Is your home office the dining room table? Is it anywhere you can sit down undisturbed with your laptop? If so, you might be interested in converting a room or nook into a dedicated home office. Depending on what you do for a living, there could be a tax advantage to creating this space too.

The first step is to pick a spot. Ideally, you want an area where you can work without too many distractions.

Next, make sure the spot you’ve chosen can accommodate a desk and any other furnishings you’ll need. Think about what you want within easy reach of your work area. Will you need a place for books and other papers? An extra chair for client meetings? A flipchart? A filing cabinet? Think about all of the options in advance.

Then, you’ll want to make sure the spot you picked has the electrical outlets you need, especially if you’re going to have a printer, special lighting, a computer and other items that need power.

Finally, you’ll want your home office to be a place where you can enjoy working. So decorate it with that in mind. If you like plants, get plants. If you enjoy golf, have your golf trip pictures hanging on the wall.

With a little work, you can quickly create a home office space that is comfortable, functional and enjoyable. It sure beats the dining room!

For some homeowners, the process of listing, showing and selling their home can be stressful. Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to make it much less nerve-racking—and even exciting and enjoyable. Here are some ideas:

     1. Make a plan. Decide when you’re going to show your property, search for a new home, view listings, etc.                         Block out these times in an agenda book or calendar. That way, you and your family can see what’s coming up.

     2. Be flexible. Few things go exactly as planned! So, it’s important to build in flexibility. For example, you may plan to           see homes for sale on Saturdays, but if an opportunity comes up on a weeknight, give yourself room in your                     schedule to jump on it.

     3. Eat well. There are numerous studies that connect poor nutrition with increased stress. When people are selling             and moving, there’s a tendency to rely on quick fixes, such as hot dogs and pizza! Try to plan more nutritious                   meals that will keep everyone healthy and energized.

     4. Get stuff done early. Doing things last minute, such as finding a real estate lawyer or getting rid of clutter, can                   quickly lead to stress and frustration. Whenever possible, get tasks done early. That way, you won’t have to worry           about them.

     5. Hire the right professionals. By far, the surest way to a stress-free move is to get the right professionals working               for you: everyone from contractors to mortgage brokers to movers.

By the way, a big part of what I do for clients is help make every aspect of buying, selling and moving go smoothly. Contact me to learn how I can help you.