When the global pandemic struck, almost all of us were forced to retreat to our homes and use our living spaces as our workplace. This made it harder for us to find the balance between work and our personal lives. That’s why you must have a dedicated space at home for work.
Of all the different areas in your home, your garage is probably the best option to turn into a home office. It’s relatively far from the noises inside, but it’s also attached to your home, which makes it easier for you to grab anything you need. To make that happen, this article will provide you with the different steps you need to take.
Steps in Turning Your Garage into a Business Office
You should be able to draw the line between workspace and leisure area to maintain a work-life balance. To have a personal office at home, it’s easier to convert your garage rather than remodeling your home to fit a new room. Check out the steps below to build the perfect home office.
Clean Out
One of the most common problems people encounter when converting their garage into a business office is that they often use that space as storage. There are plenty of ways to store unused equipment at home and maximize the space you have. This way, you can guarantee that your office will not be cluttered with work-unrelated stuff.
Garage Door
The next thing you need to worry about is your garage door. Your old door may not be as appropriate and can ruin the overall aesthetics of your new office. Finding services to install residential garage door openers that suit your preferences is an essential part of the conversion process. A garage door that serves its purpose as an entrance to your new home office will help boost your productivity or attract new clients.
Insulation
One thing you have to take note of is that garages aren’t often climate-controlled. Since this area of your home is usually meant to store unused equipment or your vehicle, homeowners don’t usually install any temperature management system. This is probably the most expensive problem you’d encounter in turning your garage into an office. Adding insulation usually requires an HVAC system to ensure that heat and coldness are properly maintained while you work.
Lighting
You also need to worry about where you’re going to get your light source since garages don’t often receive natural light. This is essential because proper lighting affects your productivity and mood. This is also the reason why lots of people are hesitant in turning their garages into offices. However, garage lighting can easily be fixed. By installing some windows for natural light, adding an electricity cable that runs to the ceiling, and a lamp on your desk to brighten your work, the problem of a light source in a garage office is addressed.
Furniture
Once you’ve got everything covered, the last thing you need is furniture, and this is one of the most crucial steps in ensuring that your garage will indeed look like an office. Don’t hesitate to spend your money on an ergonomic chair and table if you know that this will boost your productivity and keep you motivated. You can also put rugs on the floor to cover the cement floor of your garage. It all depends on your personal preferences.
Why Use Your Garage as an Office?
The question that remains from all of this is why you should use your garage as an office if there are other areas in your home that seem suitable for the purpose as well? To answer that question, below are some of the best benefits of garage-to-office conversion.
Fewer Distractions
One of the best advantages of using your garage as an office is that you have fewer distractions. It’s more likely that you wouldn’t have a television screen near you compared to working in the living room. On top of this, you would also be far away from your bed or couch, which means most of your time will be spent working.
Avoid Sacrificing Your Living Spaces
Every part of your home serves a certain purpose. If you turn these areas into an office, that means you’d be sacrificing its purpose to function as an office instead. However, using your garage means these living spaces are not compromised.
As we gradually realize the overwhelming benefits of working from home, we also tend to experience its downside. That’s why you must know how to maintain your work-life balance. Having a dedicated space for working would help achieve this purpose.