Working From Home? The Portable Office is Here..

A Portable Office/Room

Working from home has become the norm here in Australia, especially after the Covid 19 pandemic. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics more than 40 per cent of employed people were regularly working from home in 2022.

Most people who work from home are reporting that they are happier with the arrangement, commute time is zero and the petrol tank stays fuller for longer. Our mental health is better, and our hip pocket is far happier.

In fact, the top 8 benefits to working from home (WFH) are:

1. Greater flexibility in your schedule making your day-to-day life is easier to manage.
2. You can ditch the time-consuming commute.
3. You can complete more work tasks and assignments, so improved productivity
4. You can be way more comfortable either in your environment or in what you wear.
5. It puts you in charge of reducing your carbon footprint.
6. You can choose where to live because you’re not tied to a city or region.
7. You’ll enjoy more creative control over your workspace.
8. You spend less money outside of the house. 

Some reported savings are:

Commuting: Petrol, tolls, and monthly passes for the bus, train, or ferry can add up.

Clothes: A few comfy leggings or joggers, a rotation of relaxed but presentable tops, and you’re good to go and you don’t have to have a closet full of business attire and professional shoes. Its your choice!

Food: At home, you’ve got your own fridge with your own favourite foods and meals at hand. No time-consuming meal prep for the working week ahead. Those lattes and bought lunches add up!

Childcare: Depending on your circumstances and your child (or children), you might be able to save money on day care or afterschool programs.

But not everyone has a designated place to work that provides privacy and a separation of work and home life.  Working from home has also left many people working longer hours, if your office is the dining room table it is hard to ignore that computer!

The 4 main negatives as reported by people working from home are:

1. Burnout - It can be difficult to separate ‘work’ hours from ‘life’ hours, leading to longer hours worked. 
2. Distractions. - When you are working from home there are so many things to distract you from your work, that extra load of washing, a well-meaning but demanding family can absolutely see you not completing what you need to.
3. Lack of Motivation – Its very hard to get into work mode when the couch is calling and you are surrounded by  your home environment rather than a work environment.
4. No designated workspace – If you are working from the dining room table or the living room it can be messy, hard to stay organised and there is the clean up at the end of the day.

A new solution is becoming popular and is proving a win/win for anyone working from home.

A Portable Office/Room

Many people are turning their attention to another option, hiring or buying a portable room to use as an office.

There are many benefits but here are a few:

·       Quick Installation - Set up in under an hour, a portable room can be easily and quickly installed.

·       Great for people renting - a portable room can be hired for as long as you like and can move with you or be taken away if your new accommodation is not suitable or already has a designated office space.

·       Comfort - Portable rooms offer an air-conditioned and comfortable place to work and they can be decorated anyway you want.

·       Work/life balance - They offer the ability to close and lock the door at the end of the working day or week and head inside to enjoy your home as just that, a haven and not an office.

There are a number of companies that offer the option to buy or rent a portable office. Portable Room Hire & Sales services NSW and the ACT but there are sure to be companies in your state or territory that offer this convenient way to work from home.

Prices start at only $125.00 per week to rent a portable room, or $16,495.00 to buy your own, making it a viable option and certainly cheaper than renovating or moving.

Who knows your boss might even pay for it!