The pace of work in Silicon Valley is often the topic of national magazine articles such as Fortune, ComputerWorld, and Money. We’re not strangers to being “on” 24/7. Telecommuting is common. So is working after we’ve arrived home for the night. For many home buyers having a space dedicated as a home office is often at the top of their wish list.

Not convinced that a home office adds value? Here are a few interesting facts:

• Workers on average would take an 8% pay cut if they could work from home according to joint Harvard and Princeton study.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24% of employed people did some or all of their work at home in 2015.
• 3.7 million employees now work from home at least half the time according to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com’s latest telecommuting statistics.
• 80-90% of the U.S. workforce would like to telework two to three times a week.
• FlexJobs, a service dedicated to listing telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time and freelance work opportunities saw a 36% increase. Companies such as Amazon, IBM, Dell, Intuit, and Shutterstock made their top 100 client list.

CREATING AN ATTRACTIVE & PRODUCTIVE HOME OFFICE

Ready to create a productive and attractive space in your home? Let’s explore the home office trends according to Entrepreneur and HGTV:

1. Less Clutter – with the use of technology, the need for paper is reduced. Bulky filing cabinets are out and the minimalist look is “in.” Use equipment that has multiple functions and store them in cabinets to reduce visual clutter. Hiding unsightly wires is now easier with wireless technology. Have a small space? Utilize space vertically as well as horizontally.
2. Computer screens rather than a TV – now that streaming is mainstream and more consumers are cutting the cord, our screen time is switching from TVs to monitors and mobile devices. Big-screen TVs are now smart and are moving to the living room rather than a home office. Of course, there are exceptions when the home office doubles as a man cave