Tips for converting your garage to a home office

By Henry Brown

The landscape of work has changed. Even as offices open up in many places around the world, more and more jobs are becoming partially or fully work from home. The temporary work spaces we set up at home are becoming more and more permanent.

You may look at your office in the corner of your kitchen and think: I need something better. Converting a room in your house into a home office is a great solution to this. If you live in a very busy house, with little room to spare (let alone a whole room!) Turning to your garage to convert can be smart.

A garage conversion gives you plenty of space, while being mostly out of the way of the rest of the house. But to make a garage conversion work, there are a few things you need to watch out for. Even if you start with a garage that is already in good shape, you will still have to make some changes to make the space an ideal workspace for your home-based business. This is where companies like The Smarter Garage can help turn your dreams into reality, transforming your garage into the perfect space for your needs.

Temperature

The garage is often the coldest place in the house. You don’t want to be cold when you’re working, so considering ways to warm up your new home office is essential.

In the initial stages, putting down carpet, or padding to the walls, will warm up the room. Then, having soft furnishings to trap air will help massively.

Then, if, after conversion, you still feel the cold, it can help to bring a heater into the room. Little portable ones aren’t too expenside. Alternatively, you can run your home’s heating into the garage, but that might cost more.

Get rid of pests

Garages can harbor pests of all types, so you’ll want to have the phone number of a pest control company handy in case you find your new business quarters has any unwelcome residents either when you move in or as the seasons change. For example, in summer, you might find your new office inundated with mosquitoes; in such a case, you’ll want to call a company like https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/arkansas/ or a similar one in your area.

Sound

Another issue with working from home is the noise. A home is a noisy place – especially if you have children. People are living in your home, and so they are going to make noise. Noise can be a massive distraction for someone who is working, so managing noise in your new home office is essential.

Luckily, the garage is a bit further out of the house than other rooms, but that doesn’t make it immune to noise pollution. Soundproofing blocks can be bought and put up when converting. A simpler solution is these soft furnishings discussed earlier, as they soften sound and create a better working environment.

Disturbance

When you’re at home, anyone can come barging in and ask you a question, like: What do you want for dinner? or Where did I leave my bag? or There’s someone at the door for you.

These disturbances are distracting and can severely affect your productivity. To avoid them, there are a few things you can do. You could simply put up a sign – but, likely, this won’t stop a lot of people! Alternatively, you could get a strong door. Automatic door and hardware are the kind of place you could get a strong locking door to keep distractions out with.

Take your home office one step further.

Working from home will become much smoother once you’ve got your own space. But make sure to pay attention to these areas so your working environment benefits you best.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.

 

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