1. Consider an Accessory Dwelling Unit
Many people who work from home enjoy working out of buildings that are completely separate from their existing homes. If you have a large back yard, then consider adding a home office accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to your yard.
Accessory dwelling units offer many benefits you cannot obtain from traditional room additions or garage conversions.
First, depending on where you live, adding an ADU to your yard can increase your home's resale value by an average of
51 percent. Room additions and garage conversions can increase the value of a home, but not typically as great as an ADU does. In addition, a home can be more difficult to sell after the garage is converted into a living space since many home buyers will not purchase a house that does not have a traditional garage.
Also, when you work in an accessory dwelling unit, you do not have to worry about noise from other areas of the home traveling through the walls and affecting your productivity or disrupting important conversations with clients.
Finally, an office that is located in a building that is separate from home can appear and feel more professional than an office that is located inside of a home.
2. Sound-Proof Your Room Additions
If you prefer a home office that is attached to your home, then consider adding a home office room addition with soundproof walls. These walls can block out the noise your family creates in other areas of the home while you are working that distracts you from your work or disrupts important client communications.
When creating soundproof walls, building professionals first skip traditional wall insulation and instead opt for acoustic fiberglass batts. In addition, special drywall that is much denser than standard drywall is installed, since this denser drywall blocks more sound. Finally, metal strips called resilient channels are attached to wall studs to prevent a sound transfer through these wall components and all air gaps in walls are sealed thoroughly with acoustical sealant.
The addition of an acoustical wooden door with a high sound transmission class (STC) rating can prevent a sound transfer through your office door, as well.
3. Opt for a Dual-Purpose Room
If you worry that you may not opt to use your home office forever, but instead return back to the workplace, or simply want to get the most you can out of your home addition, consider adding a dual-purpose home office/ guest room to your home. This room can serve as your home office during the workweek while doubling as a guest room on weekends.
To prevent the hassle of dragging a bed in and out of the room as needed, install a murphy bed that tucks away into the wall during office hours or furnish your office with a day bed or sleeper-sofa that functions as a sitting area during office hours and a bed when guests are in town.
Also, equip the room with plenty of storage space where your work documents and other office items can be stored out of sight when guests are occupying the room. Finally, choose a wall desk over a bulky, freestanding one to prevent your work station from becoming the focal point of your guest room when it is in use.
If you work from home and do not have a dedicated home office, then consider adding a home office addition and keep these three tips in mind when designing it. Contact the home addition experts at JO Contractors to begin discussing your new
home office addition project today.
