How Do I Choose the Best Home Office Space?

Whether you work from home full-time or simply want a dedicated place for activities like paying bills and browsing the Internet, you may wish to set up a home office. Choosing the right home office space is an important decision that can make a significant difference in your productivity and your overall feeling of well-being. Perhaps the best way to begin choosing your home office space is to survey the available space in your home while keeping your target budget in mind. Then, think about whether the space must also serve a second purpose, such as providing an area in which to meet with clients. Finally, before making a decision, remember that decorative factors are often simpler to change than structural ones.

As you begin your quest to choose your home office space, you should set a budget for establishing the office, and then survey the available space in your home while keeping that budget in mind. Try to rule out potential spaces that would require you to exceed your budget. For instance, converting a spare bedroom into an office may cost as little as the price of a few pieces of furniture. Turning a section of an unfinished basement into an office, on the other hand, can be quite expensive, requiring the installation of drywall, carpeting, and so forth.

To narrow down your home office space options further, consider whether your office needs to serve a second purpose. If you will be receiving clients in your office, for instance, you might consider choosing a space that is adjacent to an exterior entrance in order to prevent clients from walking through the rest of your home. Should you double as a stay-at-home parent of young children, you may wish to set up an office in a room in which your children can play under your supervision while you work.

Before you make a final decision about your home office space, keep in mind that decorative factors are easier to change than structural ones. For instance, if you are hesitant to select a particular room as your office because of its wall color, remember that paint hues can be changed relatively quickly and cheaply. On the other hand, if you intend to use a lot of electronic equipment in your office, but a potential space has only one outlet, it may require expensive electrical work. Similarly, it is possible to maximize space in an office with limited square footage through such items as shelving and filing cabinets, but having a window installed in a windowless room can be complicated and costly.