Creating your Home Office

Creating your Home Office

In recent months many (if not most) of us have found ourselves working much more from home. The fact is that none of us really knows if we might need to be able to work from home again in the future (ie. the Fall), but there are a host of reasons why anyone could need to work from home. There are definitely some pros and cons to working from home. There are also things that we can do to make the most of the pros & minimize the cons to make for an effective work day at home.

Of course, having the office to actually GO to is nice. I don't even use a dedicated "office" at my office. I use the open spaces and love interacting with my coworkers. But just being there gives me more energy and more focus. Some will say that working from home is better for them; they struggle with distractions at the office and may be more creative at home. Neither is wrong but let's look at some ways to make the home office really work for us.

What kind of space do you need? 

I am a Realtor. I don't really need that much space for my home office; enough for a computer and a phone, maybe a small area to write/take notes and I am good to go! But, what about the Artists, the Architects, the Teachers (goodness our Teachers have really had to learn how to work from home), the Writers, Therapists, Computer Support Specialists, Massage Therapists, and more! Many of these people can and DO work from home. Their space needs are very different from mine. So first it is important to evaluate what kind of and how much space you need. 

What do you need in your office? 

Again, I just need that computer and phone, a printer helps at times as well. I need outlets; so I have made sure to add extra in the form of a couple of surge protecting power strips. Quite different from those who may need a larger desk area with room to draw & write. Some students and definitely those in technology prefer to have multiple computer monitors. A door that closes for client privacy. Extra Chairs to meet with people. One very new thing that I have added to my home office is a light specifically for video conferencing (another thing that needs power). It's often easier for people to really understand what I am saying if they can see my face clearly, this light that faces me while I video conference really helps with that. 

What is your budget?

Do you have the budget to hire a designer or do you need to tackle those Pinterest projects yourself? There are so many amazing ideas & things that you can add to your home office to make it better, fancier, prettier, etc. But for real, time is money & money is money. Don't delay too long or you will waste that time that you should be working in your office. Your home office can be a work in progress, the priority is to start with something functional, start somewhere. 

Some ideas to consider...

Make it inviting. 

Natural Light is great for keeping you energized and focused. Try not to create your office in a closed off closet. 

Your chair; many people prefer a office style desk chair but I actually prefer a chair that sits a bit more up right. My chair is more of a writing desk style or formal dining room. It is padded & comfortable, but keeps me upright and helps me focus. Otherwise I like to stand; I am often pacing when I am on the phone and work at bar height desks at my office. 

Avoid distractions.

For me this has a lot to do with communicating with my family. Make sure they know when you are working & to respect when you are working as interruptions can take twice as long to recover from. Sometimes people think it will work to have one home office for everyone in the home, but the opposite is quite true. Everyone is rarely on the same work or school schedule. Some may have video meetings/classes while others are trying to finish writing that report and the noise could be very distracting. It's best for everyone to have their own dedicated office/school space where they can all tune out the distractions. 

Keep things organized and separate.

Keep your home office just as clean as you would an office that you had at your actual work space. Encourage your children to keep their desk just as clean as if they had to share it with someone at school. Keeping a clean work space helps you be more efficient. It takes far more time to clean up than it does to keep clean as well, guard your time and keep your space clean as you go! I try to keep my kids' papers, our household bills and other correspondence out of my "office" area. I don't like to get those things mixed together and keeping that in mind might help you stay organized. 

Shut it down.

One thing many are learning is how much MORE work you may actually do when you are trying to work from home. Realtors have felt this for YEARS. That email will come in at 9pm and you feel compelled to respond. You have been working all day & you look up & it's 7pm and you haven't even started dinner. Set a timer, give yourself breaks and a lunch break ~ don't forget to feed yourself! Close up when the work day ends and don't burn out. My home office is actually made from a large armoire. My husband outfitted it with extra lights and cut strategic holes for power strips. I can push in the desk area & shut the doors when I am done for the day! It's just as easy to be over worked at home as it is to be too distracted to work at home. One thing is for sure; many of us have learned how to work from home when we may have never thought we could!

If you are looking for that perfect home WITH a dedicated home office I am here to help! Give me a call today so we can start finding that home with the perfect work space! 

Michelle@TM5Properties.com