How to Create an Effective Home Office Setup

An effective home office setup is a considerable advantage to anyone who works from home. From employees working remotely to small business owners and entrepreneurs, such a space can be invaluable. Others, too, simply looking for a comfortable spot to carry out admin and other tasks can all benefit from a well-thought-out home office setup.

However, there can be more to creating such a space than meets the eye. From the necessary equipment to deciding on a suitable layout, here’s a five-minute guide to an effective setup in any home office.

The ideal solution for any home office is a separate room. Quite often, though, that’s not possible. So instead, home office provisions may need to form part of a multipurpose space.

If an entirely separate office is possible, consider giving the whole room a fresh coat of paint. Crisp white walls can help to make any space feel more like a working environment. You can then accessorize your style so that it doesn’t feel too clinical.

If you’re working with a portion of another room, clear some floor space. Ensure that you’ve got plenty of room around you to move. Also, take into consideration where any windows and doors are. Not accounting for glare from the sun or people constantly coming and going could see your home office setup doomed from the outset!

Most home office spaces will revolve around a desk. With that, think about whether you’d prefer to be facing or looking out from a wall. Again, remember to account for any windows. At the same time, make sure that you can comfortably fit at least one chair into the space.

If there’s space for additional furniture like cupboards and bookshelves, where you position these can be crucial, too. Try to make sure that everything is largely within reach of where you’ll be sitting. That includes things like printers, filing cabinets, and perhaps even an all-important coffee maker!

Whichever desk or other work surfaces you’ll be using, try to plan everything around that from the start. Also, think about leaving space on the wall for a whiteboard, if that’s something you may benefit from.

This five-minute guide assumes that you already have a suitable laptop or desktop PC. If not, consider purchasing a new laptop or PC to make your home office more effective. With your computer ready to go, it’s time to look at some other pieces of essential equipment for an effective home office setup.

Don’t skimp on your office chair. You’ll be sitting in it for extended periods, so choosing a good one is essential. Look for a model with a range of support options. Furthermore, make sure it suits you personally. What’s comfortable for one person may not be comfortable for another.

You may already have a monitor, particularly if you use a desktop PC. If not, a 27-inch model is great for most home offices. However, don’t be tempted to go too big. Alternatively, look at a dual monitor setup – something that’s perfect for multitasking.

A webcam is a must-have for those all-important Skype calls and Zoom meetings. An excellent option for any home office is the C922 Pro HD Stream Webcam from Logitech. Costing under $80, low-light correction, 1080p resolution, background-removal technology, and more are all packed into what’s an all-around fantastic webcam for the money.

Speakers are often overlooked in home office environments. Instead of searching for headphones when there’s a video clip to watch, consider picking up a couple of speakers. Alternatively, a headset can be handy, especially in multipurpose spaces.

Most home offices don’t need a huge, over-complicated printer. Instead, compact printers boast a number of benefits, including being lightweight, portable, and easy to connect. At $229.99, Canon’s Pixma TR150 is among the best, while the HP Tango is similarly highly rated and also ideal for many home office setups, especially at under $200.

Once you have all of your equipment together, look at spending another $10-$20 on some effective cable management. Keeping a home office tidy is a great way to promote productivity, and cable management is a fantastic place to start.

As a nice finishing touch, also consider picking up a statement wall clock. It’s easy to lose track of time when working from home, so keeping an eye on it can be vital in maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Don’t shy away from adding any other little touches, either. Art, photographs of loved ones, and things like a compact coffee maker can all really add to a work-from-home environment.

With your home office setup now ready to go, be sure to purchase extended warranties for your electronics and appliances. By protecting the devices in your home office, you can have peace of mind, even if you spill coffee on your laptop.

Upsie offers comprehensive coverage for many of your essential home office devices, including printers, coffee makers, laptops and PCs, and monitors. In addition, Upsie’s warranties are up to 70 percent less expensive than those sold by manufacturers and retailers.

For full coverage that protects your devices from defects, power issues, and more, choose Upsie.