% of Lorraine's employed residents worked from home, compared with 23.6% in Sainte-Julie and 21.9% across Quebec. One caveat matters: that census was taken in May 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, so those shares reflect an exceptional period.

More recently, Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey put the share of workers in the Montreal metropolitan area who mainly worked from home at about 19.6% in May 2025. That figure covers a different area and comes from a different survey; mostly, it shows the practice has held on since the pandemic. If you're one of those workers, a well-planned room matters more than an address close to the office.

And for those who commute

The same census describes everyone else. Among Lorraine workers with a usual place of work, 7.7% work in Lorraine itself, 22.2% elsewhere in the Thérèse-De Blainville RCM, and 69.6% outside the RCM. To get to work, 93.1% drive, and 20.2% spend 45 minutes or more on the road, compared with 13.8% across Quebec.

The census doesn't say where those jobs are, and we won't claim that moving would shorten your commute. Sainte-Julie is about 50 km from Lorraine city hall. This move is mainly for people who work largely from home, or whose travel already takes them toward the South Shore.

Lorraine's houses often have a room to spare: according to the same census, 46.5% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, and they average 8.5 rooms. A guest room can easily double as an office there. In a new semi-detached home, the workspace is better planned when you choose the model or the turnkey home, which is why it pays to go through the possibilities one by one.

Home office near Lorraine: four ways to set one up

BÉAcité's homes offer more than one place to work. Photos of the four turnkey homes, at 405, 408, 423 and 435 Geoffrion Street, show several versions.

A room with a door

Photos of 408 show an office behind a glass door, with built-in shelving; those of 435 show a bright office with olive-green walls, lit by a tall window. A door that closes helps keep an online meeting apart from household life.

An open work area

423, a three-bedroom Duo home, includes an open office for working from home. Upstairs at 435, the photos also show a desk set up beside a residential elevator. This arrangement suits someone who works alone during the day.

The mezzanine

The Duo cottage can take an optional 338 sq ft mezzanine, which brings its living space to 2,356 sq ft. At 405, the photos show a mezzanine set up as an office under a high ceiling. The option is decided before construction.

The basement

Every model has a basement: 1,006 sq ft for the semi-detached bungalow, 858 sq ft for the Duo cottage and 652 sq ft for the Urbain model. The one at 423 is finished. A basement can hold an office set apart, away from the daytime rooms.

What matters over a working day

A home office near Lorraine is also judged on details that don't show up in a listing:

light: the homes have large windows in every room, and 9-foot ceilings on the ground floor;
comfort: central air conditioning and a central forced-air gas system are part of the standard features;
breaks: in Vilamo, a full commercial strip is within walking distance, and a promenade for pedestrians, cyclists and electric transport winds through the neighbourhood;
upkeep: landscaping is complete and upkeep is fully taken care of; the sales director provides the details.

Working from home also means spending more hours within your walls, one of which is shared in a semi-detached home. What that format changes day to day is covered in our article on choosing a detached or semi-detached home near Lorraine.

The days you have to go out

Even when working remotely, there are meetings to attend and clients to see. Every home in Vilamo is less than 300 m from a bus stop, Sainte-Julie's local transit is free, and a park-and-ride lot is about 7 minutes away. By car, Exit 105 on Highway 20 is close by, and every home's garage has an outlet for charging an electric car.

To head back to the North Shore, allow roughly fifty minutes without traffic via Highway 25, whose bridge is tolled. The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel is under major repairs until 2027, with lane restrictions that change from one phase to the next.

How should you tour with work in mind?

Bring the measurements of your desk and storage to the visit, and look at each room as a possible workspace: where the light comes from, where the screen and the chair would go. If you take video calls, also check what would show up behind you on screen. If you're leaning toward a home to customize, ask the sales director which options, such as the mezzanine, must be settled before construction. And if your decision is getting close, our article on moving from Lorraine to Sainte-Julie will help you organize the schedule.

Conclusion

First measured at the height of the pandemic, working from home is still, according to more recent data, the reality for nearly one worker in five in the Montreal area. A home office near Lorraine, in Sainte-Julie, can take the form of a closed room, an open corner, a mezzanine or a space in the basement. The sales office at 435 Geoffrion Street will show you those rooms Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; evenings and weekends, visits are by appointment.

A home office near Lorraine: where to work in a new semi-detached home