Are you willing to give up a bedroom?

Many homes on the market aren’t going to have a dedicated bonus room or study. Keep in mind that you may have to turn one of the bedrooms into your office. This could mean giving up having a guest room or making your kids share a room. If you a buying your home with a significant other, include them in the discussion on this one.

What are your internet options?

If high quality internet is essential for your work, it might be worth looking into what internet service companies cover that area. Check speeds and prices between companies; sometimes you have options, sometimes you don’t. But if internet is non-negotiable, make sure you know what you’d be up against.

Do you need a phone jack?

While we’re on the subject of internet, know what your system requirements are. If you need a phone jack for an ethernet cable, make sure you know which rooms have jacks and which don’t. Do any of those rooms work for your home office needs?

Do sound levels matter?

If part of your job includes phone calls/ skype calls, or maybe you just like to work in silence, pay attention to the noise level of the neighborhood. Do you hear a lot of traffic? Is there a police or fire station nearby that could have sirens going off? Sound is also something to consider if you have kids that will be home part of the time. If your home office is right next to where the kids play, it could be difficult to get much work done.

How much natural light do you want?

While this may not be at the top of the priority list, it’s certainly something to consider. If you are spending the majority of your days in your home office, make sure it has enough light and/or space that you aren’t going to start going stir crazy. The space needs to be somewhere you can actually get some work done long term.

Do you work from home full time or part time?

This could play a big role in how much weight the home office has in home buying decision. If you only work from home part time, maybe your office can share space with something else. However, it is highly recommended to have home offices be a specifically dedicated space to maintain a healthy home/life balance, so if you will be working there full time remember to keep that a priority.