What You Need to Consider for a Great Home Office

When Nancy Avery decided to move her family into a new Sartell home three years ago, she placed creating a good home office high on her list requirements.
Avery was taking advantage of the benefits of maintaining a home office, such as being able to spend more time with her three young children. And working from home also meant she was saved from the daily costs of transportation and meals. But, the new home office had to be a place where productivity and focus were paramount.

The 37-year-old mother spent around $3,000 to purchase furniture, such as a computer, an office chair, and of course a desk. Most of her capital ended up as investments in the electronic equipment and the chair. Which was no problem, because budgeting money for purchasing the office furniture and equipment for her home office was a necessity for the growth of her business and a professional environment. “It has made my life easier and less stressful,” she narrates.

At least one retailer of office furniture, Mark Henry, agrees that the number of home offices is growing. Henry, the president of Office Furniture Solutions Inc. of St. Cloud, said that his order for office furniture, which includes a variety of products such as reception desks, glass tables, cabinets, and of course office chairs, has doubled in the last five years. According to IDC, a research firm based in Massachusetts, Boston, and the number of businesses at home grew to around 13.8 million.

Experts in the locality give their two cents: when locating the perfect tools for setting up a home office, research and comfort are important. The final costs of a home office will of course vary on need and budget, but people should always focus on these four things: an ergonomic office chair, a high-quality desk, good electronic equipment, and of course storage space. At least according to Avery.

Sharon Sorenson, the proprietor of Heartland Organizing located in Clearwater, suggests starting from the basics. A home office worker must ask themselves what they aim to accomplish with their new home office. Answering this question makes it easier to jot down a list of the equipment that are best at fulfilling the requirements.

Sorenson continues: “People go out and buy things for organizing before they really know what they need. It’s a planning issue—people need to know what they need, not buy what they think they need.”

The search should of course, start with the desk. No matter the aesthetics and the material (you could buy a glass desk for example), what’s most important is the functionality. A glass desk may great as your office desk, but is it durable enough?

A great configuration is the L-shaped desk. One leg can hold the computer, while other can be for paperwork. Two office desks also serve this purpose well. Another desk may also be needed if you have to accommodate clients.

Next up is the office chair. The office chair must be adjustable and of course ergonomic, so that it can be fit for maximum comfort. Back and arm rests are also needed for proper support.

Even if the best office chairs are expensive, it’s a worthwhile investment. Workers spend most of the day on it, so it must be geared for maximum comfort and minimal injury.

There are also other factors to consider, such as lighting and storage. But in these two aspects, a simple rule applies: the more the merrier. The more lighting you have, the better you can see your work. The more storage space you have, the easier it is to file projects and records for later use.

Posted on: Workspace

News by category

What You Need to Consider for a Great Home Office

Related articles

Recent Posts

News archive