With the Internet, there are more and more people who are working from their homes. To work more efficiently and professionally, it’s a great idea to set aside some space in the home for an office. It’s important to build a home office because it presents a professional front when clients wish to pay a visit. There are many distractions at home so a home office can help you define the boundaries between home and work. Let’s look at various aspects of constructing a home office.
To design a home office, you need to plan the design first. Try to make appropriate use of the space available at your home. Here are a few tips to start building the home office:
Use suitable paint combinations and decorative objects to give the office room a professional ambience. If you want to build a garden office or a separate office building, you may need the services of a professional designer.
If you are just setting up a home office space to utilize as a personal workspace then you do not have any legal requirements. It is when you own your own business that you start getting into different legal requirements for having a home office.
If you own your business, you will require permits for owning a home office. There are certain areas in the city which are zoned “residential only” and owning a home office in such areas can be illegal. You should visit the local zoning office to verify if your area is allowed to house a home office. If the area is allowed to have a home office, you will be required to get the permits as per the zoning standards.
You require an EIN or the Employer Identification Number (EIN) to identify the business entity.
Sometimes, the home offices in an area are only allowed for certain jobs such as sewing or teaching, but other kinds of work such as manufacturing or financial support are forbidden. You will also have to consider the liabilities and take insurance for the new business as well.
Once you get the license for the office, you will be eligible for home office tax deductions when they own the business. People working from home can claim direct and indirect expenses. The direct expense is the cost of maintenance of the home office. The indirect expense is the money spent on bills and insurance. The home office area is considered to be a space different from your house and you can claim deductions depending on the total square area of the office space. Tax deductions can be claimed for security, insurance, utilities, transportation, phones, meals, educational expense, and software for record keeping.
For creating the home office, you need to create a protected area which will only be used for business purposes. You will need equipment for security and you can hire security agencies for installing the security equipment. Nowadays, computer security is an essential part of any business. If you have an office with expensive equipment, it would be a good idea to install a security system including a security camera.
For outfitting a room, you need to draw a floor plan at the outset. Use a scale to draw the windows, doors and other attachments. Then you can arrange the computer and the desk. Initially, you may face disruptions due to the noise created during the construction process, and you may need to allocate some space exclusively for the construction work.
The startup cost can be high depending on a number of factors such as the contractor’s fees and the architect’s fees. The construction cost for converting a room into an office can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. You will have to spend on paints, insulation, knocking down walls, carpets, equipment, and attachments.
Various items are needed for the home office. It should have proper lighting and space where you can set up cubicles and computers. Depending on the type of work, you may require many such items like –
Budget is the key consideration when you plan a home office. If you are on a shoestring budget, you can reduce the total cost by designing a proper floor plan and utilizing existing furniture. You can also make minor changes in the room and buy cheap furniture to make the home office minimalist, yet functional.
For cheap supplies such as electric staplers, file folders, packages of paper, ball point pens, micro pens, highlighters, and desk trays, you can look for flea markets. You should be realistic while designing the plan and use decorations which are cheap and functional.
Do not buy anything in excess. Whether you are looking at furniture or stationary, try to make use of existing items. Another way is to buy refurbished furniture, used computer monitors, Internet routers, scanners, and other items. What’s more, cut the printing cost by using appropriate methods and opt for bulk buying of stationeries. If you buy office equipment at discount stores, you can get great deals for printing services such as letterheads, business cards, and more.
To improve the energy efficiency in your office, a few important guidelines to follow include:
The design of a home office should be in a way that you can work without getting distracted. You may need to deal with the din of children, neighbors or traffic outside your home. To overcome such distractions, it is important to create a good barrier which separates the home and office area. A well-planned home office will enable you and your employees to remain focused during work.
For more information on home offices, check out these links.