Do you work from home? If yes, you will find this post useful as we discuss the nitty-gritty and essentials of work from home set up.
Working from home has become popular and even widely accepted all over the world. It comes with a lot of benefits like high flexibility and ability to spend time with your family members and pets.
However, there are factors which need to be set in place to achieve maximum comfort and productivity when working from home, and one of such is your work from home set up.
Importance Of Work From Home Setup
Work from home setup is all about how you arrange your home office.
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A proper and well-designed work from home set up is important because it impacts on your productivity, health, comfort and profit.
For people new to working from home, it may be challenging to set up a home office. Even people who are not new to working from home may need help getting the proper set up for their home office.
In this post, we will discuss all the equipment, accessories, and factors to consider when setting up a home office to make you more comfortable and productive.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Work From Home Office Location
Below are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a location for your work from home office:
Sufficient size
Even though you don’t need a very large space for your work from home office, this doesn’t mean that you should work in a closet either. You still need enough space to be comfortable and move around.
So, choose an area of the home that you can have enough space for yourself and be comfortable while at work so that you can be more productive.
Isolation
It is usually best if your home office is away from a heavily trafficked area of the home like the parlor, kitchen, kids’ playroom, etc.
If not, you will be faced with lots of distractions, noise, and check-ins on a regular basis. So, it is advised you position your home office in an isolated area.
Closure options
Your home workplace needs to be fully closed. It should have a door that closes the space and also gives you a bit of privacy.
You can create a closure with a curtain if you don’t have a door.
Noise resistance
If you don’t mind having a bit of noise in your work from home office, then you don’t have to worry about noise. However, if you want everywhere to be quiet, then you have to place your home office in a room that is soundproof.
Example of such rooms is the basement. Also, you can modify other rooms with better insulation, carpeting, window seals, and noise-blocking sound dampeners.
Temperature control
Different people need different temperatures to work in. This temperature usually ranges from 68 to 78 degrees. No matter your choice of temperature, you can insulate your home office and have full climate control over it.
Also, you can make use of additional space heaters, fans, and other accessories to regulate the temperature to suit you.
Window
It is good to have a window in your work from home office but this isn’t mandatory. However, it is a good way to let fresh air into your work area.
It also helps you relax your eyes after staring at the computer screen for a long time. You can also entertain yourself with whatever is happening outside.
Natural sunlight can also come in through the window and this helps in combating and relieving Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
The Best Location For A Work From Home Office Setup
In this section, we are going to be looking at some of the best places to set up your home office in the house based on the factors considered above.
When you decide to work from home, the first question that comes to your mind is “where will I work from home?”
There are lots of home centric locations in the house to choose from. The one you choose will serve as your home base office even if you sometimes use external locations.
Your home office is a designated room or an area of your room where you work from home. Your home office should not be your couch in the living room.
Below are some of the best places to set up your home office.
The guest bedroom
Why this is included in the list of where to set up your home office is because it has the right size and it isn’t used for anything else.
All you need to do is to add a few pieces of furniture and also a few embellishments.
A finished attic
Do you know that you can finish your attic and set up your home office there?
Although it is hard to regulate the temperature in the attic in some climates, this location meets all other criteria of a work from home office.
A finished basement
Also, you can finish your basement and take a section of a specific part of your basement to set up your work from home office.
The only disadvantage with this location is that there is usually no window.
Under the stairs
You can also use under the stairs if it has a roomy space. It will be a cozier office but the only disadvantage with this location is that there will be occasional noise from people going up and down the staircase.
A porch or balcony
Well, you may not be able to use this location 100% of the time, however, you can set up a home office on the porch or balcony. This location is great for people who love being and working outside.
The garden shed
If you have minimal space in your home, you can convert a garden shed or a similar outdoor building to your home office.
The garage
Also, you can convert your garage into a home office, especially if you’re into making crafts or other physical products. You can also do typing work from home jobs in your garage.
Core Equipment For Work From Home SetUp
After you’ve chosen the location for your home office, the next step is to choose the equipment and furniture that will fit in there.
The choices of furniture and equipment you use have a huge impact on your productivity, health, and comfort.
Desk
This is one of the most important pieces of furniture you will need for work from home set up. This desk is where you will sit at to do your work from home jobs like typing, writing, and accomplishing any task you’re given.
So, ensure that the desk you choose is the right size for you; the height and design should also be fitting for you. You can even go for a standing desk if you don’t like sitting for long.
There are also treadmill desks that allow you to exercise while working. This can help your health and prevent back and shoulder pain. Standing is healthier than sitting down.
