Essential Home Office Checklist: Must-Haves for 2024!

Elements Of A Home Office

Working from home has become the new normal for millions of individuals worldwide. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, in the U.S. around 22 million employees work from home all the time, which is equivalent to roughly 14% of all employed adults. ¹ Importantly, working from home is only possible if you have a home office, for which you need certain equipment, electronics, and furniture. From the right chair and desk all the way to the right lighting arrangements, a handy home office checklist can save you time while keeping your mind open to all the factors that you should consider.

In this microblog, let’s look at the essentials you would need to set up an office at home, whether for work or study.

Ergonomic Furniture: The Right Choices for Your Work and Body

Choosing the right furniture is more than just what gets your work done. You should also think about what’s best for your health. Ergonomic chairs and standing desks are essential, but of course, depending on your budget the results may vary when selecting one. Having the right furniture will enable your mind and your body to focus on the work, while minimizing any possible strain or fatigue you could have. A few necessary items to include in your home office checklist are

• Ergonomic office chairs with features that fit your desired needs
• Good adjustable standing desks are preferred but normal ones can be used with intermittent breaks
• Wall-mounted shelves or additional desks
• A footrest or ottoman with storage
• Anti-fatigue or standing pad if you use a standing desk
• Whiteboard for brainstorming
• Cork board for notices, deadlines, etc.

Interested in making an informed purchase? Read our buying guide for standing desks and buying guide for ergonomic office chairs in our home office blog.

Tech Essentials: Powering Your Productivity

The very possibility of remote work lies in the functionality of your tech. The work that is done remotely, essentially is a digital form of productivity that can be yielded only if you have the right tools and gadgets. From hardware to software, a lot would depend on your exact job role, but a few essential items are

• A high-performance laptop or computer
• Fast, reliable, and uninterrupted internet connection
• A secure and fast router that covers your entire working space
• Multiple displays, if your role demands multitasking across various windows/ screens simultaneously
• Ergonomic mouse
• Mechanical keyboard
• A printer or scanner-printer combo
• Power strip with surge protection
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• A dedicated webcam with an in-built mic, if you video-conference often and quality is a priority
• Speakers if you need ambient sound to focus
• Drawing tablet, if you work on visual creative content

Interested in buying a power strip? Read our buying guide for the best power strips.

Lighting & Comfort: Illuminate Your Cosy Workspace

The work you do in your home office can be optimized when you create the right conditions. Temperature and light are a crucial component of the ambiance created for a worthwhile and productive home office. Having the right lighting conditions and working under a comfortable temperature environment can not only increase productivity but also, reduce mental and visual strain. Some items necessary in a home office checklist are

• Windows for natural lighting and their positioning relative to the work desk
• Floor lamp for ambiance or background light
• A focused table or task light with warm light options to reduce eye strain
• Aesthetic lights to add your personal touch such as LED strips or pendant lights
• Smart bulbs or ceiling lights to adjust according to the time of the day
• Airconditioning or heating arrangements for temperature and humidity control

Looking for inspiration? Read our blog ideas to light up your home office.

Organization Tools: Declutter Your Mind and Space

Working from home is all about trying to find ways to increase and maximize your productivity at home without feeling as if you’re stuck at the office. This means making the most of what you have to simulate all the services of a full office environment. Naturally, storage of information and documents may form a big part of your work, even if you work with digital files. So some form of storage is necessary such as

• Dedicated cabinets or racks for storing files and folders
• Secure safe or cabinet with lock-and-key in case you are dealing with confidential data
• Binders and boxes for file management
• Under desk cable management solutions
• Digital organization apps and software such as timers and planners
• Calendars and planners

Aesthetics and Inspiration: Creating A Personal Atmosphere

As with any type of work, it can get a bit too much at times and lead to mental exhaustion. And during such times, it helps to take your mind off of work and focus on something pleasing like the photo of a loved one, or an interesting souvenir that that motivates you. A study by The Harvard Business Review on having personal photos at work suggests positive consequences of having photos of loved ones at the workplace. ² Some ways to add your own flavor and style to your home office can be

• Photos of important memories, people or places
• University banners, college degrees, certifications, etc.
• Small plants for improved air quality and to give a natural tone
• Personalized decor like figurines and motivational elements

Using The Home Office Checklist

In the end, we can all understand and appreciate the finer things that tune our productivity. Our checklist is a handy tool for those looking to establish their own home offices or improve their current setups. So, whether you are a seasoned remote worker, a freelancer, or even a student, these essentials will ensure you do not miss out on anything when planning your own productivity haven at home. If you think we have missed out on some essentials for our home office checklist, drop a comment below and help the remote work community.

To learn about the future of remote work, read our blog in the Remote Work section.

To read more about the essentials required for a home office, read our article in the Home Office section.

References

1. Beshay. (2024, April 14). About a third of U.S. workers who can work from home now do so all the time. Pew Research Center.
   https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/03/30/about-a-third-of-us-workers-who-can-work-from-home-do-so-all-the-time/ ↩︎
2. Hardin, A. E., Bauman, C. W., & Mayer, D. M. (2020). Show me the . . . family: How photos of meaningful relationships reduce unethical behavior at work. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 161, 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.04.007 ↩︎