So you’ve started working at home, but you’re struggling to find your rhythm. It’s a big transition. There are no coworkers to bounce ideas off and you’re finding it hard to stay focused. Anyone who’s ever worked from home can relate.
It doesn’t help that your 3 year old thinks your home office would make a better play room. There are just so many distractions when you’re working out of a home office.
The question is how do you get around this? Is there a secret to better success in a home office environment?
I discovered the secret to better success while working from home a couple of years ago. When the noise and demands for my time got to be too much I went outdoors to work in the backyard. It worked! My productivity went up and so did my sanity.
Backyard Office Vs Home Office
A backyard office may not be for everybody, but it’s a great solution for the majority of people that work from home full time. There are tons of benefits when you choose to work out of your own yard. If you’d like to see some examples check out our article 14 Benefits of a Backyard Office for inspiration.
In this article I wanted to take a closer look at what the main differences are between working in the home vs working in a garden office.
Here are 5 Reasons Setting Up Your Home Office Inside is Better than a Backyard Office
Before you start planning that backyard office you’ll want to consider the positives of having your home office inside your house. There are some major benefits to working inside vs outside. Here are 5 reasons you may be better off setting up your home office inside.
1| Working In Your Home Keeps You Close to Family
The nice thing about working from home is that you’re always there when your family needs you.
It’s not easy balancing a successful career with a healthy home life. When you have an office right inside your home you never have to miss the big moments.
Even if you have to put in long hours on an important project you can always take a break for a few minutes for some family time. That flexibility is great for building a better family bond and reducing any feelings of guilt when you have to work late.
2| Using Existing Space In Your Home for an Office Saves Money
That spare room you’re not using can make a great home office. Better yet, it won’t cost you a lot to convert it into a usable work space. It might be as simple as moving a desk and a chair into the room.
Even if you don’t have a spare room you might be able to set up an office space in the corner of your living room or basement. Either option can work if you’re not ready to splurge on an office setup in your home just yet.
Keep in mind you may find this type of set up very distracting though. The lines between work time and family time can become completely blurred.
3| You Can Share Your Home Office with Family
Most families are always trying to make the most of the space they have — there isn’t a lot of extra room for an office. You may have a spare room, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other family members competing to use it.
If you set up an office in that spare room, you can still share it with others when you’re off the clock. Shared spaces may be the only solution when you’re cramped in with little room to move.
Of course sharing your office comes with a ton of drawbacks and it may not be a practical solution to your space problems.
4| Easier to Heat and Provide Power to an In Home Office
One of the main reasons people avoid setting up an office outside is because it can be expensive. You may have a nice big shed you can convert to an office, but does it have any HVAC or power? If not, you may end up spending thousands getting it ready for use.
When you set your home office up inside your home you don’t have to worry about these issues. The heating, air conditioning and power are already in place. That’s a big plus and you may even be able to claim some of those expenses on your taxes, depending on your local laws and regulations.
5| An Office in Your Home is Close to the Bathroom
If you set up an office in your backyard, chances are you won’t have any plumbing. That means you have to go inside your home any time you want to use the bathroom. Not a major hurdle, but it can be a bit inconvenient if you live in a cold climate and it’s the middle of winter.
With your workspace inside the home, you don’t have to put your winter coat and boots on to make your way to the bathroom. If you want you can stay in your pajamas while you work, although that might not be the best idea if you want to get in the right mindset for a full day in front of your keyboard.
5 Reasons a Backyard Office is Better than an Office in Your House
Okay, so there are a few good reasons you might want to keep your office in the home rather than heading out into the garden to work. But there are also many benefits to moving your home office into the backyard. We think the pros outweigh the cons and here are 5 good reasons why a backyard office is better than having one inside your home.
1| When it’s Time to Zoom You Need Quiet
During the pandemic a large chunk of the workforce in North America and around the world started working from home. That meant a lot of Zoom Meetings and a struggle to find a quiet space to have those video conferences with coworkers.
With the kids off school it wasn’t easy finding somewhere to set up your virtual meetings where you wouldn’t be interrupted.
Life may have returned to a more normal routine, but many of us decided we like this work at home thing and don’t want to give it up.
In a recent Pew Research Study, they found that 6 out of 10 workers that are able to do their work from home are still doing so. The full details of the study are outlined in the infographic below.
One of the biggest issues these work from home enthusiasts are running into is where to find a quiet space without distractions.
When you transition to a backyard office you don’t have to worry about the family noise. You can have that Zoom meeting without worrying about constant interruptions.
Make sure to build your new outdoor workspace a few feet from your fence as well and you won’t have to worry about your meeting being interrupted by your neighbors either.
2| With a Backyard Office You Have a Professional Space to Meet Clients
Now that we’re back to doing more things in person, you may need to meet with clients. This is a big one if you’re running your own business from your home.
It isn’t very professional or productive if you have to pause those meetings because the kids are arguing in the living room next to your office.
Having your own backyard office allows you to create a clear separation between family life and work life. You can meet your clients in a professional space without any distractions. It’s better for your business and it will leave a positive impression on those clients.
3| Family Is Close, But Not too Close
Working at home isn’t all about distractions and noise. It’s nice being close by to your family when they need you instead of an hour away in an office downtown. You don’t have to work inside the home to be near your family though.
With an office in the backyard you kind of have the best of both worlds. You have your own separate professional space, but you’re still just a few seconds away from home. When you need to you can adjust your work hours and spend some time with the family during the work day.
Flexible work hours are one of the biggest benefits of working from home. A Flex Jobs survey found that 97% of respondents felt that a flexible work life would improve their quality of life.
When you’re not confined to that 9 to 5 schedule you tend to be less stressed. You can schedule your day in a balanced way that meets the demands of both your business and your home life.
4| Easier to Stay Organized in an Outdoor Office
When you work out of an office in the home there are tons of things that can distract you and prevent you from staying organized and on task. The sound of that TV in the next room, the kids playing in your office and moving those important papers — even the dog barking at the mailman. It can be a real struggle to stay focused and organized.
If you move your office into the backyard your biggest distraction will probably be the great view. You can organize your space how you want it and you won’t have to worry about losing track of that paperwork. When you’re not in the office all you have to do is lock up and you don’t have to worry about things being misplaced.
5| The Decor in Your Shed Office Doesn’t Have to Match Your Home
Whenever you set up an office inside the house you’re bound to make a few compromises. This is only amplified if you’re sharing that space with others. That makes it hard to set things up exactly how you need them. Chances are your spouse will want to have a say about the decor, even if it is an unused spare room.
By moving into a converted shed office you have a lot more control with the look and feel of your space. You can set it up how you want and decorate it to suit your needs and tastes. It doesn’t have to match the decor in the rest of your home.
A Backyard Office is a Better Solution
Moving your office into the backyard isn’t an option for everyone. If you don’t have the space for one or it doesn’t fit the budget at the moment you can still be productive working in your home. If your backyard can be used to create a work from home office it’s the better choice every time.
You’re still close to your family, you don’t have to commute and there are fewer distractions. The family will appreciate having you at home, but it will also be easier for them to understand the separation between your work schedule and your family schedule.
If the ideal work-life balance is what you’re trying to achieve, your outdoor office will bring you closer than ever to that goal. Who knows, you my be the next person in a long list of entrepreneurs that started a world class business at home.
