Working from home – office solutions
While offices are set to open up again in the coming months, it looks like remote working or at least part-time WFH is here to stay. With that in mind, if you’ve had enough of working from your kitchen table, we’ve got the home office solutions you need to make working from home as comfortable and productive as possible.
If you’re worried about the cost of adapting a space in your home for an office, don’t be. Home offices are high one of the must-haves for buyers and can add around 8% to 10% to the value of your property.
Location is key
Home offices come in many different shapes and sizes. It can be in a separate room, a quiet corner, or even in your kitchen. The key to selecting the right place for your home office is to think about where and when you do your work. If you are a busy parent, a kitchen desk area may be the ideal place for your central command post. However, if your job involves a lot of video calls, you’ll want to select a space that’s away from the daily flow and distractions of your household.
When thinking about the type of home office you need, you should consider your budget and plan accordingly.
Spare bedroom
A spare bedroom is a great place for a home office setup. Most households with a spare bedroom end up using that room as a glorified storage space, so now is a great time to give it purpose.
The key to a successful office-come-bedroom is the ability to convert it quickly. Pull down beds are great in multi-purpose spaces as they can concealed when not in use, leaving you with greater floor space when used as an office. And as soon as guests come, the bed can be pulled out with minimal fuss.
Garden pod
Garden pods and shed conversions are ideal for home offices if you have the space, and you need to feel like you’re ‘going to work.’ But before you erect your home office there are some things you should bear in mind. Make sure you have a supply of electricity and a good Wi-Fi signal.
You’ll also want to think about insulation, especially in the winter months, as well as where the sun will hit. You don’t want to be in direct sunlight and feel like you’re in a greenhouse, equally, you don’t want to be in the coldest, darkest corner of the garden either.
Garage conversion
It’s no secret that the majority of garages just house clutter and are almost redundant spaces. So turning your garage into your home office will be the perfect excuse you need to remove the clutter and create a useful space.
A single garage will offer around 15m2 of floor space, more than enough for an office. And a double garage, at around 30m2, gives you more options. It could house a good-sized home office plus a shower/toilet or utility room/storage area.
