I’ve worked full-time from my home since 1992 and can’t imagine doing it any other way. Whether you work full-time out of your home, occasionally telecommute, catch up on work in the evening, or run a household, you need some sort of dedicated “office” space in your home. Offices can serve as the family computer center, a place to do paperwork, and the occasional work-at-home office.
The first big question is where to locate your home office. Until the last few years, most builders didn’t catch on to the popularity of a built-in home office. If you have a computer, you might need more than an antique writing desk in the living room. But if you only use your “office” to pay bills, write letters, and return phone calls, you can get away with a corner of the kitchen.
If extra space is difficult to come by in your home, you’ll need to get creative. I’ve seen people attempt to use a hallway, part of a bedroom, and even a closet. However, these spaces can be fraught with disadvantages. It’s difficult to work while children are running everywhere. If you’re working near your bed, you might think about napping constantly. If you’re too cramped, you can’t spread out your work or lay out projects. Personally, I commandeered the “formal” living room—no one ever used it anyway, so it was wasted space. Perhaps you can steal the guest room?
Set yourself up for success. Wherever you end up locating your home office, ensure you put some thought into your decision. If you are going to be working from your home full-time, use this checklist to ensure you’re set up for success and maximum productivity. Here are some initial considerations:
- Where will you set up your home office?
- How will you modify the space to meet your needs?
- Can you lock the door? Can you lock the windows?
- Do you have sufficient lighting for that area?
- Can you get privacy if you need to make a phone call?
- What office supplies you will need?
- Where are the electrical sockets located? Will you need additional power sources?
- Do you have enough storage space, such as a file cabinet, bookcases, credenza, closets, etc.?
- Where you will store back-up disks? Is the storage area safe from fire, flooding, etc.?
- If your home office is in the basement, and if the basement tends to get damp, do you have a de-humidifier?
