More and more people are considering creating a home office. While remodeling an existing room in the home may work for some people, for most there is simply not enough space. Many of those people have already discovered that the need for a home office requires a home addition. More than 20 million people do some of their work at home as part of their primary job, the U.S. Department of Labor reported in September 2005. As of May 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that about one-third of people who usually work from home are self-employed and work an average of 25 hours per week.
According to Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2005, 72.8 percent of the cost of a home addition is recouped at the time of sale. It’s a feature many prospective home buyers are looking for.
Before planning home additions, take the time that is necessary to carefully think through your needs. If you work from home in a home-based business expansion may be something you need to consider. On the other hand if you are new to working from home, you may want to consider designing the space so that it can function in another capacity, should you choose to go back into an office environment in the future. Make sure you will have as much natural light as possible. Take note of the changing patterns of light throughout the day. This will help you determine where to put the windows to maximize light. Having an abundance of natural light makes an incredible difference to how much you will want to be in the space, as well as your productivity. Soundproofing is another major consideration to think through. Plan your storage space early on in the design phase. A general rule of thumb is that you can never have enough storage. Make the best use of the space you have. Think about how you work and where you will need space to spread out. Make sure important information is handy. The look of the space is important, but it really has to be the functionality of the space that you take the most time with. Even if you don’t have clients coming to your home office, there are great advantages to having a separate entrance. It does create a sense of separation from the general hubbub of life in the home. You have gone to work, it’s a mental shift as much as anything. And if you do ever have clients come, you’ll be glad to not have to walk them through your living space. Know your furnishings ahead of time. Before you draw up the final plans take the time to figure out what office equipment and furniture you will need. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to fit the perfect desk into your space. Especially if you had the opportunity to design for it and didn’t. One final note, as much as possible try to have your room addition complement the overall look of your home – both inside and outside. For the exterior of the home that means coordinating colors and siding, as well as matching decorative features. Inside try to keep the general feel similar to the rest of the home. You may find yourself wanting to convert that space to something else in a few years and will be glad that it doesn’t look totally different from the rest of the home. | 
