When you work at home, you need a place devoted to your business. If you have unused space in your home, you can convert it into an office. One potential future office is your garage. Any kind of garage works -- even a portable garage can last 10 to 20 years. Here are some tips to learn how to convert your unused garage into a fabulous new office space.
1. Clear Out Storage
It can be tempting to use your office for storage as well as work. Since it's a garage, it's only natural you want to store things there. However, you should clear it out completely. You're making it into an office, so take that work seriously. Clear out anything that doesn't have to do with your work, then scrub the garage clean. This will give you a clean slate to start from.
2. Add Insulation
Your garage isn't designed to be used as a living space. If you're going to make it into an office, you need to know how to convert it. Add insulation to your garage doors. This will help keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The average garage door is used three to five times a day. While this might change once the room is an office, you still need to take care of the garage doors and make them much more insulated than they originally were.
3. Get Good WiFi
Your home WiFi might not reach your garage. If you're working from home, you definitely need to have good internet in your office in order to be successful. Make sure you buy a WiFi network specifically for your workspace in the garage. Don't rely on your home network or an extender. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with internet frustration on top of your other responsibilities and stressors.
4. Add New Flooring
A garage floor is designed to be driven on. It is generally concrete. While you could put a rug over it temporarily, you should add entirely new flooring in order to complete the garage's transformation into an office. Replacing flooring is very common. In fact, the top three completed home projects are interior painting, remodeling your bathroom, and installing new floors. You should bring in a professional to make your office floor exactly what you want it to be. Get something that is comfortable to walk on. Make sure it's attractive enough to make your office where you want to be, as you're going to spend a lot of your time there. You should also do it early in the process. It's a good investment and you don't want to have to remove furniture and delay work in order to do it later.
5. Install Good Lighting
Since your garage isn't designed as an interior living space, it doesn't have much natural light coming in. You also likely won't be able to install windows effectively. This is why you should know how to light the room in a way that will work for your office. Consider the different types of lighting you could install and which would be better for your own wellness. You're going to be spending a lot of time in this office. Make sure that you're working to prevent eye strain and an uncomfortable environment due to lack of light. Additionally, consider investing in blue light glasses to help minimize the strain on your eyes.
Transforming your garage into an office can be a great way to give yourself the space you need to work from home. However, there is a lot of work that needs to go into making it a great place to spend your time. If you don't know how to do this, make sure that you learn everything you need to before you begin the process. These tips will get you off to a good start.
