Office space

[Mustang]

I guess like most of you out there, MyCo has office space within my home. However, with the family numbers increasing (as recently as 3 weeks ago) we are looking at space in the house.

I would still like to have a seperate area for work and in order to free up the bedroom, I am considering two options.

1) Rent local office space. The town council own a facility that is used for the council offices and a unit the size I would need would cost around £1000/year. They also have access to conference rooms and there are other small businesses in there. It is about 0.5 miles away so wouldn't impact expenses etc.

2) Purchase a "garden office". Estimated total cost would be in the region of £5000 (including insulation and installation).

I am in favour of 1 as it is more professional and gets me out of the house and from under Mrs Mustangs feet! She seems to think 2 is a better idea as it is a fixed cost and would increase the value of the house. If we move of course then I would have to leave it behind.

Any thoughts from the panel? Has anyone gone down one route verses the other?

[DodgyAgent]

I guess like most of you out there, MyCo has office space within my home. However, with the family numbers increasing (as recently as 3 weeks ago) we are looking at space in the house.

I would still like to have a seperate area for work and in order to free up the bedroom, I am considering two options.

1) Rent local office space. The town council own a facility that is used for the council offices and a unit the size I would need would cost around £1000/year. They also have access to conference rooms and there are other small businesses in there. It is about 0.5 miles away so wouldn't impact expenses etc.

2) Purchase a "garden office". Estimated total cost would be in the region of £5000 (including insulation and installation).

I am in favour of 1 as it is more professional and gets me out of the house and from under Mrs Mustangs feet! She seems to think 2 is a better idea as it is a fixed cost and would increase the value of the house. If we move of course then I would have to leave it behind.

Any thoughts from the panel? Has anyone gone down one route verses the other?

What purpose is the office to be used for? If you just want a quiet spot to surf porn then you dont need anything other than a shed with curtains over the windows. If you want to hold meetings, see customers or employ people then option 1.

[Churchill]

I guess like most of you out there, MyCo has office space within my home. However, with the family numbers increasing (as recently as 3 weeks ago) we are looking at space in the house.

I would still like to have a seperate area for work and in order to free up the bedroom, I am considering two options.

1) Rent local office space. The town council own a facility that is used for the council offices and a unit the size I would need would cost around £1000/year. They also have access to conference rooms and there are other small businesses in there. It is about 0.5 miles away so wouldn't impact expenses etc.

2) Purchase a "garden office". Estimated total cost would be in the region of £5000 (including insulation and installation).

I am in favour of 1 as it is more professional and gets me out of the house and from under Mrs Mustangs feet! She seems to think 2 is a better idea as it is a fixed cost and would increase the value of the house. If we move of course then I would have to leave it behind.

Any thoughts from the panel? Has anyone gone down one route verses the other?

I've just started renting an office - £9k a year. I suggest you bite the council's hand off.

The advantage of having an office away from home is that yoiu actually feel like you're going to work!

[themistry]

I'd go for option one. Keep business and personal life seperate, much better for an accounting perspective.

Also, if you share office space with the home, it causes no end of head aches. I'm sure others have the complete answers as to why.

TM

[Sockpuppet]

I am in favour of 1 as it is more professional and gets me out of the house and from under Mrs Mustangs feet! She seems to think 2 is a better idea as it is a fixed cost and would increase the value of the house. If we move of course then I would have to leave it behind.

AFAIK could leave you open to paying capital gains tax on the house and making it so you have to pay busines rates etc etc....

So go option 1.

[Marina]

If you think domestic council tax is bad, don't forget councils rip off companies ten times worse with commercial council tax (as companies don't have a vote, even though all their tax inevitably ends up being passed on to the consumer). So renting commercial office space might be a bad idea for that reason alone.

[HairyArsedBloke]

I vote for 1 too.

[Mustang]

The advantage of having an office away from home is that you actually feel like you're going to work!

I secretly think that is my motivation actually!!

[Mustang]

So renting commercial office space might be a bad idea for that reason alone.

As far as I remember, the price I was given included all costs except things like the phone.