How to Set up the Perfect Home Office

Though the benefits of working from your home include not having to deal with rigid schedules, polluting commutes and irritating co-workers, it can still have drawbacks. Those working from home have a set of challenges to deal with, including unwanted visitors, family intrusions and carving out a little niche that lets you separate your home life from your work life.

This is possibly where the biggest challenge comes in. If youre working from home and have a family, how do you set aside a personal space that help you focus and also set up clear boundaries for family members who often have a difficult time disassociating the work you from the home you.

Everyone is different; your environment and available resources are different. Depending on what you have to work with, and what your preferences are, there are likely quite a few good home office options to get you well on your way to a productive new year.

The Green (and Budget) Office

If youre main concern is cost to your wallet and the environment, then chances are youre also highly business minded and want quick effective steps to get you started on the bigger job at hand. For a green and budget office, begin with what you have. Look for a sturdy work table, a comfy chair, lighting and a quite nook.

If youre starting your office from scratch, then consider:

Buying used furniture - Many cities have liquidation, overstock.com, or warehouse sales, where the listed price is lower and you have the option of haggling with them for a lower price. You can also use Craigslists “free” section to see if anyone is giving away any furniture, requiring you to only go and pick it up.

Buy a refurbished laptop - Look around Craigslist, ask your local electronic dealer for this type of deal, or call up the manufacturer directly asking if they have a special offer for refurbished computers.

Purchase all-in-one – Instead of buying a separate scanner, printer, copier, and fax, try purchasing an all-in-one unit. It might be slightly pricier as a whole unit, but you will definitely be saving by not having to buy individual units, nor dealing with the cost of multiple ink cartridges. Youll also save a little on electricity since youll only be using one outlet rather than four different ones.

Budget office ideas are also great for those who have smaller spaces to work with, since theyre looking for quick space-saving economical choices – great for East Coast homes where space is often an issue.

The Kid-Friendly Office

If youve got little rug rats running around, then you have a whole different set of concerns when it comes to your home office.

Here are some ideas of how you should go about setting up your space:

Be Boring - Theres nothing kids of any age love more than to satisfy their curiosity, and theres nothing that interests them more than clutter, cuteness and lots of interesting colors and shapes. Keeping your workspace boring helps keeps them disinterested.

Setting up a Mini-Me Station - Kids love to be like you, so setting up a little work desk of their own in the same room as yours will give them a sense of pride and belonging. Plus theyll be too busy with their own desk to be puttering around yours. This little trick also helps you keep an eye on them while youre working.

The Shed Office

One of the biggest problems in setting up a home office is a lack of space. If this is your problem, then considering having an outdoor office. An outdoor office is a great alternative that lets you work from home but have a completely separate, private area in which to work out of.

The easiest way to set up an outdoor office is to follow these steps:

Unit - Purchase a outdoor shed from home improvement warehouses such as Home Depot or Lowes.

Insulation – Add dry wall and wood flooring to insulate it, this is particularly important if youre in a colder climate.

Cost – The total costs can run anywhere from two to six thousand, depending on the quality of the shed, the level of insulation, and wiring work. However, even the higher end cost is still far cheaper than building an addition, dealing with zoning/construction permits, or striving to maintain your sanity with a make shift in-house office.

Alternative to the outdoor office include setting up a garage office. If you do opt for this choice or even if youre in a shed, then you should likely think about the ozone air quality of your work area.

Photo: House to Home

How to Set up the Perfect Home Office is written by Shireen Qudosi. Follow her on Twitter @ShireenQ or email her at shireen.qudosi@hotmail.com