Setting Up a Home Office in Surrey

With remote working continuing to gain momentum with more companies, it might be time to consider creating your own office at home. There are lots of ways to do this with varying levels of expense and difficulty, which also includes any specific aspects you need. What’s the most affordable way to create a home office or study in Surrey?

The easiest, better value for money avenue when making a home office is converting an existing room in your house or apartment. There are things like property value to consider, and preparation is necessary before any work starts. We’ll discuss this in more detail with some examples and related information on the general subject of remote working.

Creating Your Home Office in Surrey –

During the previous lockdown, hundreds of businesses adopted remote working in a bid to keep their companies running. Due to the ongoing pandemic response and some unforeseen benefits of having employees work from home, it’s looking like a permanent part of the business landscape. But there are some things to prepare for if you’re planning on doing this yourself.

While it’s possible to work at your kitchen table or living room settee, it might prove difficult to concentrate. For anyone who’s going to work at home regularly, it’s a case of building an extension or converting a room. The most affordable option is the latter because you don’t usually need planning permission. And it’s more a case of clearing the room and buying office furniture, rather than any construction work.

Throughout this article, we will always suggest the best way to approach setting up a home office from different perspectives. That’s why we need to encourage you to avoid undertaking any work that devalues your property. It’s vital you run any plans over with an estate agent to ensure you don’t unwittingly lower your house’s value.

WH Cox & Son provides removals and storage for thousands of people every year, but we are flexible when it comes to other services. During the pandemic, we have helped several people and businesses create a home office or study. If you’re thinking of doing this yourself or for your employees, we’re happy to undertake this for you.

The Future of Remote Working –

When we think of businesses, you might envisage large office blocks with separation cubicles spread on every floor. For any established company, renting these mega-buildings was the norm, even if the property was shared with other companies. In the reality of lockdowns, this brought about a different approach which is remote working.

Having employees work from home was a necessary move to do to save businesses from going under. Additionally, it kept the economy ticking over while things like the implantation of the Furlough Scheme and other assistance were happening. Initially, remote working was supposed to be a temporary measure before everyone was able to return to work.

Now that a national lockdown is on the agenda again, it’s likely thousands more people will start working from their house or apartment. The government directive is to encourage home working in a bid to limit movement. We also see the advantages of it in other situations, such as the reduction of carbon emissions.

That said, it’s often difficult to concentrate when you work at home because it’s a hive of distractions and procrastination. That’s why making a home office is essential to remaining productive. Next, we’ll go into more detail about the process of setting up an office.

Things to Consider Before a Room Conversion –

First, you’ll need to choose whether you want to go with a room conversion or to build a new extension. Conversions are cheaper and more manageable, so we’ll focus on this because it’s the affordable option. It’s also worth reminding anyone who wants to build a new room that you’ll need to hire a qualified builder and check with your council for things like planning permission.

Our advice is to avoid the expense and red tape by converting an existing room instead. Another reminder, though – this doesn’t mean you’ll be free from additional work. This serves as our reminder to book a viewing with an estate agent. They can provide a current valuation and a hypothetical one after the conversion. It’s crucial that any work doesn’t significantly tank your property’s current value.

Next, you can start costing any materials and outsourcing of any additional services, such as an electrician to create more electricity points. You’ll almost certainly need IT and internet improvements if your role involves working online. Then you can get some prices for office furniture and any new electrical equipment. If you happen to live in a noisy area, soundproofing is also something to consider.

Using Storage to Add Space and Organise –

Now you’ll need to turn tour attention to emptying the chosen room for your conversion and how you plan to do it. The last thing you should do is spend time moving boxes and furniture in and out of the way. It becomes a chore which might then delay your progress. That’s why most people who set-up a home office rent a self storage unit from us.

WH C & Son has various storage packages available for choose from. Our storage is suitable for homes and businesses in Surrey. We have a variety of storage unit sizes, all with temperature control to protect your possessions or work equipment. Whether you need storage for three weeks or several months, we have the right package to suit your requirements.

Furthermore, there’s no lease or minimum contract to worry about, which is why lots of businesses use our storage facilities. Moreover, you won’t receive any add-on fees or last-minute charges. We assess your situation in detail and provide a free, no-obligation quote. Customer service is vital to our company, and we believe in an honest, transparent approach to how we operate.

A New Lockdown and Reasons to Prepare –

It might seem like a never-ending cycle of lockdowns, reopening and repetition. However, it’s important you don’t allow pandemic fatigue to cloud your judgement. It will help if you try to avoid this by taking direct action and doing some planning now. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on the latest developments in the news. We’ll do our part by informing everyone of any operational changes.

You’ll see various examples of people in the news buying vast quantities of toilet paper and other items. We would advise people to steer clear of over-stocking as it often leads to wastage. It might be worth collating your expenses and debit orders to see where you can trim any outgoings. For business owners, make sure you look into government grants and local funding opportunities.

As you’ll be spending a lot more time at home, it’s worth considering doing a deep clean and some decluttering. It might help take your mind off things and to put yourself in a busy, positive mindset. Use this as an opportunity to make the most out of your living spaces and to organise your home.

We’re also advising that people have things ready in case of any unexpected electricity cuts by having a gas cooker on-hand to boil a kettle or for basic cooking. A nice idea for your back garden is to get some cheap solar lights. A final point – try and have plenty of entertainment ready for the whole family.

WH Cox – Setting Up Home Offices –

WH Cox & Son has a fleet of removal’s vehicles, storage units and expert team members at our disposal. But one of our many positives is we’re also flexible and will happily adapt one of our packages to perform a related task. That’s why we helped create home offices in Surrey and the neighbouring areas during the previous lockdown.

We’ll assume you know which room is part of the conversion and it won’t affect your property value. If you haven’t done this yet, get some quotes for any professional cleaning or electrical and internet upgrade services. We’re now well on our way to starting the process of converting a room for a home office or study.

Rather than do the room conversion yourself, leave the hard work to the professionals. WH Cox will set everything up for you. Our Man & Van service is ideal for collecting office furniture and transporting any full boxes to move into your self storage unit. We can make referrals for other services which are just one of the advantages of being a top removals provider. Many of our customers work in various trades so that we can make referrals to reputable companies.

WH Cox & Son – Surrey’s Favourite Removals and Storage Company –

Having somewhere you can be productive is essential for anyone who works from home. Distractions are everywhere, so a dedicated space is necessary if you plan on remote working. This might mean sacrificing a room or creating a new one, but it’ll be worth it. You’ll be able to keep on top of your workload and enjoy the benefits of working from your house or flat.

Customer service is WH Cox’s number one priority, and it influences every removal or related package we offer. It’s why we continue to work with thousands of customers every month in Surrey and the surrounding areas. We provide a service we would want to receive, which means always going above and beyond for our customers.

If you’re thinking about creating a home office, please contact us today. We have the right experience and expertise to set-up the perfect home office or study.