Increase Your Productivity with a Garage Home Office

If you have a home office located in the middle of your house, you know how easy it is to get distracted away from work. Moving your home office to your garage takes away the distraction and provides several areas for improvement. It lets you have a dedicated space to do your work, and its location in a garage gives you flexibility in steps you can take to personalize it. If you’re short on space in your home or just need a separate workspace, a garage home office is a great idea to try. Check out these tips from HWS Garages on the best way to build your own.

Partition an Area

Before you get started putting together your home office, you need to know where it’s going to go. Make sure to pick a location in your garage that makes sense. You don’t want to do your work in a high-traffic area or an one that is dedicated to something else such as a workbench. Once you’ve picked out your ideal spot, mark it with some clear guides to know the boundaries you’ll be working within.

Clean Up

Once you have picked out where your office space is going to go, it’s time to clean it up. Make sure to sweep and mop the concrete floor so that it’s ready for active use. Remove any unnecessary clutter left in the area and clear out dust and cobwebs on walls and in corners. Having a clean surface to work with will make putting your office together much easier.

Painting

Once everything is clean and clear, take some time to think about painting the area to make it your own. By painting only the office area of your garage, you create a visual separation from the rest of your garage and give it a distinct personality at the same time. If you’re leaving your concrete floors uncovered, you also have a chance to paint or stain them, distinguishing them from standard flooring with an elegant look.

Flooring

If you are interested in installing flooring, now is the time to do it. Hardwood, laminate, vinyl, or carpet all make good options. Just make sure to take into account what kind of work you’ll be doing in your home office before you decide. For example, you don’t want to choose carpet if you do a lot of work involving paint. Likewise, hardwood might be at risk if you’re frequently using heavy tools.

Temperature Control

Using your new office is no fun if you’re uncomfortable the entire time you use it. Consider adding a space heater or an AC unit, depending on what time of year it is. If you’re going to be spending a significant amount of time in your office, think about connecting a dedicated HVAC. That way, you can be comfortable in your garage home office all year long.

Install Insulation

Home offices can get uncomfortable fast if they aren’t insulated. If you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your garage office, think about having insulation installed. The temperature retention it adds will save you money on power for heating and cooling, and it will keep you comfortable.

Electricity

Of course no home office works without power. Make sure that there are adequate power hookups for all of your equipment in your office area. If you’re going to be using a lot of heavier equipment, consider taking steps to have sufficient electrical systems installed to power them.

Office Furniture

Once you’ve gotten everything else figured out, it’s time to make sure you’re equipped for any job. Make sure to get a desk that meets your needs. You want enough room for your computer and for any tasks you’re going to take on. If your desk is too small, you won’t be able to work on larger tasks easily.

Likewise, make sure you’ve got enough storage space for all your materials. If you’re planning on accumulating documents, make sure you have filing cabinets in place to collect and organize them for the future. Shelving is another good option to consider if you have any sort of reference materials you want to organize like manuals for equipment, reference books. By storing them on a nearby shelf, they’re always at hand.

Create Your Own Garage Office with HWS Garages

If you’re interested in making a garage office of your very own, let HWS Garages help you make it a reality. We offer a huge variety of options for your next garage that let you make it the perfect location for your home office. Contact us now or call us at (919) 562-8313 to get started.