With 2020 being a crazy year, many businesses were forced to have their staff work from home during the pandemic and lockdown height. But as things start to return to normal again, many companies are now tempted to continue having their teams working mobile and reduce the costs of office rents and any additional charges; such as business rates and utility bills.

It has been widely seen throughout the UK that while staff have worked from home, their production levels have stayed the same. So, if the work can continue to be carried out from home, and businesses can reduce company overheads, why not make this the norm? I know myself several businesses that have downsized their office space for this purpose. 

That said, working from home is not without its disadvantages though. It has been reported that only 5% of the population worked from home before lockdown and that since March 2020, this has risen to around 30%. But a vast majority of these people don’t have a dedicated home workspace, meaning they have to work from the dining room table or the spare room.

“This just won’t do,” I hear you say. So it is with great pleasure to offer some suggestion on how to make things more comfortable for those that are now finding themselves spending more time working from home then first expected when designing your homes.

Spare Room

If you are lucky enough to have a spare room in your property, then this makes the most obvious location for a home office. Not all rooms are the same though, and there is a distinct possibility that the room may be lacking in sockets or have inadequate lighting.

Whilst a multi-gang extension may be a good temporary solution, if it is going to be occupied long term, it would be worth considering having multiple new sockets added in the room to prevent overloading an extension lead.

Additionally, Surge Protection Devices or SPD’s for short, are seriously worth considering, as these will protect any expensive IT equipment you may have from any sudden surges in the electricity supply.

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Lighting is often overlooked, everyone has their own preferred colour and brightness of lighting, and it can have a massive effect on both mood and the ability to concentrate. Rather than attempting to buy the correct colour and brightness bulb, consider a smart light bulb, such as Wiz. Controlled from a smartphone app, they give you the ability to tune the brightness and colour to perfectly match what is required.

Garages

All of the above can be applied to garages, but they come with a couple of other issues that will need working around. The biggest and probably most noticeable to the person working there is a lack of insulation in them. Whilst having insulation fitted may seem a relatively straightforward task, its worthwhile checking if there are any planning requirements.

Sheds/Summer house

A well-built shed or summer house can make a perfect home office. Its physical separation from the home can act as an excellent mental separation between work and home life, as well as providing isolation from any noises going on in the house.

Before considering one of these, things to consider are planning permissions, although outbuildings will fall under permitted development in many cases. Any home office will need electricity. It’s highly likely that running power out to an outbuilding will involve installing a new circuit that will need notifying to building control under Part P of the Building Regulations.

The living room 

Perfect if you need to double working from home with childcare, but it's probably a good idea to set up your living room workspace in an area that's facing away from the TV.  You may also need to remind other members of the house who are around to use headphones if they want to listen to music, watch TV, or play video games. 

Your sofa is a soft spot to retire to when you need to take time away from your desk, but make sure you don't get too comfy. Many households will have the internet router set up behind the TV in the living room. If that's the case, you're more likely to get a speedy internet connection while using a laptop in the same room. 

Running an ethernet cable from the router to your computer is another option, but make sure nobody trips over it! The same goes for any other wiring you might have in your office set-up; you want to make sure you have sufficient sockets and cables are kept tidy and away from children.

The loft 

A spacious loft can make for a nice, private home office space. You'll want to make sure that it's as clutter-free as possible, as a busy work area can be a pain to walk around. If your loft already functions as a bedroom or study area, you won't need to make too many adjustments to turn it into a home office. But if you're starting from scratch, you'll need to come up with a price estimate for the project to avoid overspending and ensure you have planning permission, if necessary. 

Note the height of the ceiling and ensure it meets minimum height requirements – the highest point of the pitch must be at least 2.2m. Another essential factor to consider is internet access. Think about your router’s position and whether or not you'll get a good internet connection from the loft. If not, you'll need to feed an ethernet cable into the loft or try some wi-fi extenders.

As always, if you have any questions, would like some professional advice or you if are looking for a professional electrician to manage any work for you, contact us today. We are here to help.

Nigel Adams - Surrey Electricians

Email: info@nigeladamselectrical.com
Tel: 01483 232066
Mob: 07850 268024