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Establishing a Home Office

By
Real Estate Agent with Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage

You may want to establish a home office to have a quiet place for the children to do homework, use your computer, or pay household bills.  It isn’t hard to justify the need for a home office. 

If you have a spare room in your home to set up a home office, you will want it to tie it into the rest of your home.  Pick soothing paint colours that coordinate with the walls in the other rooms of your home.  Wood moldings, rich wallpaper, artwork and plants will help to make your office space a comfortable living space. 

If space is at a premium and the office has to be incorporated into another room, other options such as a guest room, living room, dining room or kitchen are available.  In the living room, position your furniture so that it is not centred around the desk.  Think of it as a living room and not as an office.

 Keep the office out of the bedroom.  You don’t want to wake up in the morning looking at paperwork.  Keep your bedroom restful.

Desk

 There are tabletops that fold down from the wall, armoires made especially for computer equipment, small desks that look great in the kitchen and screens to hide workstations.  

Storage is always an issue.  However, there are file cabinets that are made to look like a piece of furniture that can double as an end table or buffet.  There are wicker baskets, fabric boxes and many other choices in which to store paper and supplies.  Open bookcases can look messy so choose closed cupboards instead.  Take advantage of wireless technology and place the printer and fax in another room away from your desk. 

Natural light is important in an office and if possible, your home office should be situated in an area where you can take advantage of this light.  Adjustable desktop lamps are a good choice to light your work area.
 

There are many choices available to establish a comfortable and workable home office no matter how much space you have available.

Posted by

Gail Fabiani, Sales Representative

 

Gails Picture

Right at Home Realty, Inc., Brokerage, 920 Brant Street, Unit #5 Burlington, ON

905-637-1700

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www.burlingtonhomes4sale.com

Comments(6)

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Li Read
Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring) - Salt Spring Island, BC
Caring expertise...knowledge for you!

Nice post...especially the reminder that the space is a business sanctuary, and not just part of another room.

Jun 01, 2012 03:03 AM
Gail Fabiani
Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage - Burlington, ON

Thank you.  It is much nicer to work in a well planned area.

Jun 01, 2012 04:07 AM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Gail as my husband is building new homes, he has been adding a small room off the kitchen and suggests it as a office/homework space to avoid kitchen clutter.

Jun 01, 2012 01:09 PM
Janice Ankrett
Burlington, ON

Gail, I'm amazed at the people that stick their office in the corner of their master bedroom. It can't be restful to be looking at all the work waiting just before going to sleep.

Jun 02, 2012 09:20 AM
Gail Fabiani
Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage - Burlington, ON

Janice, the bedroom office would be especially awful if it was as messy as my office can get sometimes.

Jun 04, 2012 04:03 AM
Fred Podris
Podris Tax Service - Mount Pleasant, SC
Fred Podris, EA

I can't imagine an office in the bedroom! It would too hard get anything done, and then how could you sleep knowing your workspace was a few feet away? But you have to start somewhere if that's all the space that's available.

My favorite part of the home office are the tax deductions. There are a few rules to keep everything legitimately deductible. Once those are met, its great to write-off a portion of the utilities, home owners insurance, upkeep, etc.

 

Jan 16, 2013 08:47 AM