Can You Turn Your Shed into a Home Office?

Because of the global pandemic that started to occur in 2020, many companies have started implementing a work-at-home strategy that allowed their employees to work at several office-related tasks in the comfort of their homes. Working at home prevented people from having any risks of getting sick due to being outside while commuting or driving to work. Because the work-at-home situation has been quite common in recent times, there have been many homeowners that have transformed the empty spaces of their house into a home office where they can work peacefully without any distractions.

Most people would transform an empty guest bedroom into their home office, while others would usually incorporate their office in their bedroom to maximize the space. But if you don’t have any more space at home but you have an empty shed in the backyard, can you turn the shed into a home office or simply build a new one?

How to Transform Your Shed into a Home Office

So, is it actually possible to transform your shed into a home office? The short answer is yes, you can. But the long answer is that you would need to do a lot of work for the shed to turn into a fully functioning home office, rather a a prefab ADU is the right option to choose. These are some steps that you need to follow to properly renovate your shed and make it into a cozy office space.

Install New Doors and Windows

It is common for most sheds to have vintage or old doors and windows, which is why sheds would often have bad air circulation since the air can easily escape and get into the room since the doors and windows are loosely fitted. So, the first step for the shed to turn into a real home office is to replace the old doors or windows with new ones that are fitted properly and are more secure, much like the ones that are found in most Hobart Sheds. Buy the doors that already come with a secure lock, and then buy windows that will fit properly on the areas where they need to be placed. Of course, you will need to perform some modifications to the areas where you need to fit the doors and windows, so make sure that they will fit securely without any holes or gaps in order to properly circulate air inside the room.

Add Drywall and Insulation

For the shed to keep warm during the colder seasons and have a stable temperature during warmer seasons, it needs to have some proper drywall and insulation. Before adding drywall, you must first add some insulation on the existing walls, but do be careful in applying insulation as they can be irritating to the skin. Once the walls and other areas of the shed are covered with insulation, it is now time to put up drywall on top of the insulation. There are many types of drywall that you can apply to your shed, including drywall that is resistant to mildew or molds and drywall that is fire-resistant, and it is up to you on which type would be more suitable for your home office.

Get Some Electricity in the Shed

Of course, if you want the computer to run while you are working on office tasks, you will need some more electricity in the shed. Talk to your local electrician so that you can get a new electrical line installed on your shed. The electricity will not only be used for your computer but also for the lighting, the Wi-Fi router, and many more appliances and computer accessories. Don’t ever try installing a new electrical line on your own, as electricity has certain dangers that only a professional electrician can handle. As previously stated, contact a local electrician to get an electrical line installed properly in your home office.

Personalize the Room

After getting the difficult steps above done, you can start personalizing the home office by applying paint on the walls and by having matching furniture. You can put curtains on the windows so that you can control how much sunlight is getting into your home office, and you can also apply carpet to the floor to have a more comfortable item to stand on. Furthermore, you also have the option to laminate your flooring to prevent any splinters from appearing on your wooden floor, or you can also add composite decking to have a more durable and sturdier floor. You can check out the sheds for sale online to get more inspiration on how to decorate your home office shed.

The Advantages of Working From a Shed Office

Having a shed office has many benefits for those who work from home. Many find that not only do you get a separate space, but you also get to avoid all the distractions that come with working from home. Here are all the advantages you can reap from setting up a home office in your shed. 

You Get To Pick the Ideal Size

If your job allows you to work from home, you may find it troublesome to work in the house due to all the distractions. Since not everyone has a whole room they can dedicate to their work, an office shed is a perfect solution. You can completely customize it to fit your needs. In a shed office, you will have plenty of space because you can choose how big you want it to be. However, if you have a small garden or backyard space, do not go for a shed that is too big. 100 to 200 sq. ft is a good size to start with.

Work With More Natural Lighting

Since sheds are outside, depending on the number of windows you have, you can benefit from having natural lighting in your workspace. Having sunlight in your workspace allows your body to maintain its vitamin D levels. Additionally, due to all the light streaming in, you won’t need to turn on the light during the day, reducing your electricity bill. However, ensure that the shed does not have constant sunlight. Otherwise, it may get very hot during the day.

It Will Get You Away From the House

When working from home, you may have trouble getting into the work mindset because you are still at home. Having a shed office allows you to commute to work, which gets you in the working mood without dealing with all the troubles that come with commuting, such as traffic, delays, etc. Additionally, having an office space outside your house means that you can leave all your worries behind and concentrate purely on your tasks.

Just follow the steps written above, and you will surely have an easier and more convenient time transforming your old shed into a new home office that is cozy to work in. Be sure to have the budget to do all of these renovations so that you won’t get stuck with an unfinished shed.

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