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Home Office

With many people now starting to work from home, a home office is a valuable addition to any household.  There are some tips and tricks that you can use to ensure that your home office is a space that is efficient and easy to use.

What you will need to Consider in your Home Office

The first thing that you will need to do is to sort out exactly what you will be using your home office for.  A home office can take up an entire room or be located in another room.  If your home office will be in a shared space such as a living area, consider making it family-friendly – especially if you have children that will need to use the computer.  If your home office is for the purpose of completing work that you are bringing home, it will not need to be as large and equipped as if you were running your business from your home.

Once you have decided on the location and purpose of your home office, you can then start on the design.  A good home office design will have all the elements such as filing cabinets, the printer, shelving and so forth within easy reach.  Ergonomics are a consideration as you want to be able to work easily and comfortably.  An interior designer or interior decorator will be able to work with you to ensure that your home office works for you.

You may find that you will need to make alterations to your chosen space in order for it to function correctly as a home office.  If this is the case, you will need the services of a licensed builder to help you.  The door and windows may need to be moved, or you may even need to relocate a wall.  Flooring is another consideration.  You may be happy with the flooring that you currently have and in that case, you will not need to do anything.  However, if you are installing timber floors or new carpet, you should arrange to have this done after the walls are painted and any structural work is complete.

Electricals and Lighting in your Home Office

You will need to ensure that there are enough power points in your home office in order to power equipment such as the computer, fax, printer and so forth.  If you need more than what you currently have available, an electrician can easily install more power points so that your requirements are met.  Good lighting is also essential.  Poor lighting can be detrimental to your eyes, causing eye strain.  Ensure that the general lighting is adequate and use task lighting on your desk and other work areas to provide sufficient illumination.

A home office may also need a dedicated phone line, if not more than one.  If this is the case, you will need to organise the installation of the line/s with your chosen telecommunications provider.  Also make sure that you remember to set up internet access – a must in most home offices.

Furnishing your Home Office

The furnishings in your home office need to be selected carefully as they need to be both practical and comfortable.  Before selecting any furniture, however, it is a good idea to measure your chosen office space so that you know exactly how much room you have to work with.  There is nothing worse than buying what you think is the perfect piece of furniture only to find that it doesn’t fit!  Most home offices will need the following components:

• Desk – the ideal desk will have lots of surface area for working on as well as plenty of storage space.
  
• Chair – an adjustable chair with wheels is ideal.  Ensure that it gives you good back support and that it can be adjusted to suit the height of your desk.
  
• Filing Cabinet – this is a good option if you have lots of files that need to be stored yet easily accessed.
  
• Shelving or Storage Boxes – it is likely that you will need to store office supplies, files, correspondence, computer disks and so forth.  Shelving is an attractive and easy way to accomplish this.

The Components of a Home Office

Once the home office has all of the basic elements such as the furniture in it, you will need to install some basic components to be able to use it.  These include:

• Computer – whether you choose a desktop computer or a laptop, this will become the backbone of your entire home office.  Ensure that your computer is powerful enough for your needs.  Even consider buying one that is more powerful than what you currently require so that it will last for several years.
  
• Printer – depending on your requirements, you can opt for a laser or inkjet printer.  There are also multi-function printers available that have a scanner and photocopier built in.
  
• Scanner – if you do a lot of graphic work or need to input documents into your computer, a dedicated flatbed scanner can be invaluable.
  
• Fax – fax machines are great for those that need to send and receive hard copies of documents.
  
• Photocopiers – if you need to copy a lot of documents, a dedicated photocopier may be a great investment.
  
• Paper Shredder – invaluable for destroying sensitive documents.
  
• Desk Organiser – these are great for keeping the small items such as paperclips, pens, staplers, etc organised and easily accessible.
  
• Bulletin Board – are great for keeping reminders, appointments, and to do lists easily visible.

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