As real estate agents know, it is important to have a good space at home to house your office.
Here are some easy tips to keep in mind when trying to figure out where you should start.
1) Location!
When picking the best place to work from home there are some things you need to keep in mind, and th
e first is location. Make sure that you pick a place in your home that is quiet. There is a lot to keep on top of in real estate and you need a place were your mind can be calm. You do not want your kids, nanny, spouse, pets, etc. running around your space while you’re trying to sell a house. So, first tip: pick a space were you can be alone, close a door and focus! If space is an issue, try moving your desk away from the wall and more into the centre of the room. This allows added dimension for things like shelving.
2) Lighting!
It i
s very important that you have good light in your work space.
If you have the option of having a home office with windows you are already one step ahead, but for those of you who have basement offices or condo space, ensure that you invest in some good overhead lighting. A desk lamp is also crucial for those late nights spent loading listings! Your eyes are very important, so take some time to find the best lights for your space. By using a combination of table, task and overhead lighting, you will be able to tailor your illumination to meet all your needs.
3) Colour!
You do not want to feel like you are working in a dungeon! Make sure you paint your office a nice, light colour. No royal blues or evergreen. Pick light, calm colours. You may be spending many hours in your space, and you don’t want anything too heavy or crazy that you will grow to hate in a matter of weeks. Here is a great link to a site that allows you to upload an image of your room and test out paint colours: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/paint-colors/
4) Storage and Work Space!
It is so important that you have enough space to file all the documentations of real estate. I can not tell you how often I will go into someone’s home office and they do not have a place to file or store things. Make sure you get a large desk, big enough that you can spread out all your paper, but not so big that your whole office is consumed by your desk. It is also important to invest in some good file cabinets with drawers for stationary, pens, stamps etc. I am partial to cabinets that fit legal-sized folders, but this choice can be left up to you. It is also useful to get some shelves or even a bookshelf for all your OREA text books and thank you cards from all your clients. If you purchase your larger furniture pieces from big box stores, you will have some more room to buy more expensive fabrics and wallpapers. We will touch more on storage space in a later blog post.
Most important, this is your space and you will be spending a lot of time in it, so make sure you are happy and enjoy your surroundings. You do not want to feel like you’re working in clutter. This is your office. Make sure that you keep only office-related items in this room and other household things out…you don’t need your new KitchenAid mixer next to your monthly newsletters.