Setting up a home office is one of the most popular projects in recent times as the work-from-home movement continues to grow.
Prospective buyers in our neighborhood are consistently expressing their interest in homes that have an established office situated away from the main living areas.
If that’s not possible in your property, you can still add value to your home by establishing a small office in a niche space that offers some privacy.
The obvious solution is to convert a spare room. However, I’d caution you against reducing the number of bedrooms, especially if you’re thinking of selling soon.
As your local real estate agent, I know buyers see the number of bedrooms as a marker for the size of the home, so it’s risky to reduce them.
There are plenty of alternatives, such as a basement conversion or creating a hybrid office and guest bedroom with a fold-out bed.
If you are currently working from the kitchen table, or balancing your laptop on your knees, here are a few practical tips that will help you establish a long-term home office space.
- You don’t need a lot of space. If you can shut the door on the kids, animals, spouses, tv noise, that’s perfect. If you are going to work a lot from home, you do need to physically and psychologically put distance between your home and work life.
- Be open to the location. You might be able to convert the garden shed, hive off space in the laundry, utilize a nook that’s dead space, or create an office in a guest bedroom that’s used only on rare occasions.
- Check the space has a good internet connection or risk Zoom rage. If you have a local area network but the reception is weak, consider buying an extender to strengthen the signal.
- Take care to install the desk correctly. The standard height is 29 inches from the floor to the surface. Depending on your physical stature, you may wish to lower or raise this. If you’re buying a new desk, consider one that has an adjustable height mechanism.
- Sometimes, it’s best to have a wireless keyboard a little lower than the 29in. This is why some desk designs have a pull-out surface under the desktop on which a wireless keyboard should sit.
- Invest in a docking station if you have a notebook. While these can be costly, they’re invaluable for a long-term home office. They give you additional ports to access and save content. It will also make it easier to use a larger screen.
- Use a large screen to help your posture and wellbeing. It’s essential to install it properly: sit straight at your desk, look straight ahead and make sure your eyes fall 25% down the screen. Don’t hunch or strain when you do this fitting. You might need a small riser to get the screen at the necessary height.
- An ergonomic chair is vital for your wellbeing, especially if you spend several hours at the desk at a single time. It should swivel and have an adjustable height mechanism.
- Lighting is another critical element. Prioritize your overhead lighting and make the most of any natural light. If you have a desk lamp, keep it away from the screen to reduce glare.
- Buy a headset for phone and Zoom calls. It will reduce extraneous noise from elsewhere in the house, and you’ll avoid straining your neck to balance the phone on your shoulder. Earbuds will do, but a headset is usually the better option.
- If you need a printer, try to stow it out of sight as this will make the office appear less cluttered.
- Focus on storage as the office can become messy quickly. A floating shelf above a workstation is a great solution.
- Invest in a power-strip to protect your equipment from any electrical surges.
- Detachable hard disk drives are useful devices. They can be plugged into your docking station to act as additional storage, or to back up your work. Also, consider Cloud storage, and there are countless solutions for that.
- Some employers will offer to assess your home office to ensure you have adequate equipment, and you’ve set up the ergonomics correctly. You should ask your employer if this service is available.