Recently, many Americans have gone from working in the office to working from their homes. In fact, according to Forbes, in the past few months, 62% of employed Americans have been working from home. While working from home certainly has its benefits, it also has a downside. It can be a struggle to find a spot in the house that is quiet where you can fully concentrate on your work. Many people are dealing with kids screaming in the background during conference calls or dogs running past the computer during video calls. One of the best places to set up a home office is a detached garage. This is a space separate from the rest of the house that is quiet and can be fully dedicated to your work. The first step to creating this space is getting the garage plans.
At Behm Design, we provide homeowners with a variety of garage plans to choose from. Read on to learn about how to work from home in a detached garage.
Pick the Perfect Garage Plans
The first step to creating your at-home garage office is picking the perfect Behm Design garage plans. Figuring out the right amount of square footage depends on the work you do. For example, if you are an artist who needs an office and a studio space, you may want to invest in our garages that are two floors. Your studio can take up the first floor of the garage while your office is on the top floor. If you have a desk job, you probably don’t need as much space and can go with a smaller, one car garage. Look through the plans and find a style that you like that fits your home office needs.
Invest in Your Necessary Office Equipment
Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash
The next step is investing in the necessary office equipment to make this space a place where you can get your work done. Shop for some office furniture including a desk, chair, and storage space. Move any extra furniture you have in the house that you aren’t using and put it to use in your home office. If you are looking for some cheaper furniture options, check out Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for used furniture that is for sale in your area. Also, make sure you have the necessary electrical outlets installed to plug all of your devices into. This is also a time to get creative! Maybe you have always dreamed of an office full of art and plants but worked in a cubicle. Now that you have a detached garage, make it into the office of your dreams.
Check the Internet Connection
The next step in setting up your garage is to check the internet connection. Often the WiFi connection will be strong enough from the house, but in some situations your home garage might require a separate router or hot-spot. Make sure to thoroughly test out the internet connection. Things like Zoom calls and downloading large files can be difficult when the internet connection is unstable, so be sure to test these out before fully relying on your garage internet!
Get a Mini Fridge
One of the benefits of an at-home garage office is that you can separate yourself from the house all day to get your work done. Install a mini fridge in your office so that you can have your lunch, snacks, and drinks at arms-length without having to go back and forth between the house. This will make your workday much more efficient.
Invest in a Mini-Split AC/Heating Unit
Depending on where you live, your garage can get either very hot or very cold, depending on the season. Obviously, these intense temperatures are not conducive to a good work environment. The best way to cool and heat a garage is to invest in a mini-split heat pump/air conditioner. These systems don’t require ducts and are very energy efficient. In most cases, one mini-split unit will be enough to cool and heat the entire garage. If you live in a milder climate, you might be able to get away with using space heaters and fans to cool and heat the garage, but typically a mini-split unit is the best option.
Leave All Work in the Garage
The best tip for an at-home garage is to leave all your work in the garage. Working from home often leads to the practice of being unable to put the work away and working too late into the night. This is easy to do when all of your work is right in front of you instead of far away at an office. Working from the detached garage gives the opportunity to leave the work behind for the day. Once you finish working and eating dinner, do not go back to the garage! Creating a separate space for working and relaxing will lead to much healthier habits when it comes to work/life balance.
If you find yourself struggling to work from home due to a lack of space and numerous distractions, it might be time to consider investing in a detached garage. At Behm Design we provide a large variety of garage plans that can be used for much more than simply parking cars. Turn this space into the home office of your dreams.
Start by picking out the perfect floor plan to match your work-from-home needs. Then, invest in furniture and the necessary office supplies and décor to make the space your own. Check the internet connection and install a mini-split AC/heating unit if necessary. You can even buy a mini fridge so that all of your snacks are with you out in the garage. The most important part of a detached garage office is that it allows homeowners to separate their at-home workspace from the rest of their home. This reduces distractions and helps homeowners to have much healthier work habits. To start the process of getting your very own detached garage office, contact Behm Design today to learn about available garage plans.