• Client Info
  • Realtor Info
  • Seller Login
  • Contact

Boulder Property Network

Boulder Property Network

Boulder County Real Estate

  • Home
  • Search Real Estate Listings
  • Duane’s Timely Topics
  • Results Count
    • Why We Work by Referral
    • Testimonials
  • Our Team
    • Duane Duggan
    • Timmy Duggan
    • Barb Passalacqua
    • Kelsey Jensen
  • Blog & Podcasts
    • Weekly Video Podcast
    • Boulder Real Estate Blog
    • YouTube Videos
You are here: Home / Boulder Real Estate Blog / The Evolution of Home Office Space

The Evolution of Home Office Space

October 18, 2020 by The Boulder Property Network

With the rise of COVID-19 many architects and home builders are offering pocket offices and home offices in a variety of sizes and designs, stationed in any number of locations in a floor plan. (Photo: James McDonald, Unsplash).

 

The massive shift to working from home is evident as you drive around town. You can see huge office buildings with only a few cars in the parking lot. As an example, the IBM parking lot near the Diagonal Highway is mostly empty now. In the 1980s it was filled with thousands of cars and employees.

Even before the pandemic led to widespread reliance on remote work, homebuyers often requested that a study be a part of a home floor plan.

Many new homes I sold that were constructed in the 1990s had a study, usually somewhere near the entryway, which was built into the floor plan. Pre-Internet, a study might have walls of shelves filled with books relating to a profession. Picture a leather chair, filing cabinets, and a bulky desk bedecked with the business equipment of the time, such as a typewriter or fax machine. The study was often a place of refuge to sit and think, and get some work done. In the mid-1990s, the Internet came along and the need for a library and paper files diminished rapidly. Computers shrank, and the amount of space needed for working decreased. By 2012 builders coined the term, “pocket office”, which was typically a half or a quarter of the size of a study or home office with a small built-in desk, often in the kitchen. The space was used as a place to keep household business organized and to perhaps pay the bills.

Enter COVID-19 and there has been a sudden rush to work from home for anyone who can do their job with a computer and an Internet connection. The big study has likely been converted to another type of living space, and the pocket office of 2012, off the kitchen, simply does not meet the needs for telecommuting.

According to a recent HomeLight survey of real estate agents, a home office is the feature most attractive to home buyers. With the rise of COVID-19 many architects and home builders are offering pocket offices and home offices in a variety of sizes and designs, stationed in any number of locations in a floor plan. The essentials are that the office space can be closed off quickly if the dog starts barking and the kids are riled up during a Zoom meeting yet close enough to open the door and be part of the family when appropriate. The amount of privacy required will dictate the best location.

The size of a functional home office or pocket office is no longer governed by the quantity of books and files necessary for the job. All you need now is enough space for a chair and a desk – maybe even a standing desk – and cabinets or space for storage.

Proper lighting is critical to avoid eye strain and keep your work day productive. Natural light helps but needs to be positioned properly so as not to cause computer glare. Many types of lights are available now, some even designed for online meetings.

Other necessities include WiFi or cable broadband, enough electrical outlets to power all your devices, and even soundproofing for a quiet workspace.

If you are in the market for a new home with a home office, contact your Realtor®. Your Realtor® knows which home builders in the area have adapted their floor plans to meet the needs of this trend.

Read more at: What’s Motivating Moves During the Pandemic; Realtor Magazine: magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/07/14/whats-motivating-moves-during-the-pandemic.

Forget kitchen upgrades. What everyone desperately wants is a home office; HousingWire: housingwire.com/articles/forget-kitchen-upgrades-what-everyone-desperately-wants-is-a-home-office.

By Duane Duggan. Duane has been a Realtor for RE/MAX of Boulder in Colorado since 1982. Living the life of a Realtor and being immersed in real estate led to the inception of his book, Realtor for Life. For questions, e-mail DuaneDuggan@boulderco.com, call 303.441.5611 or visit BoulderPropertyNetwork.com.

Filed Under: Boulder Real Estate Blog Tagged With: #BoulderCounty, #bouldercountyhousingmarket, #bouldercountyrealestate, #coloradorealestate, #homeoffice, #RealEstate

Contact Us

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Blog Archives

Featured Listings

$389,700Just Listed!3100 Ridge RdNederland, CO 80466View Listing
$798,000For Sale!705 Club Pl.Louisville, CO 80027View Listing

See all of our listings.

Recently Sold Properties

$649,700Sold347 S. Jackson St.Nederland, CO 80466View Listing
$332,000Sold1601 Great Western i7Longmont, CO 80501View Listing
$280,000Sold3009 Madison AveBoulder, CO 80303View Listing
$863,000SOLD4634 Harwich StBoulder, CO 80301View Listing
$549,000Sold11950 Katherine AveLakewood, CO 80401View Listing
$999,000Sold2185 Floral DrBoulder, CO 80304View Listing
$1,599,000Sold6293 Red Hill RdBoulder, CO 80302View Listing
$499,700Sold2274 Spruce St Unit BBoulder, CO 80302View Listing
$865,000Sold4892 Darwin Ct.Boulder, CO 80301View Listing
$824,700Sold133 High Country TrailLafayette, CO 80026View Listing

Tweets by BoulderPropNet

Download our App

Boulder Property Network AppGet the Boulder Property Network mobile app to start your search for a new home right from your phone or other mobile device!

Download it here >>

Neighborhood News Report

How's the market? We can provide you with accurate information on the real estate market activity (Listings , Sales & more) in the area you are most interested in!

Get your Neighborhood News here >

Free Home Valuation

Free Market ReportBoulder Property Network can provide you with the information that you need to make a plan for your real estate purchase or sale.

Get your home valuation >>

Looking to Sell?

Looking to Buy?

Information for Investors

Recommended Reading for REALTORS®

REALTOR® for Life

by Duane Duggan

realtor-for-lifeWhat does it take to be a REALTOR® for life? This book provides first hand knowledge from one of the most distinguished and active careers in real estate. Duane Discusses his newly published book here.

Purchase on Amazon

© 2022 Boulder Property Network • RE/MAX of Boulder Inc.
2425 Canyon Blvd. #110, Boulder, CO 80302
800-825-7000 x611

Boulder Property Network on FacebookBoulder Property Network on TwitterDuane Duggan on LinkedinOur listings on YouTubeDownload our Listings App
Site Map

Posting....