Setting Up & Maintaining The Perfect Home Office

By: John Garcia | Date Posted: November 3, 2022

Adding an office to your home could increase your property’s value by as much as 10%, according to Sterling Homes, Inc. The U.S. Census reports that in the past 3 years, the number of people working from home has tripled. This number is expected to increase further as more and more jobs become remote. Having a home office has therefore become a necessity that most people can’t go without. So, let’s find out how to set up an office in your existing home and the best ways to maintain it.

Choose the right location

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Only 1 in 3 home workers have a dedicated office. The rest work from their sofas, bedrooms, dining table, and similar. If you don’t have a spare room in your home where you can set up an office, you need to think outside the box. Perhaps your garden is big enough that you could build a garden office? Or have you got the funds available to build a small extension? It may even be possible to split one of your existing rooms into two to accommodate your office. If you’re an employee, it’s worth speaking to your boss about your home office situation as 58% of people say their employer has contributed to the cost or supplies for their home office.

Give yourself enough room

The average size of a home office is between 50 square feet and 150 square feet. Before you commit to creating your workspace, make sure that it’s big enough for your needs. An office on a small size is fine if all you need to do your work is a small desk, chair, and laptop. But, if you need multiple screens, storage, electrical equipment, resource books, and similar, you’re going to need a large office. Avoid wasting time and money by measuring up first.

The importance of light

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All employers want their workers to be more productive. You can improve your productivity, as well as your health and happiness, by setting up your desk close to a window. Studies have found that natural light increases productivity by 2% when workers sit close to a window. Another study concluded that natural light significantly reduced eye strain, headaches, and blurred vision in workers who use computers.

Regular cleaning is a must

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Once you’ve set up your home office, you’re sure to be excited to start using it. One important thing you must remember to do is regularly clean it. Statistics from the Bureau Labor of Statistics (BLS) reveal that home workers spend an average of 5.6 hours working every day. Your daily cleaning schedule should include wiping over surfaces like your desk with disinfectant and emptying the bin. Vacuuming and dusting should be done once per week. You also need to sanitize your keyboard, mouse, phone, and other frequently used pieces of equipment at least once per week.

Routine deep cleaning is needed too

Routine deep cleaning is needed too

Large pieces of office equipment should also be cleaned. These are normally cleaned as part of a home office’s deep clean. It’s recommended that office equipment is cleaned every quarter. This will keep it in good working order and remove dust, dirt, and germs. When it comes to cleaning your office equipment you may want to hire a professional cleaning company to do the job. They’ll have the experience and tools to clean high-tech equipment correctly. The rest of your office’s deep cleaning should involve removing all furniture from the room so that the entire floor can be blitzed. A carpeted floor should be cleaned with a carpet cleaner as it can contain as much as 200,000 bacteria per square inch. You may even want to think about hiring a commercial-grade one if there’s a lot of soiling. A hard floor should be cleaned with a microfiber mop. Skirting boards, door hooks, curtains, blinds, photo frames, your chair, and similar should also be included in your deep clean.

Keep on top of clutter

Working in your own home makes it so easy to shove paperwork to the side. Before you know it, it will have built up into an untidy and unorganized mess. Clutter can affect your productivity, concentration, and focus. You’re also likely to lose crucial items if it’s hidden within the mess. Clutter will make you look and feel unprofessional, too. Video conferencing has soared in use over the past couple of years. 90% of businesses now use it regularly. The last thing you want is for a colleague, your boss, or a client to see you sitting in a messy home office during an important video call. You can prevent this from happening by disposing of old papers as and when you’re done with them. It’s also worth setting aside 5 to 10 minutes at the end of each day to have a sort-out.

Re-arrange your office seasonally

It might sound like a lot of work, but there are a lot of benefits to be had by regularly rearranging your office. The first is that it can spark your creativity. Moving furniture is a bit like a puzzle. Your mind will constantly be trying to fit things in different places. When you’ve got the room as you want it, the satisfaction will encourage you to get creative in other areas of your life – including your work. Experts recommend a seasonal office move-around. This will allow you to adjust the room, so you’re working in the best conditions possible. For example, you may not want the bright sun glaring on your screen in the summer. And you may feel cozier being nestled next to the heater in the winter.

A home office is an asset to your home and will help you flourish in your job. But it would be best if you thought about setting up a home office carefully to ensure you do it right. And don’t forget about the importance of routinely cleaning and maintaining your new workspace, either.

Thank you for reading!

John
 

John is the founder and chief editor of Homienjoy. With over 15 years of experience in the home improvement industry, John is passionate about helping homeowners confidently tackle their projects. Holding a civil engineering degree and working as a contractor, project manager, and consultant, John brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Homienjoy community.

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