There are a ton of benefits to working from home. You don’t have to fight traffic, put on “real clothes,” or work in a cramped cubicle. However, there are also plenty of downsides. Not only are there distractions, but space can sometimes be an issue if you’re trying to work out of something like a spare bedroom. In order to work around these issues, many entrepreneurs consider transforming their garages into offices. Is this something you should consider?
4 Helpful Tips
Whether you plan on doing everything yourself or hiring contractors to help you along, the following tips should prove helpful.
1. Find a Home for Everything
Before you can do anything else, you have to clean out your garage and find a home for everything. Once you do this, you can run some measurements and start to create a plan for how you want to attack the project.
2. Make Sure You Have the Right Tools
Depending on exactly what you’re doing to the garage and how finished it is already, the exact tools and equipment you need will vary. However, there are some specific things you can’t do without.
- Trailer. You’re going to be making a lot of trips between your house and the hardware store. Even if you have a truck, chances are you’ll need some extra storage in order to take as few trips as possible. Consider getting a trailer to lighten your load.
- Measurement tools. You’ll need a full complement of measurement tools, including tape measures, framing squares, speed squares, levels, and stud finders. Go ahead and stock up on these before starting.
- A second pair of hands. You can do a lot of the remodeling on your own – so long as you have the skills – but there are certain jobs that are much faster and safer with a second person – such as hanging drywall. Find a friend and treat him well.
An office-garage transformation provides a great opportunity to acquire some new skills and learn about your house. Just make sure you’re using the right tools and equipment and following safety guidelines.
3. Get the Insulation Right
The key to the entire garage-office transformation lies in getting the insulation right. If you mess up on the insulation, your office will feel more like a garage than a workspace. It’ll be stifling hot in the summer and miserably cold in the winter. Not to mention, you’ll risk damaging your computer and other equipment.
4. Plan for Productivity
While you want your office to look cool, the goal is obviously to optimize productivity. Make sure you’re planning for this ahead of time in how you set up the office. For example, if you live on a busy road, you probably don’t want a big glass garage door that provides little or no privacy. Or if you’ll have multiple people working in the office, it might make sense to separate the desks for better focus. Seemingly small details like this can have a big impact on the success of your project.
Sort Through Your Options
Transforming a garage into an office isn’t a decision you should take lightly. Not only can it be expensive, but it also means you’ll have to find a place to store your vehicles and anything else – such as tools and lawn equipment – that currently resides in the garage. Then there are also zoning requirements that you must adhere to. Don’t overlook these or you might find yourself in hot water.
Be sure to think about all of your options and weigh them accordingly. If you do decide that a transformation is right for you, at least you now have a better idea of what the process looks like.
