How to improve your home office space and become more productive

“The other day I visited my friend who is a freelance typist, just to see how she was getting on in her new home office, as she was now working from home. I hadn’t seen her for long, and the last time we met, she had not moved from her old premises yet.

I rang the bell of her house and she opened. I was so glad to see her again. Her new office was a small room, but this was the best she could afford in the current hard economic times. The actual place was a bit dark to be honest, probably due to the fact that the only window was a small opening from where the rays of the sun could just find their way in.

On top of that, she had some pieces of furniture that were huge compared to the actual dimensions of the office, and this made the already limited space of the office look really packed. She invited me to sit in the client’s chair, which was easier said than done, because I could hardly fit in the small space that was left between her desk and the wall. When I asked her about the piles of papers everywhere, which made the place look a real mess, she told me that her cabinets were full and she had nowhere else to put them.”

This is not an uncommon situation and it is faced by many freelance workers who have decided to work from home and, due to lack of adequate space, they struggle to fit everything into the limited area of a small room. So what can be done, so that a freelancer working from home to be able to organize any available work space that is used as a home office in a more efficient manner?

Don’t fill your home office with unnecessary furniture

Try to use just a couple of cabinets where you can put your most necessary files and archives. You don’t need huge lockers looking like skyscrapers, which would transform the place into a warehouse. You only need two to three chairs: one chair for yourself and a couple of chairs for occasional visitors. Your living room could serve as an alternative, where you can accommodate visitors, in case of having meetings with more people.

Get rid of office clutter before it gets out of control

To be able to use fewer filing cabinets, you should keep your office clear from non-essential papers, documents, leaflets, brochures, bills, newspapers, etc. You can only do that by having a strict filing system in place. As soon as you receive mail, you should make up your mind about what deserves your attention and must be kept, and what must go straight into the rubbish basket.

Let more light into your office

Since you work from home, you might have the choice to select one of the most favored rooms in your house, in terms of sunlight, in order to use it as your office. However, if, for example, you have no choice other than the basement, don’t be afraid to spend money and invest in efficient and functional lighting, which, in the end, will increase your productivity and satisfaction that you get from working in your own place.

Keep external disturbance at bay

This is not directly related to the internal organization and decoration of your home office space, unless, of course, you decide to make the room sound-proof. However, it is vital to ensure isolation from any external distraction, such as family, pets or noise from the street, machinery etc, in order to be able to concentrate on your work and produce better results.

Further reading:

10 hacks to improve your home office productivity

7 tried-and-true secrets for a productive home office

How to make your home office more creative and productive

How to work from home: 20 tips from people who do it successfully

9 tips to be super productive in your home office