I'm looking at starting a solo practice. It looks like my best option is to have an option at home. However, there is no room in the house to work, and there is no shop or garage I could finish out for work space. I'm leaning toward buying a "yard barn" and finishing it out for an office. Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
I helped a friend finish out the interior of one of those. We added insulation, electric and phone outlets, fluorescent light fixtures, a combination air conditioning/heater window unit through one wall, drywall, trim and paint. It turned out nice.
I've recently been pricing the idea of putting up such a "shed". I'm figuring the price at about $5k, outfitted with modest interior finish, windows, electricity, insulation, some sort of heat and air conditioning, etc. I'm not sure that's the cheapest way to go.
I should probably learn to proofread better if I'm going to do this. The second "option" in the second sentence should be "office".
Get a trailer so that you can hitch up and go fishing when you need to get some work done. Some families can respect a home office. Some cannot. My next office will be a warehouse so I can back the trailer in and set up without having to move my desk and reconnect all the computers. Again.
Working from home is an acquired taste. Most family members consider you "unemployed" instead of "self-employed" when it comes to them needing you for a chore or errand. There's a lot to be said for a locking door...
paden cash, post: 388447, member: 20 wrote: Working from home is an acquired taste. Most family members consider you "unemployed" instead of "self-employed" when it comes to them needing you for a chore or errand. There's a lot to be said for a locking door...
That goes for the wife too. Thought last thanksgiving, when she quit her job I was gonna teach her cad and have a new good lookn drafter. Nope she busier than me with all kinds of stuff in no way survey related.
Gotta do what you gotta do. My father used to work out of my basement when I was really young. Problem was people would constantly be coming to the house. Weekdays, weekends, didn't matter. Needed the separation after a while so the office moved a couple blocks down
Bossman lives many miles form the office, so a few years back, we had a visit, him and I, and came to the conclusion he should work from home more often. So we found him an office trailer, like on a construction site. Wired it up, got the stuff he needed, and well, after he got his wife to understand she couldn't come out and "watch" him work, or always be asking for help with something, we found that he was able to have more productive time by far! No hour drive to the office, hour drive home for starts. (and this would not be a benefit for ya'll, but he doesn't have a phone in his home office, so he can spend his time working, not talking to people who call for quotes, or questions, etc. He returns those calls the next time he is in the office) He liked it so much that this summer he upgraded and bought a nice portable building, paid about 8K for it, it was used as a cabin. Got an AC, a counter, a small porch, he has set it up with internet, computers, plotter, etc. Our figuring is he will make it pay for itself in about 4 months.
If your house is anything like mine there is all sorts of stuff that could disappear and you would never miss it. To start with, a 10' x 10' space can get you by. Surely you could find that much space in a corner of a little used room. Nothing in that space but what you must have easy access to and use every day. Keep all the gear and a hefty stash of supplies in the chariot. After three to six months you will begin to figure out whether the situation is workable or if some radically different, but far more expensive, solution is required.
Holy Cow, post: 388470, member: 50 wrote: If your house is anything like mine there is all sorts of stuff that could disappear and you would never miss it. To start with, a 10' x 10' space can get you by. Surely you could find that much space in a corner of a little used room. Nothing in that space but what you must have easy access to and use every day. Keep all the gear and a hefty stash of supplies in the chariot. After three to six months you will begin to figure out whether the situation is workable or if some radically different, but far more expensive, solution is required.
My house is 900 square feet. There's no room in this house for any work space.
Holy Cow, post: 388470, member: 50 wrote: To start with, a 10' x 10' space can get you by.
I've been working out of a 113 s.f. room for 20 years. I do have some stuff stored in the garage, though.
Here, working from home has highs and lows.
You're "always" expected to be available, on call as, well, you're at the office!
People know where you live and work so they just turn up.
I worked from a room in the house for many years, then moved into a small office attached to my workshop about 40 metres from house. That got expanded.
Wife and family were happy as it put a distinct barrier between office and home.
I'd suggest you need to be disciplined to work at home.
