Archive for month: October, 2019

Whether you work full-time at home or occasionally need to conduct business in the evenings or on the weekends, a home office a great way to utilize an extra room. A dedicated workspace in your home can be designed to increase productivity and comfort. Here are 5 ideas to get you started.

CHOOSING A CHAIR

Invest in a good office chair. Investing in an ergonomic office chair is essential. You may be spending anywhere from 30 to 50 hours a week sitting in it, so your back will thank you. Purchasing one with multiple adjustments is ideal so it fits you just right.

THE RIGHT LIGHTING

Switch up your lighting. Fluorescent lighting has been proven to be hard on the eyes. Make the switch to LED or halogen light bulbs in your home office and try to let in as much natural light as possible. Also, consider finding a desk lamp to reduce headaches and eye strain.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Keep essentials in reach and organized. Nothing says productivity like a clean, neat workspace. Select a desk with a lot of storage or install creative shelving to keep items like pens, pencils, extra batteries, calculator, notepads, and more stored within arm’s reach.

SPICE IT UP

Decorate bright. Pick a color you love and use it to spice up the room. Use cheery yellow or red or relaxing tones like green and blue, instead of beiges and browns.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE VIEW

Aim for the view. If possible, place your desk so you are facing a window instead of a blank wall. Natural light can do wonders for staying alert and you can give yourself a short mental break when necessary by looking to the outdoors.

Remodeling your home? If so, there’s some planning required on your part before you dive into whatever project you’re working on. Keep in mind that while certain things you do will help the project in a positive way, there are also things that you might do that could totally sabotage your efforts.

Are you a novice at home remodeling? Then make sure you don’t make the following mistakes:

Not Making All Necessary Decisions Before Moving Forward

If you don’t take the time to scope out every detail of your project before construction even starts, you’re making a huge mistake. A reputable contractor will understand this, and will carefully walk you through the entire project from A to Z in order for you to be able to anticipate all the scenarios that might pop up along the way. But in addition to these scenarios that need to taken into consideration, you’ll also need to think about things like paint colors, faucet selection, hardware choices, and other details like these.

You might think these are minor decisions that need to be made, but you’d be surprised at how much they can influence the overall product. The hardware you choose might not be the ones delivered, or the faucets you want might be on backorder. Things like this can make a 4-week project turn into an 8-week ordeal.

Make sure you make these decisions well in advance to avoid any hiccups.

Not Having a Detailed Floor Plan Designed

Working without a design drafted up is a huge faux-pas. How are you going to know precisely how everything will be laid out without a solid floor plan? There are tons of elements that go into making up a space, and having a detailed plan in place will help you nip any problems in the bud before they become major issues.

Your best bet? Hire an architect and a designer.

Changing Your Mind Too Often

OK, so it’s pretty common for people to change their minds about a previous decision made when it comes to home renovations. And while this might be fine the odd time, changing your mind too many times can not only completely complicate the project, but it will also cost you a lot more at the end of the day.

Every time you change your mind about something, it’ll result in a charge order. This costs money. You’ll also be throwing off the scheduling with every little change you order. Think about it: the change need to be communicated to everyone on the job so that they can ditch the old plan and get with the new. This will basically delay the completion of the project.

It’s fine to make a change here and there, but you need to be aware of how this will affect the overall job.

Not Having an Emergency Fund

Planning ahead is key, not only to make sure the end product is exactly what you had envisioned, but also to make sure the project stays with your budget. But of course, it’s highly unlikely for home remodeling projects to stay well within budget, which is why an emergency fund needs to be set up and kept on the side in case the costs are a little more than you had initially anticipated (and they probably will).

If you plan well enough from the get-go, you should be able to comfortably get away with a 5% or 10% contingency.

Putting a Bandaid on a Major Problem

You might want to reface your kitchen cabinets, for instance, but sometimes a lot more work will be needed. There may be times when the entire kitchen cabinetry may need to be ripped out and replaced entirely if the materials are rotting or sagging. There may even be times when entire walls may need to be replaced, or in much more extreme cases, the entire house may need to be ripped down as is the case with faulty foundation.

Be honest with yourself, and be realistic about what really needs to be done so that you’re not just covering up a problem temporarily. Listen to the advice of your contractor about what he suggests needs to happen. Hopefully, you’ve chosen a competent and reliable contractor who will give you open, honest answers that are best for you, and not just for his wallet.

Don’t Get in the Way

Want to disrupt the workers and delay the completion of your project? Getting in the way will do just that. Sure, you want to make sure everything is going the way you want it to, but don’t be a nag. Sorry to sound brash here, but every time the workers need to stop to talk to you or to work around you, it causes a delay (not to mention annoys the workers).

If the conversation is important enough that it can’t wait, that’s one thing. But to chat up the plumber or electrician about every minor thing is just a downright distraction.

Do yourself a favor – hire a contractor, and other professionals involved in home remodeling. They’ll give you a plethora of advice about you should and shouldn’t do before, and during the construction. Doing your due diligence will not only save you time and headaches, it’ll save you money too.

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