3 Considerations for Building a Home Office

 

Starting a home business is a wonderful experience, and there are numerous benefits to working from home, too. One is that you don’t have to worry about a long commute, or finding a parking space when you get to the office. No, you simply wake up, shower, and have breakfast, and then you’re ready to go. While this is fine for self-employed individuals with no other staff working for them, what happens when your business expands and you need help to keep up? One option is building a home office. If you’re interested in doing this, make sure you pay attention to these three things to help you create a safe, welcoming, and professional home office building. 

 

• Keep it Separate from Your Living Space

 

Not only will this help you maintain your professionalism, but it will also help you to switch off a little easier at the end of the day. If you’re extending your property to create a home office space, make sure the office has a separate entrance from the main house. Alternatively, if you have enough land build a completely separate office building or convert an old barn or similar structure into an office if you have any on your property. Whatever way you decide to build your home office, just remember to keep it separate from your living space.

 

• Disabled Access

 

This is another important consideration you need to remember when designing your home office. Some of your clients, or perhaps a future staff member, may be individuals who require the use of a wheelchair or have other mobility limitations, therefore, having the right things in place to accommodate those needs is essential. Think about having ramps installed if your office entrance is up from ground level, or a platform lift would be useful, too. You might also need to think about this inside the office if there is more than one floor. Look at a range of options for lifts to find one that works best for your home office.

 

• Fire Safety and Practical Purpose

 

Designing a slick, stylish home office might be a priority for you, especially if you want to impress visiting clients. However, while décor needs to be thought about, there are more important things you will need to remember when it comes to designing your home office. Firstly, you must make sure the building/extension adheres to fire safety laws so the materials you choose to construct it need to be considered carefully, ask your contractor for advice on this. You must also have a fire door somewhere and extinguishers/fire blankets. Remember to include enough electrical outlets for your computers, printers, etc., and you should also have a toilet and staff kitchen so you can avoid people having to visit your main house to use the facilities.

Building a home office on your property is a great way to accommodate an expanding business without having to worry about signing pricey, long-term office leases, all while keeping the benefits of working from home. If you’re self-employed and thinking about branching out, consider building a home office to do so.