Organized Home Workspace Office
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4 Steps to Enhance a Home Workspace

-4 Steps to Enhance a Home Workspace or Office-

If more home workspace or a home-office remodel is on your mind, you are not alone. Restrictions associated with the pandemic forced many office workers into work-from-home positions. Also, stay-at-home guidelines turned most homeowners into desk workers, personally handling on-line administration of our accounts, banking, insurance, and shopping orders from home.

Across the Greater Tampa Bay area, we all have shifted to spending more time in our home offices or at make-shift workspaces in front of screens. Video conferencing, specifically, has increased in popularity for meetings and keeping up with friends.  It is also useful for important tasks like schoolwork, classes, and telemedicine.  For today’s seniors and retirees, telemedicine appointments are a safe way for virtually seeing a doctor from the comforts of home.

Solutions for Home Offices, Workspace, and Video Conferences

Our Tampa Bay area real estate team offers these tips for anyone finding them-self working long hours from home or needing better workspace for video chats, seeing your doctor, or paying bills.

  1. DESIGNATE A WORKSPACE: Kitchen tables are for enjoying meals, and couches are for relaxing. A home workspace mixing business with pleasure may create virtual fatigue or imbalance in life. Boost productivity and balance with a more defined work area. Remodel your spare room into a full-scale office or get creative by sectioning off a portion of a rarely used room in the house, such as a foldaway desk in a formal dining room. A hot trend is to transform outdoor sheds, enclosed patios, and Florida sunrooms into offices.  Simply ask our real estate team about contractors ready to install electricity or air conditioning in the space.
  2. SET THE SCENE: Certain paint colors inspire different feelings. A vibrant red could ignite your energy and promote leadership. Shades of blue may stimulate communication and clarity. Also, be your own art director by designing an area for video conferencing, including enhanced lighting, strategic placement of the camera and screen, and visual artwork or accent items in the background. Affordably improve décor by covering bland file boxes with beautiful fabric. Simply cut and paste printed or colorful fabric over the cardboard-box sides.
  3. CREATE FUNCTIONALITY: Tailor your home workspace for maximum efficiency. Arrange shelving and baskets around your desk to ensure go-to items are easily accessible.  Comfort is also key, which is why we suggest investing in an ergonomic desk chair, a cushion for back support, an adjustable desk for adapting from deskwork to video calls, and a gel guard to protect your wrists from strain when typing. Also, optimize the natural light of windows, but always position your computer to avoid any direct sunlight on your screen.
  4. PROMOTE PRODUCTIVITY: In addition to your desk, chair, computer, tablet, and printer – a productive home office must be stocked with supplies. Essential items include paper, sticky-notes, pens, paperclips, staples, tape, whiteout, and flash drives. Add a novelty toy like a stress ball or a Zen item like a sand rake to inspire focus and creativity.
As full-service real estate pros, we are happy to align you with experts to help you with home projects. If you are thinking about moving to new home, looking to invest, or considering the idea of selling your current property, contact Dick and Karla Nielsen at 813-294-5786.