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Tips for Setting Up an Office in Your Basement

Basements in the houses located in Ontario are being turned into various types of rooms. The type is based on what the homeowner needs it for. Some turn basements into family rooms while others even turn their basements into home gyms. However, there have been a growing number of basements that have been turned into offices during the past few years. A basement home office gives the homeowner many benefits and is very cost-effective. For those who may be thinking of creating their own basement offices, it is highly advised that these people consider some of the important tips to set up an office basement.

TIPS TO SET UP AN OFFICE IN THE BASEMENT

ASSESS THE TYPE OF OFFICE THAT WOULD BE SETUP INSIDE THE BASEMENT.

o   An office can have different types of furniture, equipment, and appliances. These will depend on the scope and amount of work that will be done in the basement home office. In addition to this, you also have to consider if you are using up the whole basement space for your home office, or you may assign a certain spot in the basement space to be turned into your office.

CREATE THE LAYOUT PLAN OF YOUR BASEMENT HOME OFFICE.

o   Discuss your idea with an engineer and an architect to ensure that your plan will be feasible and that it will meet the standards of the building code. Planning the layout may also include the actual design of your office. You will be informed if the planned items that you are putting inside your office will fit. Also, different aspects of an office will be designed that will be important during renovation. Electrical, plumbing, and other construction-related  works will be defined by the plan.

PLACE A BATHROOM AND A KITCHENETTE IN YOUR BASEMENT HOME OFFICE.

o   There may be the possibility that you would be hiring employees to work for you in your home office. Also, clients and suppliers may visit your office on certain days. These should not take away the privacy of your home. It will be in your family’s best interest to have your employees, clients, and suppliers use the bathroom and kitchenette in your basement office.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT TYPE OF LIGHTING.

o   A basement office entails that you will be working in a small area. This would mean that you will need to find certain areas to put in your lighting fixtures to ensure that you maximize the space.  Also, the lights in your office will be turned on the whole time or if there are people inside the office. This could increase your energy bills. It is highly advised that you would choose to use LED lights for your office. These lights are known to light up large areas while using the least amount of energy.

HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO WORK ON THE RENOVATION.

o   Renovating a basement and turning it into an office will take a lot of work because of the various components that will be added into your basement. This job is best handled by a contractor that specializes in basement renovation. This type of contractor is more knowledgeable about the legal aspects of renovating a basement. There are certain building codes that may have been followed by the layout plan that you have created with the help of an engineer, but the implementation may not meet the standards without the knowledge and skills of the licensed workers that are hired by a licensed contractor.  Just like the setup of electrical components, this has to be done by licensed electricians that are currently working for licensed contractors. This is a requirement made by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). You are not allowed to hire freelance electricians, even if they are licensed to do work in Ontario, Canada. However, before any work should start, you must have the contractor inspect all parts of your basement. This is crucial for the contractor to find any leaks and problem areas that would have to be fixed first before the work to build your office starts.

INSULATE YOUR BASEMENT OFFICE PROPERLY.

o   It is normal that your energy bills may increase significantly due to the energy usage of the equipment and appliances inside your home office. However, there may be a chance that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is not working efficiently. Any voids or cracks on the wails in the basement can cause hot air to flow through them. Hot air is known to move into spaces where the temperature is lower. So houses that are exposed to extreme climate change throughout the year will be affected by this movement of hot air. Just like in summer when the air is hot outside the house. Hot air will try to enter the house through any of the cracks and voids available. As your HVAC system is trying to attain the desired temperature that you have set on the thermostat, hot air that has leaked into the basement will create hot air pockets that would make it hard for the HVAC system to do its job. To prevent this, the basement needs to be installed with insulation. You may discuss this with the contractor in charge of renovating your basement, or you may hire the services of an insulation contractor to do the job for you.

ONLY USE FURNITURE MADE WITH HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS.

o   Moving furniture into the basement can be a tedious job. Once they are placed in certain areas of the basement office, they should be able to stay in those areas for long periods of time. If they get damaged due to quality issues, fixing them or replacing them should be done at the soonest possible time. Considering their placements in the office, things may have to be moved and rearranged so that the broken furniture can be moved for replacement or repair. This will take valuable time from the work that needs to be done. Having furniture made with high-quality and durable materials ensures that you will not be affected from moving around broken furniture.

GET AN INTERNET CONNECTION THAT WILL BE DEDICATED TO THE OFFICE.

o   Most businesses need the internet to operate efficiently. Email correspondence is one of the main uses of the internet for business users. Having uninterrupted services is crucial for this. Client and supplier emails are very important and missing any of them may cause unplanned losses. It is never advised to share an internet connection between your business and your family’s personal use. They should be separate to prevent slow down. Before your internet connection will be installed, you must make sure that the office is set up in a way that it can effectively hide the wires to avoid accidents that may lead to the office losing its internet connection. You must coordinate with your contractor where you plan to put the modem and router so that the contractor can effectively put barriers or make areas safe to put in the devices and wires for your internet connection.

INVEST IN COMPACT BUT VERSATILE STORAGE UNITS.

o   Your business may need various types of documentation that should always be kept safe at all times. Storage is very important in all offices. However, you must consider the size of the available space you have in your office. With that being said, you should place compact storage units that can hold as many documents as possible. You may buy ready-made storage units or you can even have your contractor design and build you something that would satisfy the needs of your business.

MAKE YOUR BASEMENT NOISE PROOF.

o   A business has to ensure that its work area is peaceful. For this to be possible, noise should never be an issue. Soundproofing a basement office is crucial for the business to succeed. Also, this will help keep any confidential discussions inside the office from leaking out into other areas of the house. Your contractor may be able to help you find the best materials that can effectively soundproof your office. If in the future you wish to convert the office into a different kind of room, the soundproofing can still remain and be usable for your new room.

IF POSSIBLE, CREATE A DEDICATED ENTRANCE INTO YOUR BASEMENT OFFICE.

o   Your basement office may not need a separate entrance if you do not plan on hiring employees or having visitors come over. Your family’s privacy will not have any issue if you are working in your home office alone. However, if your office operates in a way where employees will be coming over to work on a regular basis, then it would be best to build a dedicated entrance that would be accessible to your employees and visitors. You must decide this early on so that you will not have to renovate again in case your business plan suddenly changes.

SETUP YOUR BASEMENT OFFICE NOW

If you are currently deciding on setting up your business or finding an office space where you can do your work, you should look at the current situation of your basement. If there is a space that is not being used, you can decide to turn that into an office. Let a basement renovations contractor inspect your space to properly evaluate and give you an evaluation. If you are currently looking for a contractor, you can contact Basement Now at 647-370-1399.

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