Whether you work in your home office full time or you only use it on the rare occasion, you want to make sure that it is as comfortable as possible. Of course, there are many things you can do at no extra cost to improve your home office. For instance, decluttering it regularly and keeping it clean.

However, making a couple of investments into increasing your home office’s comfort might be worthwhile, especially if you work from home full time. You can even make a return on some of these investments if you decide to sell your house because they can increase the value of your property.

1.  Ergonomic chair

One of the most important factors in any workspace is ergonomics. The idea of ergonomics in the office is essential to design your workspace in order to increase productivity, safety, and comfort. If you’re going to be sitting in your chair for hours at a time, making sure it’s the right fit for you is crucial.

When looking for a desk chair, a crucial factor is adjustability. Not only is it important to be able to adjust the height and arm width, but you also want to be looking for chairs with adjustable lumbar support, seat and back angle, and tension control.

In terms of the base of a desk chair, you want to be able to roll around and swivel freely. If your home office is carpeted, it’s important to check if the wheels are suitable. Finally, you want to consider the fabric and cushioning. It should be breathable yet comfortable enough that you don’t feel the base of the chair.

2.  High-quality lighting

Lighting is extremely important for a home office, particularly if the location doesn’t have a lot of natural light or if you often work at night. There are high-quality lighting options that can replicate sunlight or have dimmer switches so that you can control the amount of light based on the situation.

You should also consider where the lighting is placed. For instance, the light from computer monitors combined with overhead lighting can cause eye strain. Hence, it can be a better idea to invest in a high-quality desk lamp. A tip to avoid having your desk lamp overpower your screen is to have the bottom of the lampshade just above the top of your monitor.

3.  Heating and cooling

Temperature control is obviously a big part of comfortability. Hence, making sure the heating and cooling options in your home office are satisfactory is important. A cheaper investment you might consider is a humidifier. Moist air can help you feel warmer and also holds heat better, making a humidifier a great option for the colder months.

Heftier investments include thermostats and energy efficient windows. A timed thermostat will allow you to set the temperature as well as the hours of operation. Smart thermostats go the extra mile and can automatically adjust based on your daily trends or on schedule. Energy efficient windows can reflect heat during the summer and keep heat inside during the winter.

Though thermostats and energy efficient windows can cost a significant amount of money, these investments can potentially pay for themselves or even allow you to make a return. Since they are appealing to home buyers, they can increase the value of your property when you decide to sell.

4.  Storage solution

Though most people are going digital with paperwork, there is still a place for a satisfactory storage solution. Having items that you don’t use often on the top of your desk can be distracting and make working less comfortable. 

A cheap option for storage is adding a small drawer unit on top or under your desk. If you’re looking to invest in something more extravagant, you might consider installing built-in shelves around your desk. You can even have the desk itself built in as part of the design. If you keep the design simple, you can definitely make a return on this investment when you decide to sell your property.

5.  Real plants

The thought of keeping an entire plant or multiple plants alive is can definitely be daunting for a lot of people. However, if you think your thumb is green enough to manage, even if it was one small plant, adding nature into your office can have a lot of benefits.

First of all, plants can act as a natural air filter for your office making it more breathable and more comfortable to work in. Research on plants has shown that having plants in the office can actually reduce stress, increase productivity, boost creativity and even reduce the rate of sickness.

6.  Cable management

Having wires cluttered on and around your desk can be distracting and unattractive. Of course, cable management doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. A good rule of thumb with cable management is under the table and off the floor. You might want to invest in solutions made specifically for wires or you could even use a dish rack or file sorter to keep everything in one, neat spot.

If you have cords such as phone chargers, laptop chargers and HDMI cables that are regularly plugged in and taken out, you can make your home office more comfortable by keeping the connectors handy. You can DIY a cord manager by attaching binder clips to the side of your desk or you can invest in a proper cord manager.

If you find sitting at your desk all day long difficult, making some of these investments might be just what you need to make your home office more comfortable. You don’t have to break the bank to improve your home office but some splurges could be worth your while.

Guest author: James Pointon is a Commercial Manager at OpenAgent.com.au, an online agent comparison website helping Australians to sell, buy and own property.

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