Having your very own home office is an exciting prospect. However, remember that this is a space that you will be using — and maintaining — for a long time.

Unlike a commercial space whose care can be entrusted to a hired housekeeping group, your home office needs to have the perfect balance of usability and ease of upkeep. Check out the following steps to find out how to achieve this.

Step 1. Planning your home office environment.

When designing your office, you will undoubtedly turn to the Internet for inspiration. Note that while most designs are pretty, not all of them are ideal for your purpose.

Since the office will now be a part of your home, you will most likely be spending longer hours in it. A 50-hour work week isn’t far-fetched, hence you have to make sure your environment is suited for long work hours.

As an example, lively decors can provide a good source of stimulation. However, overdoing it can be distracting. Not many people can look at screaming wall colors all day long. Limit the gaudy bits to small accessories, and make sure everything has a function.

Ergonomics is also something to consider. Invest in a desk that places your computer squarely at eye level, or just a little below. Make sure that you can type with your arms parallel to the floor, and with your feet firmly on the ground. Move away from the office-cubicle environment by relying on natural light as much as possible, and by having good ventilation.

Step 2. Manage your space.

When you have a home office, you will most likely have all sorts of paper everywhere (unless you embrace a completely paperless workflow). Invest in a magazine rack or display shelves to help you remember where your most important pieces are.

You might also have an old closet in the room you’re converting to an office — outfit it with some shelves so you have a makeshift storage space.

You can fill this with an overstock of items so you don’t have to go out of the home office to fetch simple necessities. You can also use divider shelves both as storage space and as a blind to give you some privacy from prying eyes.

Aside from your work desk, also consider allotting some room for a creative space. This will be your go-to place when you need to come up with something. A comfortable chair you can curl up in is a good example. This is also the perfect space to take a break, or to break the monotony with a little nap.

Step 3. Invest in quality equipment.

As aforementioned, working from home means you don’t have a ready support in case something breaks down. Hence, equipment efficiency is paramount.

Invest in high-class equipment for those that you use daily, such as your laptop or computer. This extends to other items such as your Internet and phone connections.

Just make sure not to spend for items that you will not be using — these extra things can just serve as clutter and distractions. Also, try looking for equipment with low energy consumption, to prevent the home electric bill from skyrocketing.

Having a home office is a wonderful thing, but it has to be carefully planned to be effective. Following the above-mentioned tips will make sure you have both comfort and productivity, as you make your way to the top of your niche.

This is written by caricymric. Order an article from her HERE.