10 Things you need to set up a home office on a budget

Before the pandemic, working from home was a luxury some people were blessed with but now it’s the norm. As you may have realised, nothing can beat the comfort of having a workspace in your home – no more long commutes in the traffic, no more waking up early and putting on your formal clothes. Indeed, working from home is a dream. The silver lining of the pandemic is that most industries have realised that working remotely is functional and even beneficial. They also have now adjusted and established the needed systems and processes.

With the way things are now, prolonged work from home seems to be the reality for the next few months at least. To continue working efficiently from home, setting up a dedicated office space in your home is crucial. It will allow you to maintain your productivity, reduce distractions and also help you maintain work life balance by physically distinguishing your work space from your resting and chilling space at home.

This may be the first time you’re setting up a home office, but don’t worry, we know exactly what you need. Here are the essentials:
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1. Dedicated work laptop/desktop
   
   You probably already own a laptop or a desktop, so should you get another one just for work? Yes, you absolutely should. A big challenge when working from home is that you should be able to separate your work from your personal life. And buying a separate system for office work is the first step towards achieving this. Having a work laptop will ensure that you don’t casually end up watching Netflix while at work, or be tempted to respond to a work email notification while streaming a movie on your personal laptop.
   
   

2. Secondary work monitor
   
   Depending on the type of work you do, you can consider investing in a second monitor. A second monitor can improve both productivity and efficiency. This lets you easily view documents side by side, thereby reducing the need to switch between windows. You can also segregate your working tasks much more efficiently. Coders and writers especially benefit from a dual monitor work environment. The procedure to add a second monitor on your laptop or desktop system is very easy and shouldn’t be a hassle.
   
   

3. Work desk and chair
   
   Since this is your home office, you can get a work desk made according to your height and space constraints. Spend some time figuring out what you like because this is where you’re going to spend most of your day. And don’t hold back when you’re choosing a chair to match. Keep ergonomics in mind when you go chair-shopping – a bad chair can result in health issues such as backache, neck sprain, or frozen shoulder. Many chairs let you adjust the height, recline angle, and even armrests, so choose one that offers maximum comfort while working.
   
   

4. Filing cabinets and shelves
   
   Nobody likes being in a messy workplace. If you leave things such as stationery and other papers just lying around, chances are you aren’t going to find them when you need them. Having filing cabinets and shelves in your home office is a must – the neatness only enhances the professional look and feel of your workspace. You can get these made according to your needs, or you can just buy modular ones.
   
   

5. Webcam
   
   If your job requires you to get on multiple video calls, whether internally with your team or externally with clients and other stakeholders, then having a good webcam may be the need of the hour for you. If your laptop doesn’t have a good-quality camera, that may form a poor impression on external stakeholders. On the other hand, if you buy a webcam, it can instantly add that professional touch and form a good impression and also allow you to carry out your important meetings smoothly.
   
   

6. Printer/scanner
   
   It’s always good to have a printing and scanning machine at home. There’s always that one document you may need to sign and send. In such a situation, rather than run around your neighbourhood looking for a printer, invest in a multipurpose printing and scanning machine and get things done without having to leave your home office. This way you won’t need to break the flow of work. If you use a laptop for work, get a Wi-Fi enabled printer so you can take printouts from anywhere in the house. This will also reduce the clutter of wires on your desk.
   
   

7. Wireless network router
   
   Having a fast and stable internet connection for work is important. If multiple people are connected to your network, it could slow down the internet speed and you surely wouldn’t want that. A network router will ensure all the devices connected to your network enjoy fast internet service. Alternatively, you can get a dedicated broadband connection solely for your home office.
   
   

8. Noise-cancelling headphones
   
   While you may be working from home, your family or flatmates may also be going about their daily routine. So, if someone is cooking in the kitchen and has the cooker on the stove, you may be distracted by the whistles. If your workspace is in the living room or in your bedroom that you share, then if someone else gets on a call, it may be hard for you to concentrate on your work. A noise-cancelling headphone is a helpful solution. You can put on your favourite soothing music such as rain sounds or jazz and get on with your work smoothly to meet your timelines.
   
   

9. Lighting
   
   Try to set up your workspace near a window, so your desk has plenty of natural light during the day. But this may not always be feasible. Also, if you’re someone who works better at night, the ambient lighting needs to be good. Research conducted by Light Right Consortium concluded that having the right lighting around your desk has a positive effect on productivity.
   
   

10. Coffee machine
    
    If you’re somebody who needs coffee to get any work done, you might as well invest in a good coffee-making machine. This is more of a luxury item than a necessity, but if you drink a lot of coffee, a coffee machine in your home office will save you from frequent trips to your kitchen. You will end up saving a lot of time, thereby increasing your productivity.
    
    Now that you know what you need for your home office, the question is, how will you manage to fund all this? Don’t shy away from spending on necessary equipment for your workspace, because being comfortable only increases your productivity. And banks such as HDFC Bank have loan options specifically made to cater to these needs.
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