Increase Your Home's Value with These Contractor Approved Projects

Guest Blog By: Skylar Ross

One of the most important aspects of homeownership is engaging in renovation projects that will boost the home’s resale value. To this effect, there is arguably no contemporary remodeling project as valuable as designing a home office, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it essential that homes in 2021 are just as much a workplace as they are a residence. With this in mind, consider the following contractor approved projects that will not only increase home value but improve work productivity in the process.

Eco-Friendly Soundproof Walls

One of the great challenges of creating a home office is keeping work separate from your personal life. As if this were not hard enough, the sheer quantity of remote meetings and video conferences makes it essential that the home office be as soundproof as possible. 

Fortunately, there are a number of innovative building materials that can keep the screaming kids and barking dogs out of your office, even if they are only a few feet away. Acoustic wall panels and ceiling clouds greatly reduce noise transfer between rooms of your home and help improve sound quality by eliminating echoes and feedback during online meetings. 

In addition to these primary forms of sound insulation in your office, it may be worthwhile to inspect the condition of your roof. 

“Check on metal and slate tile roof life expectancy because if you are due for an upgrade, there are modern composite products that do a better job of muffling sound from wind and rain, which can make for a more peaceful and productive home office environment.” – Jeff Guthrie, Phoenix Roofing Contractors 

Adequate Lighting

When designing a home office, many people make the mistake of shoving a desk into a dark corner, setting up a bedside lamp, and thinking they are good to go. However, the ways in which poorly or improperly lit workspaces decrease productivity are numerous, including:

• Poor mood
• Headaches
• Difficulty seeing
• Increased drowsiness

To provide a home office with adequate lighting, it is important to have a solid mixture of natural sunlight and artificial overhead lighting to ensure a consistently well-lit work environment. 

The best option for your overhead light is a smart LED bulb. This will change colors and outputs throughout the day to make up for any deficits in natural light entering the room, ensuring the ideal light consistency at all times. It can also be a good idea to add some smart LED light strips around your desk to boost the mood and keep pleasant, productive vibes in your work station.

Large Windows

According to Greg Scott, a Houston home remodeler, One of the primary features of contemporary home design is large windows, as the freer transmission of ambient light does wonders for improving the feel of a space. This definitely applies to office design, as natural light is proven to enhance positivity and productivity in the work environment. In addition to injecting a shot of life into the home office, large windows can help you better control utility bills by reducing the reliance on nonrenewable light and heating sources.

Adequate Working and Storage Space

A cramped, cluttered space has never been advantageous for productivity. In fact, with the Internet greatly reducing the need for “stuff,” many home offices need little more than a place to set-up their computer, as many modern files have become strictly digital.

Nonetheless, a solid spattering of books and well-placed documents can definitely give a home office a work-like feel. Consider adding a sliding pocket door for your office, as a hinged door can eat into valuable square footage that could be more effectively used for a bookcase or filing cabinet. 

Choose the Right Paint Color

There is a lot of psychology behind color. Light blues and greens have been shown to improve focus and efficiency, while yellow is known for boosting energy. Drab colors like gray and beige have been shown to produce sadness in women, while orange and purple do the same in men. Whatever the case is for you, find the color that gets your productivity juices flowing and make it the background of your home office space. 

Conclusion

In order for a home to reach its optimal value in 2021, it is essential that it be equipped with a home office meant for productivity. By implementing any of the contractor approved projects listed above, you are sure to be able to create a valuable home office to rival any corporate building in America.

Skylar Ross is a contributor to the Innovative Materials blog. He is a content writer for the construction and home improvement industries with an interest in landscaping, outdoor remodeling, and interior design. Skylar is focused on educating homeowners, contractors, and architects on innovative materials and methods of construction that increase property value, improve sustainability, and create a warm and welcoming ambiance.