ᐅ Relocating the Office to the Basement?

Created on: 10 Feb 2015 00:14
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Trillian78
Hello,

since we are in the middle of planning, I have another question:

Is it practical to relocate the home office to the basement? Our floor plan currently includes an 8.5 m² (91 sq ft) office on the ground floor. However, we are still lacking space for a wardrobe, and the storage room, which is only 2.6 m² (28 sq ft), is actually too small for our needs. Therefore, we are considering converting the office into a utility room so we can comfortably store everything without overcrowding, using the storage room as a walk-in closet for coats and shoes, and using the 15 m² (161 sq ft) basement room as the office.

The office would mainly be for storing files (insurance documents, bank statements, etc.) and occasional paperwork, so it wouldn’t really be used for working regularly. We also rarely have overnight guests, but with that size, it would be possible to fit a bed as well.

What do you think about this idea? The attic floor hosts the two kids’ rooms, the master bedroom, and the bathroom, so there is no space there.

Does this make sense, or is it usually disadvantageous in practice?
jaeger20 Aug 2016 10:58
I only work on a desktop PC because I’m not productive on a laptop. I also have two monitors and spend about 50% of the time on the phone. This isn’t enjoyable for anyone if my wife or children are in the living room. I also don’t really want to place my 2m (6.5 ft) desk in the living room.

Additionally, the office should also be suitable for guests if needed, so it should be at least 12 m² (129 ft²).
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Sebastian79
20 Aug 2016 11:10
And what’s so bad about making yourself comfortable in the basement? Always nice and cool, quiet...
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Legurit
20 Aug 2016 11:15
I would agree with Sebastian as well. Do you think all the "basement kids" were locked in the basement? They moved in there voluntarily.
jaeger20 Aug 2016 11:53
In principle, that would be fine. I just find it nicer on the ground floor, as you are closer to the family there. Also, we wanted to possibly use the room on the ground floor later as a bedroom. If it comes to that, you could simply section off part of the living room.

We will think it over again. But I believe this is the best option. Better than having a house that’s too big and also better than making compromises on the ground floor.
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Sebastian79
20 Aug 2016 12:05
Well, work is work and family is family – at least as an employee, you should keep those strictly separate.

And as if the basement were located in China. We planned it so that it could also become our bedroom at some point...
jaeger20 Aug 2016 12:15
Sebastian79 schrieb:
Well, work is work and family is family – at least as an employee, you should keep them strictly separate.
And it’s not like the basement is in China. We planned it so that it could also be our bedroom one day...

I work part-time as an employee in a company and run my own business from home the other half of the time.

Of course not. It’s more about the possibility that you might not be able to climb stairs as easily anymore, making both the basement and the upper floors less than ideal.