We have recently made the decision to close our offices and move back to working from home, and putting together a budget friendly home office is high on my list of priorities right now. Here are some tips to create a home office on a budget.
Set your budget
You can create a beautiful and functional home office no matter what your budget is, but it is really important to set your budget for your DIY project first. This allows you to know how much you have available to spend and stops you from overspending on your new home office. Whether you are looking to just update the decor or looking for furniture for your office space, there are lots of budget friendly ideas.
Make a list of what you need
Making a list of the items in your dream home office helps you to stay focused, and you can easily see what items you still need to get. You might want a desk and a space for the printer, but you can look for a bigger desk to house your printer, making the desk tick two things off your list.
You can browse Pinterest for ideas and to jog your memory when it comes to making your list. Don't forget some lovely home decor lighting.
Use what you already have
Now that you have your list of items you need you can start looking for them.
One of the most cost effective ways to do this is to use something you already own, like to make these DIY paper plants.
Whether it is an existing piece of furniture or decor from your office, or something you have from elsewhere in the house, take stock of what you do have and what can be used, upcycled (more on that in a moment) or repurposed for your home office.
Repurpose items
There are plenty of items that you can repurpose away from their original purpose. For example, cute mugs with your favourite slogans make good pen holders.
Buy second hand
Buying second hand is a great way to not only save money, but it is also much more environmentally friendly. By buying something second hand you are giving it a new lease of life and saving a bundle.
You can find refurbished computers, monitors, printers, and computer hardware to set up a budget-friendly workstation. Make sure to choose a reliable supplier, though, to ensure you are getting quality IT gear that will last for a long time.
Read authentic reviews from previous customers, peruse the supplier’s website, and check if they provide a warranty and money-back guarantee.
Call their customer service hotline, and raise your concerns if you are not content with the information on their website. Tech tools for work can be expensive, so it’s necessary to do ample research before spending your hard-earned money on them.
You can purchase second hand furniture from charity shops, auctions, car boot sales, Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Shpock to name a few places.
Remember to take any delivery fees into account, for instance if you need to book a man in a van to move your purchase.
Upcycle to save money
Upcycling furniture helps you to give it a make over and a new lease of life. It could be sanding down and repainting a gorgeous piece of furniture, reupholstering a beautiful chair or something else entirely.
Upcycling takes something old and not to your taste and turns it into your dream piece.
Shop the sales
End of season sales are a great time to make some fantastic savings. Whether you are looking for home office decor or furniture you can pick up some great bargains in the sales. You can also shop for ex-demo pieces that are heavily discounted because they are no longer in the box.
