Back when the pandemic was in its peak, 36% of the employed population worked (at least a little bit) from home. In some corners, it's thought that our enforced Covid-related lockdown only served to speed up a growing - and inevitable - trend, as faster internet speeds and increased interconnectivity makes the home office more appealing and practical. Who wouldn’t want to work the whole day in their pyjamas? But if you’re going to be spending the rest of your working days at home, then you’d better spruce it up. There may well be a temptation to just make do with your surroundings, but remember that this might not be temporary.
To make the ultimate work from home space, you’ll need a whole host of things to really allow yourself to get into the right mindset, and that's where we come in. Here at Plum Guide, we might be best known for our luxurious accommodation (and rightly so), but we also provide expert advice to answer all your questions and queries. So read this guide for our tips and tricks on how to make the perfect home office, and remember, you can always rent a silent and spacious Plum Guide home for work if you want to go that one step further.
1. Utilise the spare room
Empty room in a house
This is pretty vital. The bed might work as a temporary space, but it’s bad for your posture and back in the long run. Also, you’ll likely fall asleep, especially in that exhausting moment just after lunch. Depending on your family, there’ll probably be no end of distractions in the living room. You can’t work there, while the family watch murderous zombies or whatever it is that kids these days like on TV. A spare room is something you can make your own. Everything seems to slow down when you have your own space, with furnishings and décor that are conducive to a healthy work environment. Oh, and try and set up next to a window, to keep things fresh and picturesque.
Dream of Screens, Plum Guide home in London
2. Guarantee yourself some privacy
Door with locks on
Of course, your own room isn’t much use if you’re constantly having to tend to family duties. For example, you might have a partner who goes out for work, and expects you to do the household chores given your domestic location. But even just getting up from time to time to take the bins out and clean the surfaces will make it impossible for you to get into what scientists call a 'state of flow’. This is integral for good work, and means no distractions. If you can afford it, send the kids to day care or get a babysitter, while you go through your day with the privacy needed to get everything done. A door lock to prevent any unexpected distractions is also an effective way to block out any outside noise. Just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you’re not in full-time work.
Family Matters, Plum Guide home in New York
3. Kit the space out with comfortable equipment
Ergonomic chair in an office
The ultimate work from home space requires the right gear. Slouching and bad posture is the cause of countless backaches around the world, and to rectify that, you need the right chair. The word ‘ergonomic’ is bounded about a lot these days - it actually means that something has been specifically designed with things like posture, support and health in mind. Choose from the various ergonomic chairs available online for your home office. You should have your screen at eye height, a sizeable desk so not to feel cramped by your work, and even a cushy support for your wrists to rest them while typing. In fact, you can get special ergonomic keyboards that tend to be better for typing than laptops. It's essential that you're as comfortable as possible - you'll be surprised how much better the work flows when you're completely settled.
Wood White, Plum Guide home in Rome
4. Get a green screen for your background
To many of us, the concept of being able to work from home seemed like a distant, futuristic dream just a few years ago. But now, thanks to improvements to internet speeds and video calling software, some of us can get on with our jobs at home. The only problem is: all those video calls allow people from your work life to peek into your private life. Do you really want Joe from work seeing the insides of your bedroom? Green screens are relatively affordable and easy to use. Just plop it up behind you, and choose a background on your video calling software. There are plenty of online templates that resemble offices, so you can look like you’re in more professional surroundings. Or alternatively, you can make it look like you're on a beach somewhere, or up a mountain... whatever you think is appropriate.
Concrete Genius, Plum Guide home in Tel Aviv
5. Buy a professional webcam and microphone
An office microphone
Professional equipment is not just for podcasters and YouTubers. A good HD webcam will set you back around £100-150, while you can get a high-quality microphone for less than that. Do a bit of online research for the best budget equipment, and you’ll have the ultimate work from home space in no time. After all, you want to minimise the negatives from being in a different location from your colleagues. So, it can’t hurt to sound and look as crystal clear as possible - as though you were standing beside them. Browse our exclusive range of large homes in Los Angeles.
6. Invest in speedy, reliable Wi-Fi
A lot of the above - the green screen, the microphone and the webcam in particular - are of little use if you’re having to take coffee breaks while waiting for a single page to load. Video call programmes will automatically lower the quality of your spanking new equipment if your internet speeds are lagging. In today’s times, you should be aiming for download speeds of around 30MBS. You owe it to yourself - and come on, think of all the movies you’ll be able to watch at top speeds, while pretending to work.
