Working from home can be amazing, giving you more freedom and more time to spend with family rather than sitting in a car for hours a day commuting. In cities like Los Angeles, some residents commute two hours each way to work. That is four hours a day sitting in a car. That is horrible, but something many can’t avoid.
So, if you are in the position to work from home, whether you are self-employed or work for a company that allows you to work remotely, then here are some stunning interior home upgrades to make your home work for your work-related needs.
1. Build a separate office in your home.
This is important to do for a couple reasons. First, it keeps your work area separated from your normal life. You can’t work from the kitchen table and expect to be organized and productive. There are a lot of possible distractions when you work from home, so it’s best to have a dedicated room that you use as your office to remove yourself from possible distractions.
“Another reason you want to have a separate office is for the tax write off,” says Oliver James of pwd.com.au, a web design agency. You are able to write off that portion of your home, as it applies to business use. In order to qualify for this benefit you have to have a dedicated office room that is only used for work.
2. Upgrade your ‘office’ amenities.
To make your office more efficient you want to have everything you need in your office. Place a small refrigerator in your office and keep it stocked with bottles of water. This will prevent you from wondering into the kitchen and grabbing food.
Set up a coffee machine in your office also. Little short trips will kill your productivity and waste time. The longer you spend in your office, the more you get done. You can even take it a step further and build a small half bathroom in your office. This indoor fountain guidebook can help give you some additional ideas, as well. The goal is to make your office area truly a place ‘away’ from the rest of your house.
3. Have your internet provider install commercial grade speed.
Most home internet isn’t enough to handle business applications at scale, especially if now the entire household and the business will be running off the Wi-Fi. Contact your internet service provider and ask them about the upgraded speeds they have available.
Most will have different plans and they do not always advertise them publicly because so very few people need it. Irene McConnell of Arielle Executive has a good tip to avoid being overcharged: “You don’t want to say you have a commercial business, as they may try to charge you commercial rates, which are much higher.”
Simply tell them that you have several people in the house using multiple devices so you want to know what upgrades they have available for busy households. Most will have an option, and the extra $50 or so a month is well worth it as you will get more done with the faster connection.
4. Convert a room into a home gym.
Want to scale your productivity to the moon? Get addicted to fitness and make it part of your daily routine. Either first thing in the morning or mid-day, getting a workout in is a great way to keep your energy level at a high rate throughout the day, keep your metabolism cranking to assist in reducing fat levels and just promoting all-around health, no matter how busy you get at work.
If you have the space, turn an extra room in your house into a gym. You don’t need a lot of space and you don’t need a lot of equipment. You are more likely to workout daily if it’s at your home, rather than having to go to them gym. It’s also a good idea to have a pest control plan in place, as a home gym, especially if in a small unventilated room can attract insect due to the moisture and sweat.
5. Maximize your office space for maximum tax deductions.
If you have extra space, convert it into a larger home office. You are able to write off your home office, so the greater the square footage it occupies, the higher percent of your mortgage you can write off.
“Now you don’t want to reduce your living space, but if you have unused space, consider applying it to your office,” says Pat Skinner of AnswerFirst Communications. “You might as well take the highest possible tax deduction you can. Empty space is better used for that than just sitting there unused.”
6. Use a virtual office address.
The is a tip to help you avoid annoyances, like junk mail and even random visitors. “You don’t want to list your home address on anything business related, so sign up for a virtual office address and use that instead,” says Andrew Tran of Therapy Blanket.
This way you can have any business solicitations sent there. It will also prevent your home address from being listed in any business directories. Depending on the type of business you have it will also prevent strangers from showing up to your house.
