For the first time in your life, you get to choose your desk and where it goes. Additionally you get to choose the equipment and the supplies. This is going to be a lot of fun! Working from home was almost impossible in the past, but has become a necessity of the times for some people and a convenience for others. The advances in technology and the internet make working from home easier these days. With proper planning, you can create a home office that is comfortable, accessible, and practical.
Finding the perfect spot for your home office may be a challenge. Most likely, you did not consider a “home office” when purchasing your home. Use your imagination, a basement, a walk-in closet, or you can even divide a space off a larger room with bookshelves. Try to identify a space that gets the least amount of foot traffic. Remember it will be hard to concentrate if the kids are playing nearby.
Think of all the things that you will need to work comfortably and efficiently in your “home office”. Proper temperature control and lighting should be at the top of your list. You will need a telephone in your work area, so if there is not a phone line nearby make sure you have a portable phone available. Your desk chair will be moving around in the space, so flooring should be a hard surface, at least near the desk. If you are fortunate enough to have a window nearby then select window coverings that will allow you to control the light. Using an armoire or credenza for papers, a computer, and a printer can help with organization and aesthetics, and will keep your work materials out of view. The most important piece of furniture you will need will be your desk or work surface. It should be large enough and the right height to work comfortably.
If your space is limited its always a great idea to draw out a floor plan, and no you don’t need to be an artist to do this, then cut out pieces of paper representing your desk, chair, file cabinets, printer, etc, and move them around on the plan until you find a workable space plan. Knowing where you will put everything before setting up the office, will make things much easier.
Working from home may not work for everyone, but does have its benefits.