What to Consider When Converting Your Living Space to Work
If you’re like most people living in Kansas City, you’ve had to adapt to the new health and safety protocols of COVID-19. That means social distancing, redoubling your cleaning efforts, and transitioning from a corporate-owned building to working from home. Fortunately, with technology being what it is today, many people have been able to pivot without missing a beat. Meetings and conferences are still taking place, work is still getting down, but it’s all happening remotely from the dining room table or that unused guest bedroom you’ve set up camp in.
Maybe at first your home office was okay, but now that it’s looking like working from home might be in the cards for the foreseeable future, you may be considering what your remodeling options are. Remodeling contractors in Kansas City such as NextGen Remodeling can help, so here are a few items to consider when you’re planning out your home office remodel.
What Do You Want Included in Your Home Office?
Notice how we didn’t ask “what do you need in your home office?” What you want and what you need are two very different things. If you’re working from home now, then you’re at least getting by with what you have. More than likely that’s a laptop and whatever flat surface you could find in the house.
But what do you really want? More specifically, what items and furniture do you want to be able to fit into your home? If you’re dreaming big right now, then you’re probably thinking about a large office desk that has enough space to fit your laptop and any additional monitors you may want to use. Of course, you’ll need an office chair to go with it. And no office would be complete without storage for supplies and files. Make a wish list of what you want. Once you’ve done that, you can ask yourself the next logical question.
Where Can You Put Your Home Office In Your House?
The next step in your home office design is figuring out where you’re going to put it. Obviously, you don’t want to set up shop in a highly trafficked area of your home because that’s going to lead to distractions. What we recommend and selecting a room or area that is both a.) low on foot traffic and noise, and b.) not used on a regular basis.
For instance, many people opt to convert their guest bedrooms or finished basements into office space since their regular daily usage is minimal compared to other parts of the home. Some people even choose to work out of their garage. Whichever space you choose to set up in, make sure to measure carefully before purchasing any new furniture. You want to be able to comfortably fit your new desk, office chair, and any other items that are included in your home office blueprint. Finally, make sure that you have access to electrical outlets and appropriate lighting. In the event that you don’t, your Kansas City contractor at NextGen Remodeling will be able to install those for you.
Implementing Your Home Office Remodel
The beauty of a home office remodel is that it gives you an opportunity to adapt your home to your specific needs. Sometimes that means a simple rearrangement of the furniture, but other times it could mean adding new walls, doors, or recessed lighting. It can even mean installing built-in furniture such as a fold-down desk to maximize limited space. When you work with a remodeling contractor like NextGen Remodeling, you’re not only getting top-quality materials, you’re also getting over 60 years of combined experience.
We’re fantastic at problem-solving and creating the space with careful planning and streamlined project management. We can even show you what your new office space is going to look like beforehand using 3D modeling. This ensures everyone is on the same page about what the new office is going to look like before we start working.
If you’ve got some ideas about what you’d like to accomplish with your new home office, we’d love to hear them. The first step is to visit our estimate page and answer a few simple questions about the project. Once we have that information, the NextGen Remodeling team will review it and get back to you with an estimate on cost and how long the project will potentially take. Beyond home offices, we also can remodel kitchens, bathrooms, or any other area of your home that you’d like to revamp.