How to Set Up a Home Office on a Budget

Department of the Interior Establishment

According to Forbes, more than 4 million American workers work from home. This number is increasing every year, and telecommuters are doing it more often than ever before.

If you are part of the growing telecommuting population, you may want to consider setting up a home office. However, since most people do not have a large budget to invest in office design, it can seem like a daunting task.

We'll start by sharing functional home office ideas and easy design tips to make your new space practical and stylish without breaking the bank.

Considerations for Designing a Functional Home Office

Deciding on Location and Layout

If you are setting up a home office for remote work, the first thing you need to do is choose a location in the house. You want to use a space with lots of space, lots of sunlight and away from heavy traffic. Some spaces to consider for a home office:

• Bedroom.
• A room off the living room.
• A room next to a courtyard entrance or courtyard.
• Finished basement.
• Another hall or closet where doors can be added.
• Finished attic.

If you are focused on a noisier environment, you can also consider the room next to the kitchen instead of the living room.

You should also consider the atmosphere you want for your home office. Many professionals enjoy an open floor plan, while breaking up the space with furniture and accessories can give the office a more efficient feel. Additionally, you may want to point your desk toward a window to enjoy natural light during the day, but you should still check that the sun is not reflecting on your computer screen.

Set Up Your Home Office Essentials

Once you've chosen and cleared space to set up your home office, it's time to choose furniture and other essentials. Here are some must-haves for your new workspace and some tips to make your home office more functional:

• Desk: Make sure you have enough space to work at your desk. Throughout the day, there should be enough space for a computer and other necessary materials.
• Desk chair: When choosing an office chair, look for a chair with adjustable height and depth, lumbar support, back support and adequate padding.
• Bookshelves and/or files. Decide whether one or both of these storage systems are right for you based on the space available and the amount of books and paper you have.
• Lighting: Add table and floor lamps to create a warm atmosphere in the room.
• Technology needed for work: This includes a laptop or desktop computer, high-speed Internet access, a printer, an office phone, and any conferencing or video calling equipment.

Whenever possible, choose furniture that is visually appealing, functional and complements the style of the rest of your home. Save space in your home office by looking for a desk with drawers and organizers to store important papers. If you have a limited office space budget, try repurposing existing furniture into desks and bookshelves. Online sales groups are another great way to find cheap office furniture.

Award-winning interior designer Kerrie Kelly says, “A great way to cut costs when creating a home office is to first look around your house. You might be surprised at the number of items that can be reused in this space. An additional chair can be used as a work chair. Upholstered? Even better! An old desk, an extra lamp and even smaller accessories like a paper clip and a pen can usually be found in your room.

When considering the technology needs of your home office, consider a design plan that ensures you have enough outlets and the ability to hide cords and wires around your desk.

With more than 65% of employees working remotely, visual collaboration software company Trello is no stranger to expert home office design. Common items found in the home office of these team members include a tablet or laptop, a wireless mouse, a flat-screen TV or other desktop monitor, noise-cancelling headphones, and a high-speed Internet connection for more reliable video calling. "Settings vary by role and person, but one thing is generally consistent: We've all created our own spaces and spend a lot of time in them.

When setting up your home office, be sure to choose items that fit well with your lifestyle and work style Do you have many files that will give your cabinet the aesthetic you want.You can also decorate the top with plants, pictures and other decorative items. Do you have many books? Choose to buy some bookshelves to store all your books. The great thing about bookshelves is that they can be mixed with accessories for a really thoughtful designer look.

Our Top 7 Home Office Setup Tips

1. Liven Up Your Space

Good lighting is essential for mood and concentration when working from home. Even if you set up your home office in a space with plenty of natural light, you'll probably burn the midnight oil every now and then and still need lighting.

Table lamps and separate floor lamps make it easy to adjust the amount of light in certain parts of the room. They also come in endless sizes, styles and capacities, so you can design your office exactly how you want. To illuminate the entire room, you should also consider installing lights on the ceiling or walls.

2. Keep things organized

The key to creating a functional home office is to add plenty of storage. Wall shelves and cabinets are essential for media or books that you need to keep close at hand. It's also worth investing in bins, drawer dividers, folders and mail organizers to organize papers and supplies.

Keep everything safe and remember to keep personal papers, items and bills separate from your office supplies. By keeping the essentials in order, you will find everything you need more easily throughout the day.

3. Set up the office

Everything (and everything in its place) is a big part of creating a visually appealing office. but decor is also key to creating an inspiring workspace. Painting and replacing windows is an easy and inexpensive way to bring new life to a room. Adding artwork, photos and pants will also make the office your own.

Look at other rooms in your home or storage to see if you can bring accessories to the office to save on new furniture. In addition, placing some plants on shelves or tables adds to the lightness of the room. Succulents are a popular low-maintenance choice for offices, but you can't go wrong with low-maintenance artificial flowers either.

4. Schedule visitors

Do you have teammates or clients visiting your home office? If your profession requires you to meet people all day, make sure they are comfortable sitting and working. Depending on how much space you have in your office, you can add upholstered chairs, an end table, or a coffee table for meetings and collaboration. A long inner hall with a bench or chairs can even be a reception area. Repurpose chairs and tables from around the house for an eclectic look, or check out garage sales and online resale groups in your area for inexpensive, gently used furniture.

5. Keep the time

One very practical home office design idea is to hang a clock in the room and keep the time. Home office hours should be set in the same way as in a traditional office space. This is useful for letting clients and colleagues know when you're available, as well as letting family and friends at home know when you're at work and should be left alone. It is also useful for the work-life balance, so that you do not waste time and do not become overworked.

You can find watches for $5 to $20 at almost any home store, or perhaps online for free from community resale groups. 

6. Stock up on supplies

Maximize your home office productivity by keeping extras for all your office supplies nearby. Make sure you have backups of pens, paper, paper clips, staples, ink and toner, batteries and other regularly used items. To keep your home office on a budget, buy basic supplies like paper, pens, folders and other small supplies at your local dollar store rather than an office supply store.

If you have the space, you might also consider adding a mini-fridge, a small coffee maker, and a snack bar so you can work uninterrupted throughout the day. 

7. Keep Your Receipts

If you are self-employed and your home is your principal place of business, it is likely that some or all of your home office expenses are tax deductible. Keep your receipts and talk to a tax expert to find out which projects will bring you more savings on April 15.

If you work remotely for a business you don't own, however, it's a good idea to keep receipts for your original home office, supplies, and other tech purchases made by your employer. Many companies compensate telecommuters with certain products.