Hidy Ho friend! I hope you’re enjoying a little bit of the great outdoors! This week I will be traveling to Columbus for the annual Ohio Coalition of Appraisal Professionals summer seminar. I’m looking forward to a little networking and catching up with my appraisal friends.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy another article from return guest blogger June Duncan. This week, she tackles the topic of creating a home office on a budget. I hope you enjoy this article!
If you work from home, a designated workspace is essential to your productivity. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend much to set up an efficient and organized office space. You can find budget-friendly alternatives for nearly any office upgrade you have in mind! Plus, turning a spare room or empty basement into a home office can increase your home’s appraisal value, ensuring a return on at least some of your investment if you wind up selling your home in the future. Check out the following ideas from Cleveland Appraisal Blog to design your home office on a budget!
Create an Accent Wall
Accent walls can be used in any room, including your office. In an otherwise neutral room, an accent wall is a great way to add a bold pop of color to your work zone. An accent wall placed behind your desk can also help to separate your work area from the rest of the room, which is ideal for multi-purpose rooms and desks squeezed into tight corners.
Don’t be afraid to think beyond solid colors. Use wallpaper to create a beautiful accent wall featuring patterns that make you feel happy and inspired. If you’re looking for an affordable and DIY-friendly solution, go for peel and stick wallpaper. Peel-and-stick wallpaper includes an adhesive backing for easy application and repositioning. And because you can remove it without leaving residue behind, it’s a great option for renters!
Do Some Soundproofing
Noise can be incredibly distracting when you’re trying to get work done from home. Fortunately, soundproofing your home office is easy with a few affordable supplies. Install a door sweep to seal the space under the door, seal wall holes around outlets and ducts with all-purpose caulk, and add rugs and acoustic panels to absorb sound. If you have more room in your budget, consider replacing your office door with a solid wood door to block even more noise.
Optimize Your Use of Space
Making the most of your space can help you fit a home office into any available area in your home. For example, if you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment, consider using a quiet corner of your living room or bedroom as an office space. Food52 explains that closets can also serve as compact and cozy workspaces. To improve your productivity, room dividers can help block distractions when you’re working in a shared space. Use vertical storage to maximize your floor space and keep clutter off your desk.
Buy Gently-Used Office Furniture
High-quality office furniture can make your work life much more enjoyable. However, fancy ergonomic chairs and solid wood desks can be expensive. Save money on high-end furnishings by purchasing gently used office furniture. Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find deals on furniture. While you may have to practice patience as you wait for the perfect chair, desk, or office decoration to come along, it will be worth it to save some money and avoid cheap products that deteriorate quickly.
Get Creative with Storage
When your home office is organized neatly and thoughtfully, you’ll be able to get your work done faster and with fewer frustrations. Get creative with your storage solutions to make the best use of your space. We mentioned vertical storage earlier. Beyond this, try using baskets and decorative storage boxes to corral clutter and keep cords hidden. Glass jars and extra mugs work great for storing small supplies like pens, pencils, scissors, and highlighters. You can even makeover an old filing cabinet for storing work-related documents in style.
You don’t need to splurge on your dream home office design. Whatever furnishings and features you have in mind, you can likely find ways to bring your ideas to life without breaking the bank. Shop for used furniture, get creative with your use of space, and learn how to decorate on a budget. You’ll love your new workspace!
Adding a home office to your property can increase your home appraisal value! For more tips on boosting the value of your home, check out the Cleveland Appraisal Blog!
I hope you found some of June’s tips to be helpful! I appreciated the tips she shared and some links to resources that you might find helpful. Thanks, June!
Thanks so much for being here to read articles from the Cleveland Appraisal Blog!
For my appraiser friends out there, if you’re looking to sharpen your skills when it comes to analyzing markets, please sign up for George Dell’s Stats, Graphs, and Data Science 1 which will be starting later in the month.
This week I leave you with a little free Jazz music you can enjoy whilst you sit at your desk in your new home office! I find that this music pairs well with coffee or a little bourbon, or both. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend!
I’ve just released a new episode into the world. I hope you enjoy it!
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Click here to visit their website.
Here are some links to other articles I’ve enjoyed recently! I hope you will also…
Housing A License For Jet Planes, Motorcycles, Boats, Parachutes, And Real Estate – Housing Notes by Jonathan Miller
The Wylie Ax Murder House – Does Murder Impact the Value of Real Estate? – DW Slater Company Blog
Agents, Are You Pricing For Today’s Market or Yesterday’s? – Birmingham Appraisal Blog
Brian Buffini’s Bold Predictions – It’s a Good Life with Brian Buffini
Buyers gaining power & farewell real estate honeymoon – Sacramento Appraisal Blog
USPAP and the Contract – Tim Andersen, The Appraiser’s Advocate Podcast
Top Reason For House Rules – The Folson Group Blog
Residential Appraisals and Airbnb Income – APPRAISAL TODAY
Is this a Time of Ripeness? – George Dell’s Analog Blog (with guest writer Steve Smith)
For my readers in the CLE area… here are some articles related to news in our local area. I hope you enjoy these also…
Natural beauty; Garfield Park Reservation gets $7 million facelift – Karin Connelly Rice of Fresh Water Cleveland
The Best Places to Eat and Drink Outdoors in Northeast Ohio Right Now – Douglas Trattner from Scene Magazine
Thank you for sharing such helpful tips!
I want to add one more tip – make sure that your environment isn’t too visually distracting either. Chaos in a workspace can easily pull your focus away from work that needs to get done. Choose a work area that doesn’t have a view of messes or a cluttered desk, try finding a cozy corner to really hone in on work, or if the outside isn’t too busy and distracting, slide up to a window and take in some sun while you work.
Hi there! That’s a great point! Thanks so much for sharing another great tip!