Why you may still be working from home after the coronavirus crisis is over
With so many people working from home, an adequate, and affordable office space has become fundamental in many homes.
According to Forbes.com, a growing number of Americans, one out of five people to be exact, work from home.
Despite popular belief, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a home office space.
There are many creative, and inexpensive ways you can easily transform any extra room in your home into a functioning office space.
Work from home, and looking to turn your extra space into a home office? Continue reading below our tips on how to create home office on a budget.
How to create home office on a budget
Designate space
If you have an extra room to convert into a home office, congratulations, you are half way done. Things can get tricky when you have to scavenge for a space within an area that is already designated for another purpose.
Being interrupted, and disturbed while working can also be rather frustrating. Just because you work from home, does not mean you should have to deal with home matters during work hours.
Although, some people prefer working from home for this particular reason, to be able to multitask their daily responsibilities, and even raise children, all while earning a paycheck.
When choosing a place in your home, consider what aspects of your home office are essential to you. Is it the privacy you need, or an area close to the nursery, so you can keep an eye on your baby while working?
D.I.Y.
Whatever work you can do yourself will certainly save you money. If you’re not experienced, or qualified to do something, by all means don’t do it. It may cost you more in the end to have to hire someone to fix your mistakes. If you feel comfortable, do it yourself.
Consider asking family, and friends for help. Most families seem to have a member who is a handy man or a carpenter for a living. Office furniture can be quite costly; it may actually be cheaper to build a wall unit, and desk from scratch.
Think of all the possibilities of building office furniture that’s unique to your particular needs. It doesn’t have to be intricate, but as long as you are comfortable, and able to get the work done, you should feel a sense of accomplishment.
Building from scratch not your thing?
Consider possibilities of re-purposing existing furniture in your home to serve as your office furniture. This is the most cost effective option when creating a home office on a budget.
If you don’t have to buy office furniture, or invest in supplies to make your own, you will be saving money. It is as simple as that.
Shop for bargains
If you’re on a really tight budget, consider shopping second hand, slightly used pieces. You’ll be amazed at the quality pieces you may find at garage sales, flea markets, or sites like Craigslist.com, where items are not necessarily pre-owned, and are sold by owners at discounted rates.
If you’re not absolutely comfortable with the idea of using someone else’s furniture, keep in mind that you will be able to restore these pieces.
You will be able to clean them, sand them off, and repaint. Virtually removing any signs of a previous owner. The money you save, and the final result will be worth the effort you put in.
Ask family and friends
You’ll be surprised how many people hoard furniture they have absolutely no use for. Some furniture is just too good, or meaningful to be thrown out, so we keep it, hoping to get use out of it somewhere down the road.
Your perfect office furniture may be right under nose, ask your friendly neighbors, and friends.
They may be willing to part with it for virtually nothing. Trading may be another great alternative. You may have something that’s of value but have no use for it.
Consider using it as a bargaining chip. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!