Once you have decided to work from home, your next step is deciding where your office will be. If you are lucky enough to have a spare bedroom, then the answer is simple, but if you dont, then you really need to plan. It is important that your home office remains separated from all the activity and hustle bustle in your home. Your home office needs a permanent place and should ideally have its own entrance.

Den or study

If you have a big house, the chances are that you have a den or a study. This is suitable for a home office. These are most ideally suited for home offices because they are structured to give sufficient amount of light and are spacious to accommodate office furniture like a desk, chair, filing cabinets and other storage material. Just because you already have a den, does not necessarily mean that you will be able to function productively in your home office. If your den is disorganized or badly designed, it is going to hamper your work.

Spare bedroom

If your home is not large enough to have a den or study, then you need to focus on another option for your home office space. If you have a spare bedroom, you can convert it into your home office. Make sure that the bedroom you intend to convert into your home office is in a low traffic area, where family members do not come and go too often. Make sure it is away from the kitchen or living area. If you have a two-storey home, make sure that it is tucked into a nice quiet corner on a floor away from the kitchen and living area. If you want to use the computer very often, make sure that you are away from a window, as this will hamper your vision or, you could simply have curtains to block out the glare.

Basement

Another option for a home office could be the basement. It is the most popular home office area. It is at home, but still private enough for business. If it is an unfinished basement, you could easily spruce it up to your advantage and use it the way you like. If it is a completed basement, in all possibility it has a spare bedroom, which, if unoccupied, can be your storage area. The only disadvantage of working from the basement is that it does not have sufficient natural light. But, installing lamps to provide the light you would need to work properly can rectify this.

Garage

Another option could be to use the garage as your home office. This can be used as your last option, as this would create a hindrance to your regular parking space. The garage would be suitable though, as it has a separate entrance and offers the privacy you need to work efficiently.

The perfect place

The perfect place to have your home office is a place that offers enough privacy, peace, to allow you to work without disruption and distraction. It should have sufficient light. If there is no natural light available, then you could use over head lights or install desk lamps. There should be enough space for your desk. Your desk needs to be big enough to allow you to spread out your work, without it looking untidy.