Top 10 Reasons to Add a Home Office to your House

More and more businesses are allowing their employees to work out of the home. They have found that not only does it benefit the employee, but also the business. With more individuals working from home, there has become an increased need for home offices. Here are the top ten reasons why you should add a home office to your house.

Tax Benefits:

When you are self employed, a home office is a great tax benefit. When you use your office solely for business purposes, your computer, telephone, and maintenance expenses can be written off as business expenses. Just how much you can expect to write of can be tricky. However, when you don't have a designated home office for your business, none of your expenses can be counted as write offs. A computer sitting in a bedroom cannot be counted as a business expense.

Peaceful Workspace:

Without a home office, work time turns into mayhem. Children are running around, televisions are blasting, the phone is ringing. With a home office, however, you can close the door to all outside distractions. You can even locate your office in a place such as the basement or an attic that is far away from the hustle and bustle of family activities.

You will be Free to add your own Personal Touches:

The more finished living space you have in your home, the better. It gives your family and your belongings space to breathe and you'll have room to decorate as you wish.

This is definitely the fun part. You could decorate your home office in a vintage style, a contemporary style or a traditional style or you could simply decorate with a favorite theme. For example, if golf is your passion, why not opt for a golf course wall mural and matching green carpet for the floor or if you're a sailing enthusiast, how about a nautical theme? You could paint the walls blue and hang a framed sailing picture flanked by a pair of brass nautical wall sconces.

Maybe you're a history buff or a kit car enthusiast. Maybe you'd like to hang some vintage ormotivational posters on your walls or a world wall map so you can keep up with international affairs. Whatever your hobbies or interests you can enjoy adding as many personal touches to your home office as you wish.

Designated Area for Computer:

A home office can be as simple as a room to place your desk and computer. There is nothing tackier than a computer sitting in the kitchen. Many families struggle with computer placement. Should it go in the living room? Should it go in the bedroom? Should it go in the kitchen? If you have a home office, there is no confusion as to whereto place your computer:

Ability to Work from Home:

Some companies will only allow employees to work from home if they have a room designated as a home office. If there is no such room, they will not get the job. Adding a home office shows your employer that you are serious in your request to work out of your home.

Eliminate Personal Clutter:

By adding on a home office, you are minimizing the amount of personal clutter that enters your workspace. Many individuals that have an "office" in a kitchen or living room complain of toys, crayons, and school homework making their way into business paperwork. Having a designated home office helps to prevent personal clutter from entering the workplace.

Spend More Time with Family:

One of the reasons people love to work out of the home is the increase in time spent with the family. Of course, working at home isn't quality family time. However,eliminatingcommutinggives individuals more time to spend with loved ones. Time that was once spent sitting in traffic can be time you spend fixing supper with your spouse or putting together a puzzle with your children

Creative Environment:

When you build your own home office, you are creating an environment that works best for you. If you work in a cubical in a company owned building, you don't have as much flexibility to express your creative needs. For example, some folks work better with music blasting. Others like bold posters plastered all over the walls. Some people have to unplug the phone while they work. And of course best of all, you are free to personalize your space with your choice of office furniture, wall decorations, storage solutions as well as window and floor treatments.

Less Distraction:

In a home office, there is less chance that an annoying coworker will distract you for fifteen minutes at a time. Of course you may have your family to deal with, but families can be managed. Coworkers take a bit more finesse. Having a dedicated home office will add to your productivity where you're able to concentrate on the business at hand without any outside distractions entering your work environment.

Improved Resale Value:

If for no other reason, adding a home office to your house greatly improves the resale value. Since more and more people work out of their homes, it is a desirable feature for home buyers. Anytime you increase square footage and add a usable living space to a home, you improve the resale value.

Families with home offices have said the office is the most used room in the house. There is a reason for that. As a matter of fact, there are ten good reasons. These ten benefits have convinced millions of home owners to add a beautiful, comfortable and functional office to their homes. Will you be next?