The Covid-19 pandemic has caused seismic changes in American workspaces, with large numbers of employees now working from home. As remote work becomes mainstream, now is a great time to highlight your home’s available work-from-home space when you’re selling.
Moving work from offices to home
As Covid-19 cases began to proliferate in March and April 2020, employers sent their workers home. Around 40 percent of workers now operate remotely, and a wide range of employers have found that much of what used to be done in person can be handled virtually. Many companies plan to continue allowing their employees to work from home full- or at least part-time as the pandemic wanes. As a result, research indicates that by the third quarter of 2021, some 95 million square feet of office space will be vacant.
For employees, working at home has required adjustments. Many have had no choice but to work from a kitchen table or family room sofa, where noisy children and dogs whining to be let out interrupt Zoom meetings. This means the typical homebuyer may well be looking for space in which they can easily and efficiently perform their job.
Spotlighting work-from-home space
As many as 10 percent of home sales listings now feature work-from-home space in their marketing efforts. If you’re planning to sell your home, it’s wise to play up the aspects of your home that make it a great place to work. Here are some ideas.
Stage a spare bedroom, den or other living space as a home office, complete with a desk, office chair, computer, proper workspace lighting and a space for a printer. If the room gets good natural light or has a nice view, highlight how these features make the room a pleasant place to work. You might even set up a coffee bar in the space.
If the best place in your house for a home office is a finished basement, attic or bonus room, emphasize the quiet and privacy of the space.
Converting a garage or shed into a second office space will make your home attractive to working couples.
If you don’t have a full room to set up as an office space, display a laptop and work documents on a kitchen counter or bar.
Remember that working families may also be interested in areas for homeschooling their children.
Home office tax deduction
You can also remind potential buyers that the Internal Revenue Service allows taxpayers a deduction for the percentage of space in a house dedicated to a home office. The cost of equipment purchased to make a home office viable is also deductible.