Will adding a home office add value to my home?

If you’re looking for simple ways to add value to your home in the eyes of potential homebuyers – a home office is definitely a good idea. The pandemic brought many changes to the way we live our lives, even now, with perhaps the greatest change being the desire, and ability, to work from home.

Not all homes have a vacant room in which to pop a desk, shelving and a coffee machine however, so how can you create a home office set up without sacrificing a bedroom, or creating more clutter?

1. Use a spare bedroom.

If your spare bedroom is pretty much a dumping ground (and you’d not be alone in this) it’s time to declutter, create space and grant yourself a home office set up. Lose the chest of drawers – rehome elsewhere, bin, donate or sell the contents – and invest in a lightweight desk. Do you really need a double bed in there? Could you swap that out for a single that converts to a double, and gift yourself some space? As you are planning to sell, either choose furniture you know you will need and like in your new home, or hit Facebook marketplace for pre-loved options. You will be amazed at what you find! Keep your office paraphernalia to a minimum, simply leaving a desk lamp and pretty plant in a pot on the desk’s top, to show viewers the dual purpose of the room.

2. No spare bedroom – no fear. It’s possible to create a smart and functional desk space in almost any room. Take a good look at your bedroom, for example. Do you have a dressing table you could convert or replace, to provide yourself with some knee room, space for the laptop and a lamp? There are many slim, smart desks to be found that would double as a dressing table. Keep clutter contained by fixing some shelving above, and use a couple of boxes or baskets you can drop work stuff into at the day’s end.

3. Tweak your living room

In your sitting room, consider repurposing an alcove alongside the chimney breast. Remove shelves or cupboards below desk height, and fit a table with a sliding keyboard desk.There are loads to be found with a quick online search. Choose a folding chair you can collapse and slide under the sofa or tuck in the at cupboard at the end of the day. As it’s your sitting room, keep office clutter to a minimum by maintaining a rigid tidy-up habit at the end of your day – there’s nothing worse than strolling into your living room after dinner and being faced with a reminder of all the things you have yet to do!

4. A desk under the stairs

The under-stairs space is wasted in so many homes. Utilise it as an office area instead. As opening this up will make anything you do visible at all times, it’s worth investing a little time, thought and money into this solution and go bespoke. Find a great local joiner and plan in fitted cabinetry to make the most of every available inch. Build in as much storage as you have room for; space for shoes, school bags and even coats will be useful not only for you, but for the people you want to sell your home to.

5. Finally – how about converting a windowsill? You will need a joiner for this, but it’s probably the simplest solution. Find a window – in any room or even on the landing – and fit a wide shelf below it. A corner works perfectly for this option. If power sockets aren’t close by, box any cabling in along the skirting board and up through a specially made hole in the shelf, keeping it all neat and tidy.

(Picture used from Edge Lane, Chorlton).

Eddie – Friday 2nd September 2022.