Setting up a home office

When purchasing it is good idea to consider if this property will suit if you should decide to set up an office from home in the future.

More and more people are starting to work from home.  Not only the self-employed but also a lot of companies are now allowing their staff to operate from their home.  If you are looking for a property be sure to take this into account.   Should you start doing your job at home you will need to be able to set up the right space in your private dwelling.

Consider the location

Working from home can be difficult especially if other people are around during your working hours.  You will need to find a location with as few distractions as possible.  Equally that is why you need to visit the location where you are thinking of buying at different times of the day to establish if the area at certain times is overly busy and potentially noisy

Consider the current style of the property

Does the style of the property meet your demands as it currently is.  If so then this can save you a lot of time effort and money.  However it’s not always possible to achieve your dream and most people have to compromise a little when purchasing a property.  Check out properties which already have additional unused space e.g. outside shed, garage, large attic area with adequate headroom.  Many properties for sale have owners who are currently running their business from the dwelling a typical example of this are all the online companies that have been set up in recent times.  In some cases an outside  shed or garage may have already been converted with this use in mind.  Ideally if this has been done correctly then there will be adequate existing electrical power points and heating.     

Consider the potential

Equally think about the potential to extend or convert in the future to enable you to achieve the additional space that you will need should you choose to work from home.  Once again an outside shed may have offer huge possibilities.  Likewise people nowadays in general prefer to park their car in the driveway instead of going to the bother of using the garage.  There are a lot of garages that are currently only being used for storage.  Of course attics can offer the perfect solution to finding that extra space to work from.  An attic conversion can be done provided the design of the house allows for the head height necessary to make the conversion workable.

Consider how to make the best use of the available space

If you have a whole spare room to yourself and lots of space then you can purchase a full-sized desk in whatever style suits you.  However if space is restricted be sure to test out a desk to see how it fits for you before you commit to purchase.  Measure your room in advance and allocate how much can be put in the space you have.  No doubt you will need workspace for a computer, printer, telephone, filing facility ?  How many drawers do you need?  Even with a wireless internet connection in your home wires can get in the way.  Use zip ties to keep them clean and organized and label each with what it goes to so that if things ever get unplugged you can get it all hooked up again quickly. A small rolling cart is great for printers or accessories and can be rolled out of the way when not in use.

Your home office can be very comfortable and successful if you pay attention to the details.  Ideally keep the workspace away from things like the television or any place where kids might be playing, as these can obviously be a distraction when you're trying to work. Look for a place near a window for natural light and make sure you will be able to make the space comfortable for your use without a lot of expense.  The perfect work space can be created no matter how much room you have to work with. 

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