Whether you work from home, run your own business or simply want a place where you can sit down to sort your bills, a home office can turn into a welcome haven. While having a dedicated room for it would be ideal, even a small corner in the living room or kitchen can be turned into a home office if you’re willing to make some sacrifices in space and design. Here’s how to set up a home office in five simple steps:

1. Choose the location. Make sure it’s in a quiet area where you’ll be able to concentrate and out of the way from major family traffic. You can convert a spare bedroom into a home office if possible or have a room play both duties.
2. Buy furniture that fits the space. Don’t buy the furniture first and then choose the placement, or you might be stuck with a piece that doesn’t fit properly or wastes space. For small areas in the kitchen or living room, a small rectangular table with a drawer or a corner desk should be enough. If you can have your own room, consider an L-shaped desk, so you can maximize the surface space.
3. Make a list of the equipment you will need. If budget is tight, start with the basics and then add other pieces as money becomes available. Essential items include a computer, phone (with its own line if you’re running a business), printer (or invest in a 3-in-1 scanner, printer and fax machine) and answering machine. You will also need a hutch or a filing cabinet where you can store office supplies and paperwork.
4. Invest in a good lamp, so you can work without straining your eyes. Even if you have good overhead light, get a desk lamp.
5. Personalize the area. Make it inviting so you will want to spend time there. Add some picture frames with either personal photos or images you love. Make sure your chair is well padded, especially if you decide not to go with a standard office chair. Keep small baskets and penholders on the desk so it’s easy to organize everything at the end of the day.

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Buy a few good pieces of furniture. If you have lots of paperwork, countless books and piles of files, you need adequate storing space. A plain glass desk may sound appealing, but it will do you no good when it comes to organizing your office. Instead, buy a good desk with lots of drawers, shelving units with deep-set divisions and a filing cabinet that will accept thick files of all sizes.

Establish work zones. Make your desk a work center and store supplies and books in a different corner. If there are items, such as files and books, that need to be moved from place to place every day, get a few “transition” baskets and make sure things eventually return to their rightful place.

Keep frequently-used items handy. If you only use your scanner once a month, there’s no much sense in having take space on the desk. Instead, store it away on a drawer or cabinet. Printers, fax or other items that are used everyday should be near the computer and easily accessible.

Create a mail-processing area. A basket for incoming mail and a different one for mail that needs to be sent out is the bare minimum you’ll need. Keep envelopes, stamps and labels in a box or drawer nearby.

Do not allow non-office stuff to make its way into the room. It’s easy to let toys, magazines and empty coffee cups to linger around. You probably can’t expect to keep junk out of the room all the time, but make it a goal to get things out by the end of the day so they don’t accumulate.

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A home office is efficient way to take care of business at home. Though most people shudder at the thought of bringing their work home with them, having a home office can be both beneficial and another angle for design in the house. Whether actually working from home or just using the space for keeping tax records and bills in the same place, a home office can make life a bit easier.

The first question that might come to mind is where to put the office, especially when every room is already occupied. In this case, pick a section of a particular room. A corner of the family room perhaps.

Then decide how you would like to outfit the area. The desk can be anything from a simple table to an antique roll top desk.

Another consideration is a quality light source. This can mean overhead lighting or some type of lamp, whatever seems more comfortable. Make sure you choose a source that will light the area well so when pouring over important bills everything can be seen clearly.

Other considerations include file cabinet, printer/scanner/fax machine, a lockable, fire-proof box for extremely important documents, and any other office supplies that might be needed.

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Packing up the home office carries a few specific problems that should be addressed. In particular, printers and fax machines, as well as all-in-one machines like copy/printer/scanners, each have toner or ink cartridges. Improperly packing these items in a regular cardboard boxes can mean a thorough mess. The good news is that the aggravation of finding ink all over your precious files can be alleviated by removing these items from the machine and stowing them in individual plastic bags, preferably Ziplock bags.

Another concern is organization. When packing files, organize your papers beforehand so that after arrival all tax related information, for example, can be found in the same area. If books will be part of the move, choose moving boxes that are on the small side so you don’t throw your back out-books can be heavy. Also, go through your books before you pack -You might find that there are some you don’t need and these can be given away.

Basic office supplies like paperclips should be sealed in containers so they don’t spill all over the box. Likewise, pens and pencils can be wrapped in one big bundle with a rubber band.

Furniture that disassembles can be broken down, with small parts being stowed into small moving boxes and larger pieces left out for hand carrying.

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