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Everyone needs a space to work - even if it's just a place to write out bills. You can create a home office out of a playroom, the bedroom, even your basement with things you have around the house.
Home office – it sounds so important, so official, so…expensive – but by doing an exploration of your home and its contents you will be able to pull together a work space for very little. Surveys have show that 1/3 of homes in the United States have home offices. The surveys also showed that these offices are used more for personal business than for work. Think of it – where do you write out your bills? Do you have to scrounge around for a pen? Have you ever put an important document down accidentally on a wet counter? How many check stubs or product warranties have you misplaced? Home offices are just that – offices where we do the business of the home. You will focus more quickly and be more efficient if you have a space that is yours alone.
Before you begin actually putting an office in place think long term. What would you like to be doing in this office in five years? Will you eventually be running an actual business out of the space? Will a child be using the space for homework in a couple of years? Are you close to retirement and will be using the space mostly for a hobby or craft? Think ahead can save money in the long run.
Now take an exploratory walk through your house. Start in the likely areas – bedroom, den, kitchen. Then wander into the more unusual spots – basement, attic, front hall, enclosed porch. Are there any possibilities there that you didn’t think about? Is the basement, although unfinished, warmer and drier than you thought? Could the addition of a couple of office dividers (picked up inexpensively at surplus shops) turn a corner into an office? Is there a closet in your guest room that could be turned into a small work space by removing the doors? Walk through your house with an open mind, as if you have never seen it before.
Once you have a couple of space possibilities in mind look at them more critically. Are there phone jacks and electrical outlets? I s there natural light or will you need a desk lamp. If the space has these necessities or can have them easily installed we can start the fun part!
Your space, especially if it’s small, should be simple and organized. The most important object will be the desk. Look for it in the yankee swap section of your local paper, check classifieds for going out of business sales or auctions or check out antique shops. It is also easy to make a desk out of a hollow door and some short file cabinets. Look for carpet remnants, go to salvage yards – be inventive. The only item in the office you shouldn’t rummage for is a good desk chair on wheels. These can be found for under $40.00 at most large discount retailers.
Make the most of your space and have objects do double duty. A CD column can hope zip disks, a bookcase can have a shelf turned into a filing system by using some portable filing boxes. If you fit a fabric shade to the front of a bookcase it will insure that no one gets into your papers if the room will be doing double duty as a play area or guest room.
You will begin to discover many objects that can work in a home office space – consider using cork flooring tiles as an easy to hang bulletin board, milk crates can store files, an old armoire can be converted into a computer station that can be closed and hidden in the corner of your living room. Just remember that the point of all the work is to give you a space you can call your own, one that suits you and your needs.
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