Anna Maria Richards
Remote working offers various advantages such as eliminating the need for commuting, setting your own work schedules, and you get to wear pajamas while working. A home office is an essential part of being a remote worker; it must be a place where you can be productive and have little to no distractions.
However, not everyone has the budget to hire a professional space planner to design and build them an efficient home office. But fret not, there are numerous ways you can create a workspace on your own. So here are six tips you can follow to set up your home office within a budget.
1. Look for a Suitable Space
Make sure to look for a space that can be dedicated to your work stuff and can fit them comfortably, you don’t want to be feeling cramped and have to move objects around every time you begin working. If you have a spare room, this task may not be as hard. You can use an unused corner in your living room, space under the stairs, the basement, the attic, or even a closet. Use whatever space is available to you. Consider what kind of environment can help you focus on your work more, whether it be an environment with total silence or with minimal noise. Having your work desk facing towards a window can be a plus to enjoy the natural light of the sun throughout the day.
2. Create a List and Plan
Create a list of the essentials that you need the most and their costs. Plan out the layout of your home office, spend the time measuring out your furniture, thinking about what you can use and not use, etc. This will lead to a more satisfactory result. Here are some must-have things for your workspace.
- Desk – having a desk that has enough space for you to perform your tasks can boost productivity by a large margin. Make sure it has an area for your computer and other materials you’ll require throughout the day.
- Desk Chair – try and look for a desk chair that has an adjustable height, good cushion, lumbar support, and a backrest. You’ll be sitting on your desk chair for the majority of the time, so having a quality chair can help avoid health concerns such as back pains in the future. This is one item you don’t want to be skimping on. If you want affordable options, you can check these models.
- Lighting – Proper lighting can help a lot with boosting productivity. You can use desk lamps to achieve this.
- Book Shelf or File Cabinet – Having dedicated storage for all your files and papers can save a lot of headaches, decide which storage system you need based on the number of records and documents you have and available space.
3. Use What You Have
Look thoroughly around your house for furniture and items you can repurpose and use for your work office. You can use an unused desk, old but still functioning shelves, unused decors that are hidden away in the basement, which you can use to liven up your workspace. Try and get creative. You can even ask family or close friends if they have furniture they are planning to throw out, which you can use. You can save a lot of money if you don’t have to buy brand new pieces.
4. Look for Discounts and Bargains
If you can’t find any reusable furniture in your house or family and friends don’t have any plans of throwing anything away, you can visit thrift stores and scour flea markets for a bargain on used furniture. Some antiques are quite affordable and can add flavor to your home office.
You can also check out discount websites online, look up companies who are planning to have a closeout sale, and even visit garage sales for the smaller items that you may need. Bring your measurements with you while out looking for items to avoid buying a beautiful desk, but finding out it doesn’t fit. Be ready to do some fixing when you purchase used furniture and items back home.
5. Learn how to D.I.Y
Many of the items you may need are possible to do-it-yourself or D.I.Y. You can learn from the numerous D.I.Y videos or written tutorials online. Learning how to D.I.Y can make the final result even more personal and can leave you with a great sense of accomplishment. Plus, you can also learn a new skill or two by watching the tutorials.
6. Stock up on Supplies
Stock up on supplies that you may need a lot of through the years such as pencils, pens, markers, paper, folders, etc. Buying these items in bulk order can save you a lot of money, especially if you land a discount on them. There are numerous shops and websites out there that offer these services.
Conclusion
More and more of the workforce are working from home, so it is essential to have a proper, comfortable workspace to get work done efficiently. But you don’t need to have a big budget to get this done, follow the tips above, and you can build an efficient and comfortable workspace even with a tight budget.