Get a good quality desk on Amazon.
Desk Chair
This is another important work from home setup and you cannot do without it. Even if you have a treadmill desk or a standing desk, you still need a comfortable, and if possible, an ergonomic chair to use.
It is preferable to get an ergonomic chair because you can sit in it for a long time. This will reduce your risks of postural defects, back pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders.
Check out these best work from home chairs.
Computer
If you are going to work from home, you will definitely need a computer. If you want a portable option, you can go for a laptop but make sure you invest in a good spec if you want optimum performance.
Go for solid state drives (SSDs) that can give you higher memory, faster boosting, and even fast processing. This will make your machine run faster, and you’ll be able to do your work faster.
Also consider a large screen size so that you can easily see your work.
Check out the best laptops for working from home.
Extra Monitor
This is another must have for a work from home set up. You may be wondering why it is compulsory. Well, it will make your work faster and easier.
In fact, when you start using multiple monitors to increase your viewing potential, you wouldn’t want to go back to using just one monitor again.
Also, it allows you to keep more windows open simultaneously.
Get your extra monitors on Amazon.
Printer/scanner
Even though you might feel that you don’t need a printer or a scanner now, it pays to have one because the need for it will arise eventually.
Having one in advance will help when you need to print or scan something.
Get yours on Amazon.
Tablet
If you need a more portable option than a laptop, then you can go for a tablet. And it is also relatively cheap. You can invest in a small tablet or any similar device to help you with basic tasks like catching up on emails when you are far away from your home office.
Get your portable tablet here.
Reliable Wi-fi
If you work from home or work remotely, you will need a reliable internet connection with a good router and if possible, a backup plan in case your internet connection goes down.
Portable wi-fis are sold on Amazon.
Good lighting
A good lighting makes work from home set up complete. It will make it easier for you to see your work, it will also minimize eye strain during the day and you will appear brighter in your zoom calls and video meetings.
Invest in a good light that mimics natural sunlight. This will help in preventing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during winter.
Get good earth lighting here.
Writing gear
You may have the need to jot down things with pen and paper. This is helpful and the notes may come in handy even if your work is digital.
With a notepad and a pen on hand, you can quickly take notes, write down ideas as they come, or sketch out plans.
Get nice writing gear on Amazon.
Headphones
If you make lots of video calls or attend online meetings, you should invest in quality headphones or speakers that have noise-canceling features. This will allow you to focus when working.
Check out the best headset for working from home.
Other Helpful Equipment For Work From Home Setup
A physical calendar
We know that we are all hooked on digital calendars from Google, Outlook, etc but you still need a physical calendar.
A calendar you can visualize is friendlier and you can easily depend on it to organize your personal and professional life.
You can get many beautiful physical calendars here.
A whiteboard
This will help you for your brainstorming sessions and even with your outlines. If you plan on hosting digital meetings with other people, just get one and place it on the back wall of your home office.
Get your portable whiteboard here.
Water
A little drop in the levels of water in your body can affect your focus and productivity. So, ensure that you have plenty of water nearby by investing in a good water bottle.
Get this good water bottle with great features.
Coffee maker
Taking coffee moderately can prevent and relieve fatigue that comes with working from home for a long time and also help to boost your productivity.
A good coffee maker is a helpful tool in a work from home setup. Buy on Amazon.
A filing cabinet
Even if you are operating in a paperless fashion, there is still a need for a filing cabinet because you will still make use of physical documents that need organization.
Get a quality small filing cabinet or another means to store and organize your physical documents. This will help to keep you organized. Get a quality filing cabinet here.
Accessories for Work From Home Set Up
Scents
Do you love scents? If yes, you can use scented candles to make your home office smell nice.
Other options are using a plug-in scent diffuser or burning incense. Peppermint and lavender are very good for increasing focus, calming you down, and increasing productivity.
Get amazing scented candles here.
Art
Hanging arts on your office wall also helps boost mental health while at work, and increases productivity.
This is also a great way to stimulate creative thinking and lift your mood.
Frame your office wall with arts that make you happy. You can get this amazing wall art here.
Plants
There is evidence to show that plants boost productivity when placed in an office space.
These plants create a pleasing environment, they improve your focus, and stimulate your mental health.
Consider adding one or two houseplants to your work from home office setup. Get lovely home office plants here.
Conclusion
Your work from home setup affects how you work and also the level of your productivity, which in turn impacts on your earnings.
In this post, we have compiled everything you need to know (and have) to ensure a good and comfortable work from home setup for maximum productivity. Also check out our post on work from home ergonomics.
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