4 Ways That a Home Office in the Basement Increases Productivity

by Brad Fein
Home Office

It’s no secret that working from home has become more common over the last decade. Some have set up their own businesses and gone this route. Others work for employers who have found this solution frees up capital and makes it easier to invest the business revenues in something other than lots of real estate. In any of these instances, it makes sense to consider a complete basement finishing in Toronto followed by a conversion of that space into a home office. Here are some examples of how this approach supports productivity.

Drawing a Clear Line Between Work Space and Living Space

One of the challenges of being productive when working from home is clearly delineating what’s living space and what’s work space. That’s hard to do when your work station is set up in the corner of your bedroom. It’s only marginally better if you convert a spare room on the main floor into a home office.

The nice thing about a home office in the basement is that you don’t have to pass by or enter the space once the work day is over. In fact, you can shut down for the day, ascend the stairs, lock the basement door behind you, and forget it’s there until tomorrow morning. In terms of drawing a clear line between your home life and your work life, this solution is hard to beat.

Less Opportunity for Noise and Other Distractions

Physical distance from whomever else is in the house matters when you’re trying to work. It’s not only about those who may feel free to drop in for a chat just as you’re finishing with a video conference or in the midst of working on a difficult assignment. That physical distance also helps to reduce the risk of noise interfering with your thought processes.

By being on a different floor and away from whatever else is going on upstairs, you’re less likely to hear sounds, much less be distracted by them. It’s also a little easier for family members to resist dropping in when you’re in the basement rather than in a room they pass by several times a day.

You Can Lay Out the Office Space Any Way That You Like

Think of the basement as a blank canvas that allows you to lay out the office any way that you like. This is especially helpful if you need to set up several screens in order to do your work, or need a drafting table or some other place to spread out documents instead of on your main desk.

The benefit here is that you can design the layout so it’s easy to move seamlessly from one task to the next. You’ll be surprised how saving a few minutes here and there can add up to getting more done by the end of the day.

It’s Fine to Leave Everything Out for Faster Starts Tomorrow

If you set up a work station upstairs, there’s the temptation to tidy up at the end of the work day. While there’s nothing wrong with that, consider what it means for the following business morning. Everything that you tucked away has to be brought back out and set up before you can do much of anything. By having your office in the basement, it’s fine to leave everything as is, lock the door behind you, and know that everything will remain undisturbed until you return to work.

Homeowners with already finished basements can call contractors to help them add any other touches needed, such as additional electrical outlets. If your basement is unfinished, a contractor can tell you what needs to be done, how long it will take, and even provide suggestions about where to put key features. Once you have that basement office up and running, it won’t take long to see why this is such a great solution.

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