According to a recent study, around 2 in 5 employees in the UK now work from home at least a few days a week. If you’re lucky enough to be doing the same, setting up the perfect work-from-home station is crucial, especially since this is now considered the norm across numerous industries. Otherwise, you may find that you struggle to work productively.
One way in which you can achieve this goal is by turning your garage into an office!
Why turn your garage into an office? While it is estimated that 38% of remote workers work from bed, you should not work from your bedroom. Not only would this mean that you are surrounded by distractions, but it could also have a negative impact on your sleep.
Conversely, by turning your garage into an office, you’re turning it into a functional space where you can work to the best of your ability. This is far better than using it as a storage unit, especially when you consider the value this can add to your home.
How to turn your garage into a home office.
- Put together a plan. You should always put together some kind of plan before embarking on a home improvement project. This will help to bring your vision to life while also ensuring that you budget and organise your time accordingly. In this case, you may also need to ensure that you have the relevant planning permissions to alter your garage.
- Contact the experts. If you need to carry out any extensive remodeling or electrical work in order to turn your garage into a home office, then you should reach out for expert help as soon as possible. This ensures that you are not putting your health and safety at risk, and that the project will be a success in the long run.
- Start with a decluttering. Before you can start working from your garage, you need to ensure that you declutter and deep-clean the space. This is particularly important if you currently use your garage as a place to store everything from old clothes to Christmas decor.
The more ruthless you can be in this regard, the better. After all, a productive workspace is an organised one.
- Apply a fresh coat of paint. Applying a fresh coat of paint is another great way to transform your garage, especially as the majority of these spaces feature exposed brick or concrete. Alternatively, you could hang wallpaper to create an accent wall. Either way, these changes will make your garage a much nicer place to spend time in.
- Change up the flooring. In order to work comfortably from your office, you may also need to consider changing the flooring. For example, you may want to invest in hardwood flooring or simply lay down a rug.
- Invest in storage tools. Investing in storage solutions, such as garage shelving from companies such as tufferman.co.uk, can also come in handy when turning your garage into your designated workspace. This is particularly important if you are running your own business, as it can become the perfect place to store stock when prepping orders. Beyond this, it helps to ensure that your home office is as organised as possible.
- Think about the layout. As mentioned above, one of the major benefits of setting up a designated office space within your home is that it allows you to work more productively. However, in order to feel the benefits of this as much as possible, you should think carefully about the layout of your office space.
For example, you should try to place your desk within the vicinity of a window. This is because doing so will increase your natural light exposure, which can “improve your mood, reduce eye strain, and boost your productivity.” If you do not have a window in your garage, consider installing one where possible. Alternatively, you could install doors with windows built into the paneling, which should help to ensure that your office is sufficiently-lit.
- Think about the lighting. While embracing natural light is important, you may also want to invest in additional lighting, such as overhead lighting and desk lamps. Ideally, you should choose softer, gentler lighting over harsher lighting. This is because the latter can make your space feel clinical as opposed to welcoming.
- Think about your wifi connection. If your garage is a separate structure to your home, you may find that your current wifi router is out of reach. This could mean that you need to invest in an additional router to ensure that you have a strong enough connection to get the job done.
- Buy all of the necessary tools and equipment. Once you’ve dealt with the practical tasks associated with renovating your garage, it’s time to make sure that you have all of the relevant tools to hand to work effectively. This could include desktop storage solutions, an ergonomic chair, and more.
However, it is worth noting that your employer should provide some of the equipment for you or offer you some money towards buying your own. If you’re working within a tight budget, consider buying these items second-hand in order to save money.
- Add a few personal touches. Adding a few personal touches to your office is another great way to create the kind of space where you can work effectively. This is because various studies have found that this can improve productivity while also reducing your stress levels.
As this space is entirely your own, there is no limit to the ways in which you can personalise this space. For example, you may want to paint the walls your favourite colour, or decorate your desk with family photographs and mementos.
In short, there are many different ways in which you can turn your garage into a home office. Doing so will help ensure that you are as productive as possible when working from home, while also ensuring that the rest of your home remains your safe space, free from the stressors of everyday worklife.
