Making a home office can be difficult for those who have to work with a budget. So, how can it be done on a budget?
The Room
Picking a room is important. It should preferably be close to the entrance of the home. If there are multiple entrances, pick one that may not be used by the family often. This will keep the door looking clean and professional.
Another thing to keep in mind is where the kitchen is. While the kitchen might seem an ideal room to have near your office (easy to offer snacks to your customers and to get one for yourself), a home office needs to be away from the kitchen. After all, the kitchen is a messy place, with trash cans that can make it stink. Besides, having a lot of dirty dishes in your office is not going to reflect well on your business.
The Furniture
Keep in mind that you will probably have furniture that doesn’t have a home in your home yet. Any small table, such as an end table, can be used to hold a lamp that you don’t use if the room is kind of dark. A desk is important, but if there is a folding table that isn’t used for anything, turn it into a desk. This can be done by putting a table cloth or piece of fabric over the table if it is bumpy and difficult to write on.
Looking for a chair to go with that make shift desk can be difficult. If you have folding chairs around your home that don’t get much use but are in good shape, take one down to the new office. If the best you have at the moment is a bench, stadium seat backs – the foam seats that have a cushion for your bottom and the back – are pretty cheap. By positioning the desk in a position that is against the wall, you can easily use stadium seating.
Another thing to keep in the office would be pencils or pens. If you have kids in school, this shouldn’t be too difficult to track down. However, if you are in need of a pencil holder, a plastic cup that has been decorated or a washed out tin can (try tomato sauce cans) can easily be recycled to make a holder.
