December 20, 2022
If you’re sick of working on the kitchen table, bedroom, or sofa, have you considered creating a home office workspace? Home offices provide a dedicated and safe space to do your job.
Home offices don’t just make remote work more relaxing; integrating an office within your home is desirable to buyers. But where do you start to build a home office? In this guide, we describe the basis every home office should have, what makes a great home office, and why a small investment could increase the value of your home!
Home office design: the basics
Home office spaces are 100% dedicated to working. For most of us, that will include a desk, chair, computer, and all the peripherals you need to perform your duties. But there’s much more to it than that. Here are 5 things you must consider when designing a home office:
- Location – Where in your home is the best place to build a home office? A separate room is ideal, but not always practical. If you don’t have a dedicated space spare, find somewhere accessible, quiet, and away from household traffic. You can use room dividers to create a workspace or study area in your living room. Careful design can ensure your office setup doesn’t impact your home life.
- Furniture – A desk and a chair are standard, but don’t get the cheapest you can afford. Instead, try some out and identify something that suits you. If you’re working at home on behalf of a business (not as a freelancer or self-employed), your employer has a legal duty to ensure the space is suitable and safe – and they may contribute to the furniture you need.
- Connectivity – You’ll need to ensure your desk has the required connectivity. That means enough plug sockets and a stable internet connection. Wifi is OK, but a cabled connection is better if you can manage it.
- Lighting – The best home offices are set next to a source of natural light, such as a window, skylight, or patio door. If you’re spending several hours staring at a screen, a window can bring the outside in, making the working environment more pleasant and you more productive! Consider investing in specialist desk lighting and floor lamps if your home office desk area is dark. Desk lamps can be moved around to provide adequate lighting for your work, while a floor lamp offers gentle ambient light compared to roof lights.
- Plants – Having plants in and around your home office, say scientists. Offices can be dull and drab, so give a bit of personality with some beautiful pots and plants.
What makes a great home office?
At Simon Blyth, we’re seeing more and more buyers who are searching for dedicated workspaces. Don’t think you have enough space for a home office? Think again! A corner, nook, or under-the-stairs area can be converted into a home office with some imagination and investment.
But what makes a great home office? Here are 5 home office ideas for creating a wonderful workspace:
- Introduce your personality – Photos of the kids, pictures, and ornaments are ways to personalise a space. Your lifesize Star Wars helmet may not suit everyone’s tastes, but if it works for you, then do it!
- Understand how you work – The best spaces are designed ergonomically. Everything is in the right place to minimise effort and make things as easy as possible. Think about how you work when creating your spaces, and ensure everything you need is within easy reach.
- Invest in attractive furniture – Desks don’t have to be boring white boxes or tacky tables on cheap legs. There is a whole new world of beautiful and functional office furniture, including ladder desks, that can make shared spaces look stylish and sophisticated.
- Build a backdrop – If you find yourself on Teams, Zoom, or any other video-conferencing platform, you’ll want to curate an attractive and engaging backdrop. Think about how the background will look to colleagues, clients, and customers.
- Get serious about storage – If you’re anything like the rest of us, you’ll acquire (or hoard!) loads of stuff. You can quickly end up with piles of papers everywhere, but not if you get serious about storage. Modular storage systems from a well-known Swedish brand are a common choice, but you can find quirky and original pieces everywhere. For the ultimate home office, you can invest in building bespoke.
The best homes for a home office
If you’re in the market for a new property and want to build a home office, there are a few things that you should look out for besides the basic information above.
- Is there an office already – Homeowners are increasingly creating home offices to work in, and you may find a suitable office space already built in.
- Suitable space – You’ll want to identify an area that’s a suitable size, with natural light and the connectivity you need. If you need to change a space to suit your requirements, get an estimate for the work and factor this into your offer.
- Orientation – The direction of your house dictates how much sun it will get. The more sun a room gets, the more suitable it is for a home office. One thing to consider is that if you have direct sunlight behind you, it can cause screen glare, so you may also consider investing in shutters and blinds.
- Space for a garden room – If you’ve got a small house (or a large family), you may simply not be able to squeeze a home office in – but there are other options. Garden rooms or converted garages can provide a cost-effective alternative. They can also add up to 5% on top of your property’s value, say experts.
Summary
A home office or dedicated workspace is an essential part of many modern properties. Official Government figures show that almost a quarter (24%) of us enjoy hybrid work. It’s unlikely that many of us will ever return to a 9-5 working pattern again, so any investment in a home office will pay off in the future. The key to the best home offices is a functional space that is safe and secure to work in. The more pleasant a space is, the more productive you will be.
Contact Simon Blyth today if you’re searching for a new home with an office. We have a range of homes with existing home offices or suitable indoor and outdoor spaces ready and waiting.