A few alternative home office ideas
Do you work from home? Do you have your own private workspace that is a pleasure to be in, or are you stuck in a cramped corner with the family constantly traipsing through?
I started to hit a mental block with my business and was finding previously enjoyable tasks somewhat tedious. It took me quite a while, and, to be honest, a friend pointing the fact out to me, that as my business had grown so had my need for a larger office space. I had outgrown my little study area in the family home.
But what was I to do? I could not afford to rent an office and, to be honest, did not have the need for one. But I did need my own space where I could spread everything out and not feel the need to tidy up before friends and family came in.
So I started looking into other options and came up with the following:
Hot-desking
When I had specific projects to work on, I could go to work in a local work hub and rent either a desk or office space on a daily basis. This would have the benefit of both not being disturbed and also giving me a strict deadline to work to in order to get the task complete.
Garden office
This one was the most appealing. There are a range of garden offices available at every price and every size. Dependent upon the space in your garden you can simply clear out an existing shed or area of your garage, insulate it and pop in a small heater and lighting, or go the whole hog and have a custom built structure erected.
image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
Caravan
Now, I hadn’t thought of this, but one of my clients went out and found an old caravan for a measly £175 on the internet. It was old and ugly and a hideous murky brown colour. But by the time she had finished, it was painted cream on the outside, had the interior ripped out, a beautiful wallpaper applied to the walls and a desk and chair in situ. It was the perfect office space for her at a very small cost.
If using caravans or sheds, you do need to take into consideration security and insurance and make sure the structure has a dual purpose so you don’t get hit by business rates. But they can be very cost effective ways of getting that space you need.
Do you have a quirky alternative home office? Please post your pictures on the Facebook page
