Home Buying Tips
Lessons From a First-Time Home Buyer: The Next Evolution of Our Basement
Since we moved into our house about 18 months ago, it seems as though our relationship with our finished basement continues to evolve. To catch you up, the initial intent for this space was a family room/guest room — but the sofa bed’s inability to fit down the stairs scrapped that plan. And while it did eventually get used as a guest bedroom with the help of an air mattress, more recently, it’s also become a mini home gym as we installed an elliptical. Now it’s gained another function: home office.
A few weeks back, my wife’s job surprised her with the news that she could now work from home one day a week. Although this update was exciting, it meant that she needed to find an acceptable office area in the house. So why was the basement the solution? Here are four reasons.
There’s Space
We’ll start with the most obvious, which is that there’s plenty of room in our basement. Even with the television, bookshelf, and elliptical down there, it’s still a pretty sprawling and sparsely covered spot (which is why our dog still loves running around down there whenever we let her). So, it seems like dedicating a corner to a work setup would make the most sense.
We Had the Furniture (Sort Of)
When my wife was working as a writer full time, she’d regularly work while sitting in bed or the big comfy chair downstairs. Alas, that’s not really an option with her current job. Instead, as you can see in the featured image, she needed a place to put multiple monitors, an external keyboard, and her work laptop. In other words, she required a desk.
Incidentally, one of the pieces of furniture we’ve had in the basement since we moved in is a small table. Although it’s not the best desk one could hope for, it does a serviceable job. We also have a chair down there, which we purchased for its ability to turn into a chaise or cot. Again, this isn’t exactly perfect for an office chair, but she’s making due for her weekly shift.
It’s Private
Personally, I wouldn’t have really minded if my wife moved a desk into the office I use every day. After all, with a couple of small moves, there’d definitely be room for her there. But, because her job involves talking on the phone to people calling about matters involving health, HIPAA bars her from sharing those conversations (even if doing so inadvertently). Thus, having her two floors away gives her privacy and keeps her in compliance.
The WiFi Holds Steady
Finally, while you might worry that WiFi signal might be a challenge of working from the basement, we haven’t found that to be the case. With our router on the main level, we’ve clocked solid speeds across our entire home. That’s key as she does need a reliable connection to do her job. I’ll also note that, even when the severe storms rolled through a few weeks ago, she was still able to keep working (even as those back at the office first had to take cover and then lost power). Modern technology is amazing, ain’t it?
If you’re keeping score, our basement is now a guest bedroom, a home office, and a gym. Oh yeah — it’s also a laundry room and has an attached bathroom. Sure, this wasn’t exactly the plan, but our jack-of-all-trades space has been serving us well. I can only guess what our home’s bottom level will evolve into next.
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