Creating the ideal home office

Planning is important

If you’re choosing to convert the smallest bedroom in your home, it’s vital that you make the most of the space available.

Office furniture comes in all shapes and sizes and to get the most from your room you need to measure-up thoroughly.

Note where all the alcoves and recesses, plug sockets, radiators and any existing built in cupboards are.

Top tips:

• Make sure you stamp your own personality on the room and create a place you’ll want to work in. Why not get some inspiration from Pinterest? Don’t go for something bland, inject colour with interesting artwork and photos.
• Corner and wall mounted desks take up less space than standard desks, but will still give you ample room to work.
• If you position your desk near a window you’ll have plenty of natural light but you’ll still need a desk lamp for winter evenings.
• If you’ll be skyping work colleagues or clients it can be a good to have a blank wall behind your desk, rather than a notice board covered in scribblings.
• It’s vital that your office chair is both comfortable and practical. Don’t be tempted to use a kitchen chair as it won’t offer you the right level of support. If your floor is carpeted, you might need an office chair mat to make sure it doesn’t get damaged by your chair’s wheels.
• If space allows, invest in an attractive sofa bed or futon which can be used for additional office seating and when visitors come to stay.
• Good storage is vital if you want your office to be clutter-free and give the illusion of space. Consider adding shelving and a small filing cabinet if you have paperwork you’ll need to file away.

Benefits of your home office

Once you start using your home office you’ll find that you’re a lot more productive than you were before when you worked from your kitchen or lounge. You won’t be interrupted by other members of your household and you won’t be tempted to put on a load of washing or watch the TV as you work.

Future selling benefits

Alternatively, if you’re looking to sell your home in the future, then creating a home office can be a good move as it appeals to professionals who don’t necessarily need many bedrooms. Potential renters/buyers appreciate being able to see how the home would work for them and with more and more people working from home, it’s a great plus point.

It’s important to listen to property experts like Location, Location, Location’s Phil Spencer. Phil believes that you need to “work out who is your most likely type of buyer and present the property accordingly. This will determine whether you present a spare room as, say, an office, a play room, a gym or a study.”

Converting a bedroom into an office shouldn’t have a negative impact on your property’s value as you’re just showing the flexibility your home offers. Estate agents will describe your new room as an office/bedroom in their description of your property in order to appeal to as many potential renters/buyers as possible.

You’ll probably end up wishing that you’d thought of converting your spare bedroom into a home office sooner!