Someone will soon let you know otherwise.
Wife, kids, dog!
Land Stealer, post: 388421, member: 7446 wrote: I'm looking at starting a solo practice. It looks like my best option is to have an option at home. However, there is no room in the house to work, and there is no shop or garage I could finish out for work space. I'm leaning toward buying a "yard barn" and finishing it out for an office. Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
Working at home requires strong discipline and very understanding family members. No use working from home if going to be interrupted by family members.
That said, today more than ever, the surveyor's office no longer requires a plotter or drafting board so all you need is a table large enough to hold a second screen with the laptop to give you dual screen capacity. Plus hold an an A4 printer/scanner. With a place to charge all the batteries required for surveying needs near your vehicle in a garage.
Obviously the advantage of working at home are the tax deduction and low over heads, So if the cash flow dries up for a while, then there is less worry about having to pay rent for an office.
When I go outback My office comes with me, lock stop and barrel . Of course I have an almost paperless office as all my survey plans are electronic, so too is planning department and the lands titles office electronic plan lodging. Meaning also no filing cabinet, as documents are scanned and backed up on an external hard drive.
Working at home in isolation is not for every one as humans are naturally social creatures. While start time must be rigidly adhered, finish time will vary as it depends on workload. So again you need an understanding family!
Yes, I started off in a home office and grew, as did my family, so had an office adjacent to our Lands Title Office in CBD. Later I moved into living in city centre, so went back to working from an office in my new CBD home. Then purchased a CBD building and expanded my office with staff before shrinking again because I became a truly solo operation with advent of evolving e- technology. Today, in twilight years now operate office from home and car with laptop and mobile phone.
Of course clients love it when you say I will come to your home, office or job site.... so there is even really no need for a home office fit out.
Yes, you can conclude that I have truly been there and done that over the last 38 years ...
It all gets back to how you and your family will or can cope with a lifestyle perceived by many to be idyllic.
RADU
I think [USER=91]@Jimmy Cleveland[/USER] did this a few years back. He'd have some good insights.
I did this very thing, and it worked out great for me. I am super busy today, but will try to post some details at lunch.
Land Stealer, post: 388421, member: 7446 wrote: I'm looking at starting a solo practice. It looks like my best option is to have an option at home. However, there is no room in the house to work, and there is no shop or garage I could finish out for work space. I'm leaning toward buying a "yard barn" and finishing it out for an office. Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
I know a surveyor who purchased a portable building and placed it behind his house. It's one large room, a bathroom, and room for the computer desk, file cabinets and some other misc. stuff. Works well for him for 18 years. It's a bigger port. bldg. though. Like 20'x10' I think he had to frame the bathroom in.
half bubble, post: 388442, member: 175 wrote: Some families can respect a home office. Some cannot.
True story. I have to quell native uprisings and insurrections from time to time, but what Paden says about the perception of unemployment by family and friends is THE most disrespectful/annoying part.
Steve
Land Stealer, post: 388421, member: 7446 wrote: I'm looking at starting a solo practice. It looks like my best option is to have an option at home. However, there is no room in the house to work, and there is no shop or garage I could finish out for work space. I'm leaning toward buying a "yard barn" and finishing it out for an office. Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
Not sure what the climate is like in your neck of the woods, but you may want to take a few minutes and check on the local codes. You could spend some time setting up a nice work arrangement only to have the local building official come down on you pretty hard. If not being a short walk from home could be a real ideal arrangement.
Good comments from everyone else on the work/life separation.
Land Stealer, post: 388421, member: 7446 wrote: I'm looking at starting a solo practice. It looks like my best option is to have an option at home. However, there is no room in the house to work, and there is no shop or garage I could finish out for work space. I'm leaning toward buying a "yard barn" and finishing it out for an office. Does anyone have any advice or experiences they'd like to share about this?
I've never really understood why anyone would want to work out of a shed or barn... It really doesn't present much of a professional image. Would you go to a doctor or attorney who worked in a barn?
