For those who work from home, moving to a new house can be even more disruptive than it is for everyone else. You’re not only changing up your living arrangements, but you’ll likely have quite a few days where it’s challenging to get any work done. All of your stuff will be packed up into boxes, and you will be distracted with moving preparations and then unpacking. Here’s how to make moving home easier when you have a home office.
- Plan Your Workload
If you rely on working from home, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to plan your workload around your move. Realistically, there will be a minimum of 4 days where you will not have a space to work in – two prior to moving as you pack up and two after as you unpack.
You can either ask for deadline extensions or find another place to work during these days. Letting your boss or clients know that you cannot submit work that week is the preferred option, as this will give you time to get your new home office in order. Otherwise, you may be able to work from a friend’s house or a café to get the projects done that you need to complete.
- Keep Your Work Items Together
When you pack up your home office to get ready for moving, make sure that you keep all of your work items together. At the other end, you don’t want to be scrambling to find items amongst the many boxes when you’ve got deadlines to meet. So, ensure that everything you will need right away is packed together and carefully labelled so that you can easily find everything. You might even choose to have a box of the essentials that you require so that you can start working immediately and then boxes of work items you can unpack later. This will make it simple when you go to unpack and start working – just unload your essentials box and get started.
- Analyse the Best Space in Your New House
When you’re looking for a new house, be sure to consider where your home office will go. Think about how often you will use it – if it’s every day, then feel free to lay claim to the best room in the house! You will need a calm space to work, with plenty of natural light.
If you’re deciding which rooms to use as bedrooms and which one to turn into an office, remember that the office will be used during the day – so choose the room with the best light. Bedrooms are used mostly at night, so the amount of light is not as critical.
You may also want to choose a room that’s tucked away in a quiet corner of the house. You don’t want your room to back onto where the living room TV will go, for instance, as this can cause you to get distracted due to the noise.
- Where to Put Your Desk
Once you’ve moved all of your stuff into your new house, it’s time to decide where everything will go! The placement of your desk will be crucial, especially if you are often on video calls. You want a clear background that won’t be distracting for the people you’re talking to. So, place your desk somewhere that no one will walk behind you. You also need to consider where the lighting sources in the room are. Facing a window can seem like an appealing option until the sun starts shining directly into your eyes. If your screen is highly reflective, having the window behind you may not be ideal either. Preferably, sit side on to a window that has a curtain you can pull across if the light shines into your eyes.
- Storage Options
Most home offices are located in the smallest room in the house, so this doesn’t offer a lot of storage space. You can easily get around this by making great use of the vertical space. Rather than buying a small filing cabinet, get a tall cabinet or bookshelves. That way, you have plenty of storage space for your work gear without taking up much room.
- Ergonomics
As you’re setting up your new home office, make sure that you take into account the ergonomics so that you will be as comfortable as possible. First, choose a desk that is the right height for you. You should be able to sit at it with your arms at a 90-degree angle when typing or writing. You may need to adjust the height of your chair to achieve this. If your feet don’t sit comfortably on the ground at this height, you can always purchase a small under-desk footrest to put your feet on. If you have a computer monitor, this should be set at eye level so that you are not looking down or up to see the screen. These small considerations can have a significant impact on the health of your body, as if you have your desk set up wrong, this can cause a lot of back and neck pain.
- Hire Professional Movers
Anyone who works from home will need their house move to happen quickly and efficiently so that they can get back to work faster. That’s why it’s essential to hire professional movers to get the job done.
Not only will this be quicker than doing it yourself, but premium movers will handle your precious items with care to ensure that they are transported safely. Most movers will come prepared with moving blankets and take other safety precautions to enable your belongings to arrive at your new location securely and without getting damaged. You are likely to have a laptop, home computer, important files, and many other possessions that you can’t afford to have damaged or lost. Hiring movers is the best way to ensure that your belongings arrive at the new place in the condition they left your old home in.
