A Quick Guide to Creating Your New Home Office

If you have plenty of room in your home, you may not have to worry about setting up a home office. You will already have a space to do it. But, when square footage is tight, you have to get creative. Here, we share some basic information on how to plan and execute the perfect home office in a small space.

Style

Much of your cost depends on your style. If you are a minimalist at heart, you likely won’t incur many expenses. But, if you prefer a classic and tailored look, you may want to invest in some new decor. This also applies if you prefer to reupholster your own furniture with new fabrics. You’ll also need to consider if you’ll need to make any structural changes to your home to accommodate your new workspace.

Budget

Once you have a general idea of style and your space needs, you can assemble a wish/needs list to determine how much your home office remodel is likely to cost. If you determine that you don’t have the funds, you might consider refinancing your home. A few refi FAQ to ask include:

• How much equity do I have in my home?
• What credit score is required to take money out during a cash out refi?
• What’s the best fixed-rate loan available?

Keep in mind that if you have to add a room to your home to accommodate even a small office, you could be out an average of $55,000. Because of this, a refinance might make sense if you would like to keep your monthly payments relatively low so that you don’t have to sacrifice your quality of life because of your budget.

Easy Office Ideas

If you’d rather not go into debt for your home office, you still have options. You might, for example, turn a spare bedroom closet into a workspace. Family Handyman explains that with a few common tools and materials, you can quickly and easily get the job done. You can use the same principles to convert a pantry, small loft area, or under-the-stairs storage area.

Regardless of which type of space you use for your office, one thing that you cannot neglect is determining the strength of your internet connection. If you’re going to convert part of your garage, for example, your wireless signal may not be strong enough to penetrate cinder block walls. Because of this, it might be necessary to have the whole area hard-wired or you might need to invest in signal extending devices.

Furniture

The best office furniture is that which allows you to work in comfort. For most of us, this means a desk, office chair and filing cabinet. You’ll also want to consider lighting. Although natural light is best, if your office is in a room without windows, you’re going to need to get creative.

Use daylight bulbs, mirrors, and brightly colored wallpaper to illuminate your space. Make sure that you also have accessories that make you happy during your workday. Photos of your family, a fun calendar, or a small stack of books that you can read on your lunch break will allow you to personalize your space.

Creating a home office is a smart choice if you plan to run a business or work from home. But, when you don’t have a ton of space, you’ll need to get creative or invest in expanding your home's footprint.