It used to be extremely rare to work from home. Only the very most dedicated employees needed to have a home office, and the average employee never had the opportunity to work remotely. That’s changing quickly, and many companies allow their employees to work from home at least part of the time now.
Set up a home office in your Phoenix apartment to stay focused and efficient when you work remotely, and you’ll also enjoy increased productivity while you pay bills and work on other personal tasks. Follow the steps below, and you’ll have a beautiful and functional place to work in your home.
Determine Your Needs
If you plan to have a monstrous multiple-screen or large-screen computer setup, you’ll need a desk that gives you enough real estate. If you also want a space to write or do other tasks, you may need an especially large desk, an L-shaped desk, or a U-shaped desk.
What kind of storage solutions will you need for your home office? Will you want to have room for a printer and a desktop telephone? Once you know the answers to all these questions, you’ll have a good idea of how much space you need for your home office. That allows you to progress to the next step.
Pick the Right Spot
Once you start setting up computers and other equipment, it might get hard to move things around. Pick a part of your apartment that can remain dedicated to being your home office. Think about how quiet it will be, how much natural (and artificial) light you’ll be able to get, and if you’ll have the level of privacy you need.
Think about whether or not it’s ok if your guests can see all of your workspaces when they come over. If you are using a computer, be conscious of how much glare will get on your screen during the day– if this becomes a problem, you can always get some blinds.
Wherever you put your home office, make sure you give yourself plenty of space. This is especially important if you work from home often and plan on spending a lot of time in the office.
Stock Your Office
The type of work you do will have a big impact on what exactly you need in your office. If you have a normal desk job, the computer is going to be one of your most important pieces of equipment. If you’re used to working with two or more screens, it’s a good idea to replicate that in your home office so you can keep productivity up.
If you have a laptop, you might want to get a docking station so you can easily connect it to every other component of your technology solution. A single plugin can connect your laptop to the docking station, which remains connected to your mouse, keyboard, screens, speakers, and any other electronic component on your desk.
If you do design or anything else that causes you to write or draw on paper from time to time, invest in some good pens and pencils for your desk. Anything else you use regularly should also be within arm’s reach, so make sure you have enough space for some good storage right by your desk.
Plan for the Details
It’s often easier to work in a well-lit environment. If your workspace doesn’t get good natural light and light from the built-in lighting fixtures, get a lamp or two to give yourself some light at night. If you’ve got a rolling chair, and your office is on carpet, you may want a chair mat so your wheels don’t get stuck. Some of these things will become apparent to you over time, but it’s better if you can plan ahead and get everything right the first time.
Get the Right Chair
If your chair is uncomfortable, it will get old fast. You can find relatively inexpensive chairs online and in local stores. Many people prefer to buy their chair in person so they can sit in it first and make sure it provides the right support.
A good chair will give you plenty of back support, and you may decide you want armrests as well. If you like to have a place to put your feet up, take that into account. The more comfortable your chair is, the longer you’ll be able to stay at your desk and be productive.
Apartments for Rent in Phoenix
Heers communities offer tons of resources for local apartment dwellers, but our very best assets are our properties. Find Phoenix apartments that give you plenty of room to set up your home office.