There are many great advantages to working from home, from the ability to be completely flexible to saving money in commutes. One thing however that it does often require is a home office and a space where you can separate the two parts of your life. It is true that being at home gives you the ability to work at your own leisure, but if you don’t do it right then it is easy for it to also take over your life. There is something to be said about leaving the jobsite and coming home. To maintain this separation you need to have a special space set aside that can serve this purpose.

When it comes time to set up your home office ideally you need a separate room, one that is not typically occupied. If you have a guest bedroom you can double the space by adding wood bunk beds. Before getting started on creating your own personal space, you must first make a list of the main most important office products that you need. This is important and does not include just the standard fax machine, computer, desk. You need to consider what it is that you are doing and in turn what that job will require. For example, if you are a graphic designer then a desk is good, but you will also need some additional space for your artwork as well. If you are a consultant, the desk is sufficient as far as actual work space, but you may also need several locking file cabinets, and possibly an area sufficient for clients to go over items with you.

Space is always an issue, whether you are working at home or not, so when you begin actually working you will notice that you run out of it even faster. With this in mind try and establish things in the most space creative ways possible up front. Try and ensure that you have what you need but then adjust as necessary to allow for storage as well. You may want to consider having work storage in a separate space altogether, but remember that you will want to have anything that you use on a regular basis easily assessable and any time you have to leave “work” is time that you are limiting your potential productivity.

Finally, make sure that you invest in good equipment and that you use a dedicated phone line for your business. Saving money is important, and working from home dramatically reduces overhead, but at the same time you need to establish clear boundaries where your work ends and home begins.

Overall working from home can be an enjoyable and effective experience. Although our space is often limited, being creative about using storage and adding items like bunk beds to maximize usage can be a great way to have the best of both worlds.