More people than ever are falling in the remote worker category thanks to the pandemic. If you are one of the millions of Americans that are trying to adjust to working from home you likely are on a mission for creating your home office without spending a fortune.
In the early days of the pandemic many people felt like creating a home office space wasn’t really necessary because they expected that the pandemic would end quickly. They propped up their laptop on the kitchen or dining room table and called it a day. Unfortunately, creating your home office space has become very necessary as the pandemic drags on. There are ways you can create a dedicated office space without breaking the bank.
A Designated Space
Creating your home office does not require a lot of square footage of course if you are lucky enough to have the extra square footage to dedicate to office space that is great. Whether you have vast amounts of room or you are struggling to live in the space you have creating your home office starts with dedicating whatever space you can.
For example, if you have a guest room you can dedicate a space for your office chair and desk. If you do not have a guest room, you can get creative creating your home office and use available wall space. In other words, you have to pick a space, so you will know what you are working with.
A lot of homeowners are tapping into the potential of the spaces that were not using before the pandemic. For example, transforming your basement into a finished basement can give you plenty of room for all the things you are doing at home now including creating your home office.
Once you have your space picked out then you can start creating your home office. Of course, if you have the financial means you may want to consider hiring home remodeling services to create the office of your dreams. If you do not have the financial means then you can get a lot of the things done as DIY projects.
Let’s start with the least expensive ways for creating your home office space. The goal of creating any home office space is to make it feel a little bit different from the rest of your home. You can achieve that feeling with house painters services, furnishing, and even window treatments. Of course, your home office is part of your home, but to fully engage your brain and make it feel like a separate place you go just to work, the style should be just a little different from the cozy feel of home.
Paint can have a tremendous effect on productivity. Choose colors that convey energy. Of course, if the budget is tight you can take on the painting project yourself but do take the time to compare the pro services to the cost of a DIY project. You may be surprised to find there is not a lot of cost difference between the two. As an added bonus hiring a professional will mean you do not have to tie up your time doing it yourself.
Creating Your Home Office In Tight Quarters
In really tight quarters you can still set up a space to work. A folding desk can be mounted on a wall. When it is not in use the hinged desk folds up against the wall. When you need the space you simply release the catch and the desk folds out.
Here are some other places you can consider when creating your home office is small spaces:
- Use attic space. If your home does not leave much room for creating your home office consider finishing your attic and making that your office space.
- Divide up your bedroom. Add a room partition and create your home office in the partitioned space.
- Raise your roof. Contact a home renovation service and inquire about adding some square footage by raising your roof.
Some of the options can be expensive but the fact is working from home for many of us is the new normal and will continue for years to come. You will get plenty of use out of the additional space that you add both now and in the future. It also adds resale value to your home. It can be a win-win situation.
Creating your home office in spaces that you did not think of before as usable living space can easily give you the space you need to be productive right from home. The beauty of starting from scratch in creating your home office is that you can design it any way that works for you. Hardwood flooring, the paint color of your choice, and of course the furnishings that completely match your style will help you to create a work oasis.
If you are not handy or do not have the time consulting with a home interior renovation services expert can be the way to go. They can use their expertise to help you find the square footage that you are not using that can be dedicated to creating your home office.
A little home renovation can help you to transform your garage into the perfect home office space. Creating your home office out of garage space will:
- Give you the privacy that you need to conduct business away from the rest of the family.
- Help in creating your home office that has all the room that you need.
- Be an affordable renovation project because you already have all the “bones” in place.
You may be looking at your over-cluttered garage right now and think there is no way I could work in this space but look again. Look at all that room you could have if you did a little organizing and tweaked things a bit to make it a highly functional and usable space. You would be surprised what some flooring, a coat of paint, and nice window curtains can do for a garage.
Most home offices are not equipped with some of the perks that you might find in offices for sale in commercial properties, but you can outfit your garage space with things that you never thought you could. Garages have plenty of room if you shift things around a bit.
You can easily transform your garage into a space that resembles any commercial office space complete with water coolers, printers, computer equipment, and comfortable office furniture. You may have to add a heat source and a cooling source but the sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to decorating the space.
Buy a Structure
If you can afford it and you have room in your backyard consider buying a shed. Creating your home office in the backyard with a customized shed is like renting an office space. Sheds come in a wide range of sizes. It can easily be cooled with a window air conditioner and heated with a space heater. Of course, you will likely need some help getting the shed set up and running electricity to it, but overall it can be an affordable option for creating your home office. Of course, if the pandemic ever does end and your company decides it is time to come back to work that office shed can become a space for a wide range of other activities. It will add value to your home and your lifestyle.
On the same note, but a little different, an addition can be another great solution for any homeowners that need a home office. An addition is usually added to the back of the house and can be used as a multi-purpose room including creating your home office.
An addition can be built onto a back deck or a back porch which means you will have part of the project already done for you. This project may take a little while because there are permits that need to be secured but it can be well worth the wait.
A whole home remodel typically takes about a year, an addition likely will only take a quarter of the time or less. At the end of the project, you will have the perfect office space.
Cheap Upgrades For Creating Your Home Office
Let’s say you have that extra room but you do not want to put a ton of money into creating your home office. There are ways to save when creating the home office that can help you to get the office that you want without breaking the bank:
- Check the office supplies store for any discounted furniture. You can find floor models or scratch and dent sales that can help you save a ton on furnishings for your home office.
- Consider buying used furniture. Many office supply stores specialize in selling gently used furniture. You can buy desks, chairs, filing cabinets and more.
- Look around the house and use what you got. You can get creative with decorating your office by using things you already have in the house.
You can find plenty of ways to decorate your office on the cheap. Check out second-hand shops, thrift stores, and social media marketplaces to find the furniture you need for creating your home office on the cheap.
Back to the Basics
Ultimately whether you want to spend a lot of money or a little bit of money your office space is going to need some basics. Here are the absolute basics you will need:
- A work surface
- A place to sit
- Internet access, electricity, and climate control
Everything beyond what is listed above is gravy. You have to be able to have a surface to work on it does not have to be a grand desk but you do want it to be a comfortable surface. You need a place to sit, it does not have to be the latest ergonomic chair but it does have to be comfortable. Of course, your office needs some “infrastructure” like power and internet capabilities.
Everything that you do create your home office that goes beyond the basics only improves the work situation. Creating your home office with the sweeping corner office views that your old office “at work” used to have may not be possible but you can make the best out of any situation.
Before you make decisions about how much money you want to spend on creating your home office ask yourself a few questions:
- Does it look like your company is going to make this a permanent situation. Many businesses have found that having remote workers are actually better for the bottom line and better for the business. It will be interesting to see how many businesses stay remote once COVID 19 clears out.
- If your company does call you back, can you convert the space into something that is more in line with your lifestyle post-pandemic? For example, if you add an addition can you turn that addition into a studio when you do not need a home office anymore?
- How much will your job performance improve if you can get off the dining room table and get into real space?
Creating your home office is really a personal experience. Determining if adding a file cabinet and maybe a plant or two to a corner in the living room to give you a home office feel is right for you, or if you want to start knocking out walls is all up to you.
The fact is it looks like we are all going to have to stay home for at least a few more months maybe longer. How much longer can you go without creating your home office and really applying yourself to the task at hand? That is really the question. Creating your home office may actually be the thing that makes you feel better about life. Having a sacred space where you do nothing but work can help you to restore some of the homework balance that you lost because everything is home now.
Besides, it is nice to have a place to just work that is all your own. Good luck creating your home office and getting through the pandemic.
