Work from Home: Remodel Your Home to Fit Your Business Needs
Working from home gives you the flexibility to be your own boss. You can meet with clients directly and pocket the full profits of the services you offer rather than losing a big share to a corporate overseer who cuts you a paltry paycheck. Or you can use your home to get your own business started while you grow your revenue and scale up to being able to open a storefront or a corporate office.
Unless there is a perfect alignment of the stars that results in your home already having the ideal space for your work, you are going to have to look into remodeling your space. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider for your work-from-home space:
Add a Room
Room add-ons are typically the go-to solution for setting up your home for your business needs. Most homes have smaller rooms with four walls and maybe a nice closet space. But most business spaces require more amenities than this and certainly a lot more room.
Instead of trying to remodel a room in North Phoenix, you can just start from scratch and get a general home contractor to build the exact room you want. You won’t waste any time or money on the process, and you’ll get exactly what you need – not just what you could make happen with the space available.
If it’s possible, plan any room add-ons for an area where they are accessible from outside the home. That way, your clients can enter your business directly, without having to walk through your personal space. You’ll have a more defined separation of home and business, and it will be easier for you to create a professional atmosphere.
Remodel an Existing Room
You may not need much space or many specialty features in your home office or business storage. In that case, you might consider home office remodeling for an existing room.
For example, say you want to remodel a guest room to be a storage space for the inventory for your online store. You can hire a general home contractor to build more closet space or built-in storage units in the room. Or maybe you want to turn that family room off to the side of your house into a meeting area for clients. You can ask your contractor to add more windows to let in more light, and you can get rid of any closets or storage areas that are there.
Remodeling can also include adding or removing walls. For example, you can add a wall to a large room to separate the storage space from the working space. Or you can bring down a wall to create a more open working space.
Upgrade the Décor
After your home remodeling in Tempe, you need to give serious thought to the décor in both your home office space and in any space that clients will see. Therefore, if your clients will walk from your front door and through a portion of your home to get to the office space, you need to overhaul the décor in the areas that the clients will see. Even if that area is just your home, it will make an impression on clients, and you want to have control over whatever impression you are making.
Start from the ground up. If your carpets are looking old and dingy, replace them or upgrade them with wood planks or tile. Tile is an ideal choice for a business space since it can withstand a lot of foot traffic and still look great. If you already have tile, make sure that it is looking good. Get a professional cleaning from a service like Desert Tile and Grout Care to freshen up the color and to clean stains out of the grout.
Remove any clutter, and take down any décor that could be controversial or offensive. That includes items that refer to your religion or politics. These beliefs may not be offensive to you, but they can be offensive to your clients. Don’t take it for granted that your beliefs will be accepted because they are in the majority.
Make sure that any décor is pleasant but appropriate. It should reflect the type of business you run. You might be a big fan of Superman, but unless you run an art business or a kids’ design business, you should probably keep Superman out of your business décor.
Finally, make sure that the space is well-organized. Not only will a well-organized space look more professional, but it will also make it easier for you to find the things you need, which will help you to make a good impression on clients and to work more efficiently. Add storage bins for supplies and inventory, drawer organizers to keep clutter under control, and a mail station to keep correspondence at hand. The smaller the space, the more important organization will be.
Understand Finances
Room add-ons and home remodeling don’t come cheap. You can spend as little as a few thousand dollars if you are just changing the décor and cleaning the floor, or you could spend more than $100,000 if you are doing an add-on with a lot of specialty equipment. You might feel tempted to just rent a space and get the tenant improvement allowance instead.
The trouble with tenant improvements is that you rarely have control over them, and the money is rarely enough to do everything you want. By investing in your own space, you get to have full control over the improvements, and you get to watch your money grow through equity over time. You won’t be throwing money away on rent. You’ll be creating a strong investment.
Valcon General is ready to help with your home office remodeling in Arizona. We are a general home contractor specializing in room add-ons and home remodeling. We can help you get ready to do business from out of your home, no matter what your space looks like now. Contact us today to learn more and to get an estimate.
18631 N 19th Ave #158441
Phoenix, AZ 85027
Office: 602-518-5624
Email: [email protected]
Posted: June 17, 2017
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