After the last year, more of us than ever before are working from home. Even though many offices are now reopening, plenty of people are not in a rush to return to the office and would prefer to remain working from home or at least have the option to do so a few days a week. However, this can be a challenge if you don’t have an office space to work from at home. You could convert your shed into an office to get the space you need.
Image - free for commercial use
Basic Requirements
If you’re going to turn the shed into an office space, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind.
You’re going to need electrical services to get light and power in your shed. Hire an electrician to sort this out for you. Make sure you put in enough sockets to run the electronic equipment you need, such as your laptop and a printer. With lighting, make sure you choose bright bulbs that will light the office at all times of day, preventing eye strain from staring at a screen dim light.
You also need the shed to be properly waterproofed. This is another job for a professional.
Sheds are not usually well insulated, so get this sorted and install some heating so you can work in the winter. A plug-in heater could work, or look into tube heaters or electric radiators.
Check to see if your WiFi reaches the shed. If not, call your provider to see what they can do. You might need to add a second router or you may be able to use a booster on your existing router to get the signal to reach far enough.
Security
If you are going to keep expensive electronics or other equipment in your new office when you’re not in it, you need to make sure it’s secure. Check the doors and windows are in good repair. Check that neither can be opened from the outside and that they can be securely locked to keep your things safe.
Take a look at what the door and the shed’s walls are made of. Is it a sturdy material? You don’t want someone to be able to kick through the wood to get inside. Hang curtains in the windows so you can disguise the fact there is something worth stealing being kept in the shed. Check your home insurance to be sure anything stored in the shed is covered if it is stolen.
If you’re worried about security, consider putting a motion-sensitive light on the front of your office. This is a good deterrent for anyone who approaches it and has the added bonus of lighting your way through the garden if you use the office in the evening. You could also add an alarm; an affordable option for this is a battery alarm fitted on the door which will sound if the door is opened. The loud noise will alert you to someone trying to break in and startle a burglar.
