In this age of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), people have started working from their homes. The work from home rule has become synonymous with the best working practice. But for a person to work from home, he needs to build his office at home itself. It may sound very plausible, but there are many pitfalls.
A bird builds its nest by collecting small sticks and pieces of straws. Let’s see the steps to build your own home office.
1. Shortlist a Suitable Space for Your Home Office
It is easy to mix your home activities with office work, which may become chaotic at times. So you need a separate space, possibly away from your bedroom or your house’s central area. A room at the top floor or in the basement or a cozy corner away from the usual din and noise could be just right for you.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the luxury of a separate room. You can still create your home office using an idle corner or making some changes in the layout. The basic idea is to isolate and respect boundaries between home and office.
2. Decide What Home Office Essentials You Need
It depends on the type of work. At this stage, you need to understand if the space chosen by you satisfies your requirements. You might be looking for a suitable place to put your laptop and reference material.
It would be best if you had a decent-sized table and a comfortable chair and an Almirah for storing some documents, tools, and stationary. You may also need extra space for a printer or scanner etc.
This step ensures that your future office space is suitable for your day to day activities. Try to visualize how you will be working on a typical day and try to understand what you may need for sure. This mental exercise will undoubtedly avoid awkward situations later on.
3. Finalize a Realistic Budget
You can make a luxurious office in a small area, but it all depends upon your budget. If you can spend a fair amount, you can solve the space constraint to some extent. But usually, the budget for the home office is limited. So it would help if you decided prudently.
You can chalk out your office plan by considering what you will purchase and when. You can prioritize your shopping list and add new things as you start earning more money. But, if you need a printer, a new desktop, air conditioner, visitor chairs, etc.,
Your budget should help you decide how much to spend on which items. You may also plan to buy refurbished furniture, AMC for your computers, insurance, etc.
4. Create a Blueprint for Electric Components
The power supply is the basic necessity for any home office for the efficient working of your equipment. It would help if you planned the place for power plugs, switches, lighting, AC, etc. It should be so flexible that even if you change your layout, you should easily access the power without creating any clutter of wires and connectors.
5. Liven Up Your Workspace
Your office should look attractive and appealing so that you feel like working, even at odd hours. If you are usually going to spend most of your time here, you need to pay special attention to it.
If your office space is comfortable and welcoming, you will be more productive. You may consider wallpapers, curtains, carpets, etc., to create an ambiance of the office. Even a straight whitewash with a soothing color can make the atmosphere very elegant.
6. Formulate Basic Guidelines for Your Home Office
You should have a specific set of rules for your office area so that you or your family members may not accidentally spoil the office etiquette. It includes fixing the timings of your work schedule.
You may ask the children to stay away, loud music not to be played, the doors to be kept closed, and so on. You may advise visitors or family members to follow all the set guidelines religiously.
7. Locate a Separate Storage Space
In case your office work requires document handling, paperwork, filing, reference material, etc., you need not clutter your office area. If possible, try to find a different place where you can keep excess stuff. You may bring the required files as and when you need them.
Conclusion
These steps are not exhaustive, and you need to finetune your process by thinking in advance. Be systematic in your approach and have a vision for your home office. A meticulous approach towards building a home office will go a long way in achieving your objectives of working from home.