The Best Home Office Set-Up for Telecommuters

If you work from home or have in the past, you know how important comfort and convenience are to your workspace. Whatever you do for work, your home office is your place of business—and you need to think of it that way and equip it appropriately.

In this article, we will explain everything from getting the fastest and most reliable Internet service possible to finding the right furniture to make your home office comfortable and conducive to the level of productivity you need.

Fast, Reliable Internet Service

The first time you had to deal with a day-long Internet outage might well have been the first time you wondered if you’d chosen the right Internet service provider (ISP). It was a wake-up call to shop more carefully in the future—provided you have that option.

You need to begin this quest by finding out what the speed of your current Internet service by going to Speedcheck.org and if that speed meets your current and future needs.

Next, get a listing of the companies providing Internet service in your area. Then you need to select the best from among them.

Finding a Listing of ISPs in Your Area

Nerdwallet’s Stephen Layton recommends two ways of getting such a listing:
- Broadband Now: https://broadbandnow.com/
- In My Area: https://www.inmyarea.com/internet

With these sites, all you need to do is type in your ZIP code. We would also recommend trying both sites since there are some differences in the information they return that might affect your decision.


Choosing the Best ISP to Meet Your Needs

In many places, you’ll receive the fastest and most reliable internet speeds from either a cable company or a phone company’s DSL service. Fiber optic internet, one of the fastest internet delivery technologies, may be available but is less common. If you’re far from a metro hub, satellite internet may be your best option.

Keep in mind too that for those living in rural areas, there will be few (if any) ISP options available. If your employer is at a great distance, you might need to either settle for inadequate service or consider locating your “home office” in a rented space in the nearest town or city where Internet service is available.

When selecting an ISP, it’s important to consider not only the cost but also the quality and features of the service, so pay attention to both the lists mentioned above and the features of each. 

The Best Office Furniture

Many people tend to disregard the office set up if they work from home. They just think a home office can be done by just joining an old desk and a chair together. Don’t ignore your office’s furniture, though. It helps with productivity and can bring that ounce of professionalism you need in case any virtual meetings are needed for your business.

In this section, we’ll focus on furniture items you will need for comfort, efficiency, and overall work effectiveness. 

The Desk

For a home office, a desk is one of your best assets, but only if it’s the right fit for you. It needs to be either the right height (or adjustable) and preferably have a keyboard drawer.

And it should be made of sturdy materials—especially if you plan to move it from time to time (including reassembling it if the move is to another home). This can be particularly problematic with particleboard.

Since most people’s work combines computer work with other desk work, though, having ample surface area is important. You also should have shelves and drawers that are easy to reach from the desk so you can put things away easily after use.


The Chair

You spend a lot of time in your home office desk chair. So for the sake of your comfort and health, make sure you choose the right one.

Abe Abbas recommends the following selection criteria for an office chair:

Is its height adjustable?

Is there an adjustable backrest?

Is there lumbar support?

Are the width and depth of the seat sufficient for your comfort?

Is the material breathable?

Is there sufficient padding?

Are there armrests (if you prefer to have them)?

Are the controls easy to operate?

Does the chair swivel and/or have casters to make it easier to move around?



Many desk chairs are cheaply made and poorly assembled. So be sure to invest in one that will last a while and maintain its quality.

Some Final Advice

We’d like to remind you not to forget about storage, either. Here we’re referring to both electronic files stored on your computer or in the cloud. We’re also referring to paper files, books, and objects that tend to be strewn around various surfaces in your home.

Clutter can be the enemy of effective work, so be sure to keep surfaces (including your computer’s desktop) clear and well organized. There are many cloud-based options available for storing computer files. And there is quite an array of home office storage solutions.




Emily Jacobs is Happiness Ambassador for SpeedCheck.org

She loves to write latest technology trends and loves to share her knowledge through her articles.