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Article: Designing Your Home Office As An Investment

Designing Your Home Office As An Investment

Designing Your Home Office As An Investment

Designing Your Home Office As An Investment

Photo by Pixabay

If you see clients or customers in your home-based office, you’ll want to ensure you’re conveying a professional image. Stunning artwork or a beautiful rug from Super Area Rugs can “wow” visitors from the start. When you design your office, think about how you need it to work functionally, how you’ll accommodate guests, and what upgrades might mean to your home’s value. Take before-and-after pics of home office renovations, especially if you’re adding pricey features, so you can show its value when you list your home for sale in the future. The investment can pay off in both the short and long-term by elevating your home’s appraisal value.

 

Home Office Tech

First and foremost, you need your home office to work for you in your everyday life. This often means choosing a location out of the household traffic and outfitting it with tech features you’d find in a typical office environment. According to PCMag, connectivity is critical, and having a private phone line or lines and modem, cable hook-up, and multiple outlets can help accommodate all types of office equipment. You might even have an extra-large television installed for presentations or whiteboards permanently mounted for brainstorming and task-tracking.  

 

Built-In Upgrades

 

You can add value and ease-of-use to your home office with built-in cabinetry, such as shelving, file cabinets, work surfaces, and even desk space. Not only does this create a professional environment, it also adds to your home’s worth, especially if you match the look and feel of upgrades to other areas of your home. According to Designing Idea, if space is an issue, fold-down workspaces and alcoves can also maximize usage, as can stackable tables and built-in seating that doubles as storage.

 

Inviting Seating

 

If you’re having clients in or spending a good amount of time in your office, you’ll want comfortable seating beyond a task chair. This might mean side office chairs, a small couch, or if room permits, a conference table where you can seat multiple people. Avoid flimsy or “temporary” seating like folding chairs, as they don’t convey a professional image. If you find yourself needing to accommodate multiple people for a meeting, you might instead opt to gather in a restaurant or hotel meeting room.

Add Extras

Think about offices you’ve been in that felt welcoming and professional. Perhaps they had a mini-fridge for beverages, or maybe a private entrance. The people you met were likely dressed professionally, if not in dress clothes, at least business casual. You might choose to outfit your space with a piece of eye-catching artwork or a “statement” desk. It’s also nice to have a dedicated restroom for guests that stays in pristine condition.

What Not to Have

Even in a home office, you want people to feel like they’re in a business setting. Don’t have children’s toys, boxes of holiday decorations, or household plates with food on them sitting around – even if that’s the way you typically work when no one else is around! Make sure the office is off-limits when you have customers or clients on-site. If you have children at home, keep them occupied with a child care provider, and if you have pets, kennel them with a nice treat. 

Outside Activities

 

When people arrive at your home-based office, the outside of your home should be as well-kept and inviting as your office space. Make sure there is adequate parking, and inform clients in advance where to park. You might also post a “no soliciting” sign on your front door to warn away salespeople who might ring the doorbell and interrupt your meeting and have a bin at the door for deliveries, again, to avoid interruptions. It also helps to let friends and neighbors know your work schedule.

While you want your home office to be fully functional for the way you work, when you have others on-site, it’s important to convey the sense that even while you are in a personal residence, it feels like a work environment.

Flooring can make a major statement about both your office and living spaces. To view an expansive collection of beautiful rugs, visit Super Area Rugs. Choose from braided, traditional, shag, or vintage looks in a wide variety of sizes.

 

 

 

 

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