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Integrating an office into your home requires that you first decide on your particular needs, then scout out the spot that comes closest to meeting them. Start by answering these questions.
Do you prefer to work in a quiet setting, or does a little household noise keep you motivated?
Are you willing to share space with a spouse or child, or have the office serve as an occasional guest room?
Will clients visit your workspace? If so, will you try to provide it with a separate exterior entrance so visitors won't have to traipse through the main living areas of your home?
Will this be an office you will use many days or nights a week, or simply a space for keeping track of family finances?
Let's look at the pros and cons of typical home office sites:
Spare bedroom - Bedrooms convert easily into home offices. They offer space away from household hubbub, enough floor space for office equipment, and built-in storage in existing closets. Of course, not all homes have a bedroom to spare.
Your own bedroom - Lots of privacy here, but not a good choice if you need to burn late-night oil while your spouse attempts to sleep.
Garage - Also great for clients, but you'll have to find a place for the car (or cars) your office displaces.
Dining room - Many families wouldn't miss the dining room if it were converted into a home office. But few people could function in the chaos created by working next to family living areas. Evaluate whether your dining room can provide the atmosphere you need for working at home.
Family room - If you don't mind file cabinets and electronic equipment in your family room, it might be just the place for your office, especially if you intend to use it to conduct family business. But offices are prone to clutter, and you can expect lots of interruptions here.
Kitchen - A great place for paying bills and balancing the checkbook, but high traffic makes the kitchen a poor place for a full-service home office.
A closet - Walk-in or even shallow closets can easily convert to a compact office, and when you're done working, you can just close the door on messy paperwork.
Adding on - Building an addition is not a project to be undertaken lightly, nor is it an option to dismiss out of hand. If you're happy with your home but need room for an at-home business, an addition might be just the way to go. The key is to plan new space that can accommodate your need for work room now, yet be easily converted to less specialized uses - a family room, for instance - by future owners. At present time, a dedicated office does not add a lot to the value of a home.
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