Upgrade Home Workspace: 5 Low Cost Ideas
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Planning to Upgrade Your Home Workspace? Here Are 5 Budget-Friendly Options to Consider.
The onset of the pandemic ushered in a major change for businesses as they had to move operations online and start allowing employees to work remotely. Many choe to upgrade their home workspace.
Just like with any new idea, there were people who supported it and others who felt it was just a fad and would eventually fade away.
But now, the verdict is in, and remote working is here to stay. This is represented in research conducted by Pearl Meyer, which states that 80% of businesses have experienced higher productivity levels since making the switch to remote working and plan to continue with this practice.
For those still using their couch and coffee table as a makeshift workplace, now is the time to make some much-needed upgrades that will make working from home comfortable and feasible for the foreseeable future.
We’ve curated the best budget-friendly options you can explore to upgrade your home workspace.
1 Buy an Ergonomic Chair
While ergonomic chairs often get a bad rap due to their high prices, their increased popularity over the last two years has led to various new cheaper brands entering the market. As a result, you can now buy an ergonomic chair for around $100.
2 Utilize Existing Furniture
Given that working from home is here to stay, it’s best to create a dedicated home office that provides you with a calm environment for daily work.
The ideal option would be to convert an empty room or garage into a home office, but if you’re crunched for space, choose a corner in the bedroom or living room located near a window, purchase a room divider and create a cubicle using furniture in your home.
This can include:
- Placing a lamp next to the desk for working during the evening
- Using a table with storage can help store important documents safely in one place
For those who can create a home office, consider decorating the space with paintings in your home and other furniture such as a couch, chairs, and stools. If any of your furniture is partially damaged or old, instead of spending thousands on new items, consider finding a re-upholstery service as it will prove to be cost-effective.
3 Start Working in the Cloud
Dealing with paperwork is not only tedious but also expensive. Research shows that businesses across the U.S. waste nearly $8 billion annually on managing paperwork.
Whether you’re a small business owner, employee, or freelancer, rather than spending thousands of dollars a year on printing and storing paperwork at home, adopt the smart approach of using cloud storage.
Applications such as Google Drive and Dropbox are great options to securely store your paperwork for cheap. Additionally, this helps you overcome the need for buying storage for the office and provides the functionality to access documents anytime, anywhere.
Additionally, you can use software for other activities as well, such as accounting, invoicing, project management, etc. Most software has a free version that provides ample features to cover all your needs.
4 Bring Nature Indoors
Plants are one of the must-have additions to your home office. Why? Because as reported by Hoppier, they provide the following benefits:
- They serve as a natural stress buster, helping you focus on work better and experience higher productivity levels.
- They purify the air of toxins and are great at absorbing background noise.
- Plants naturally cool their surroundings due to the process of transpiration. Having multiple houseplants around the office can help reduce electricity usage and cut down on utility costs.
If you’re wondering what are the best office plants, here are a few options:
- African Violet
- Philodendron
- Snake Plant
- Lucky Bamboo
5 Make Necessary Modifications
For those that run a home-based business, the office will need to double as a meeting room as well. And to make a good impression on clients you can consider making these modifications:
- Declutter the Space: Apart from furniture and plants, remove all other unnecessary items from the office. This will help to create some much-needed space, allowing you and your clients to sit, discuss and work in comfort.
- Add New Paint: The cheapest and best option to give your office a fresh look is to add a new coat of paint. This is a DIY project which can cost you around $100 or even less. Rather than painting the whole room the same color, consider adding an accent wall.
- Improve Your Curb Appeal: Your outdoor areas will serve as an extension of the office, hence be mindful of how your lawn looks. Before client visits, take the time to give it a fresh mow and clean the area of items such as twigs, garbage, etc.
If your home office has a bathroom, it’s best to get it checked as well. Over time bathrooms are prone to issues such as leaky faucets, clogged pipes, drippings from fittings, etc.
You may ignore these issues while working alone. However, if you plan to regularly schedule meetings at the office or invite employees to work from there periodically, it’s important to get your bathroom fixed.
Rather than adding more responsibilities to your shoulders, turn to the professionals. When finding a local plumbing service, look for those that have serviced a lot of customers, have good reviews, and have reasonable prices.
Additionally, you can search for pre-screened plumbing services to save the hassle of conducting the research yourself.
Upgrade Home Workspace for Improved Performance
When creating a home office your goal should be to create a space that provides a balance between comfort and productivity. Following the above mentioned will help you design the best home office without breaking the bank. When it comes to activities beyond your expertise, such as plumbing or landscaping, rather than wasting time and resources on doing it yourself, choose to hire professionals.
About the Author of “Upgrade Home Workspace: 5 Low Cost Ideas”
Phillip Carr
Phillip used to be the guy who would put off doctor’s appointments, but after a routine checkup revealed he had hyperthyroidism, he makes yearly visits a priority.
He created Your Yearly Checkup to not only share his experience, but provide you with useful and informative health articles as well.”
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