A growing number of people work at least some of the time from their homes. The U.S. Census Bureau, in fact, reported that 15.4 percent of people worked from home in 2004. That's up from just 2.3 percent who did the same in 1980.
While this is a wonderful trend for workers looking for flexible hours and the ability to avoid the many distractions and hassles of working in an outside office, working from home can be a challenge for homeowners trying to sell their homes.
Living in a Cluttered Home
The reason? Potential buyers want to tour uncluttered homes. They want mostly blank spaces, spaces on which they can project their own furniture, artwork and family photos.
Maintaining a busy home office, though, tends to suck up this empty space that buyers want to see. It tends to add clutter to homes that are supposed to be as free of it as possible.
Then there's another challenge: Buyers don't like to run into homeowners when they tour their houses. But when owners work from their homes, it's far more difficult to leave the house when a last-minute showing is scheduled.
In today's struggling real estate market, homeowners can't give buyers any reason to put their homes on the "don't make an offer" list. It's crucial, then, that at-home workers put forth the extra effort needed to present an uncluttered and comfortable home to buyers.
Hide the "Work" in Your Working Home
At-home workers deal with the same problem that pet owners face: They must hide a significant part of their lives whenever a home showing is scheduled. Just as buyers are turned off by the sound of barking dogs and the sight of kitty litter boxes, they don't want to see desks piled with invoices or a harried homeowner arguing with a subcontractor on the phone.
So home workers must do what pet owners do: They have to get rid of the "pets," at least during a showing.
Homeowners who run a paperwork-heavy business should clean all the excess paper from their desks or shelves. They should store or recycle piles of magazines. And they should put away their extra calculators, laptop computers or other equipment.
Cut the Business to a Minimum
Those who run a service business from their home should not schedule any meetings or at-home work during home showings. They should make sure that any work equipment is tucked away where potential buyers won't see it.
It's a hassle to sell your home and live in it at at the same time. But with luck, the inconvenience won't last long.
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