Working from home can feel like an amazing life change for various reasons. Some of those reasons could include the fact that the coffee’s better, you don’t have to iron your shirt unless someone’s video calling, and you can actually hear yourself think without the office hum in the background (though more on that later). If you’re an introvert, you may find it easier to think and stay productive also.. It’s a good deal most of the time.
That is, until something in the house goes wrong and you’ve got no escape, no “I’ll deal with it later” excuse, because now the kitchen leak or noisy pipe or flickering light isn’t just something you notice generally, it’s right there, part of your daily environment, and it’s harder to ignore when you’re relying on the space being functional. Unlike in the office where a maintenance guy will need to come, you have to pay for this.
That means if remote work is your general daily setup, or even just your plan for a couple of days a week, then you’ll want to make sure a few essential things are properly maintained, because once they break, that can be a real hassle. In this post, we’ll explore what those are and how to deal with them:
Keep The Heating & Water Running Smoothly
You might not think about the water heater much until your shower runs cold halfway through or the washing machine seems confused about temperature, and it’s always going to happen on a Monday morning when you’ve overslept and everything else is already on edge. If you’re at home all day, you’re using more hot water than before, not just for bathing but also for dishes and probably laundry since that pile seems to build faster when you’re actually seeing it all day. Also, you may have a different schedule, like taking a shower after that remote meeting you woke up late for.
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That’s why it’s smart to keep an eye on the system and repair your water heater when you notice an issue going wrong, hiring a professional to do the job.
Make Sure Your Home Office Has Backup Power
Power cuts aren’t always dramatic and stormy, sometimes they’re short and random and the only sign is your Wi-Fi blinking off, with you sitting there wondering if your last document saved or if you’re about to rewrite that email for the third time. If you work from home and rely on a stable setup, or even work from a home studio as some do, having a battery backup or surge-protected power strip is less of a luxury and more a small insurance policy for your tech.
You don’t need to build a bunker or anything like that, just something to keep your laptop and router going long enough to save your work or wrap up a call without panicking. If you’ve got a desktop setup with multiple monitors, maybe invest in a backup battery unit that gives you ten or fifteen minutes of uptime, which is more than enough to finish what you’re doing or at least avoid a crash.
Check The Air Quality & Ventilation
It might seem like a minor detail but if you’re breathing the same air all day without much circulation, it gets stale fast, and when your home becomes your office too, you’ll notice things like that more. Dust builds quicker than you expect, especially if you’ve got bookshelves or soft furnishings in the same space, and if your windows don’t open wide, or you’re avoiding drafts in winter, then your air is just looping around.
You don’t need a hyper-pricey filter system necessarily, just crack the windows for fifteen minutes a day or pick up a small air purifier if it helps, especially in rooms that don’t get much sun or if you’re in a busy city environment. Just be sure to clean your HVAC fitler when you get a chance, too.
Fix The Noises Before They Drive You Mad
Working in silence is lovely until the silence is filled with creaking pipes, the fridge making a noise like it’s about to launch, or the floorboard that groans every time you shift your weight. A chair can squeak for months when it really only needed some WD40 spray. Such sounds you’d never really cared about can easily become distracting when they’re the only sound in the room and you’re trying to focus.
If you notice a sound issue, note it down, turn things off and note what’s humming or rattling or knocking, because these sounds usually point to something loose, something unbalanced, or an issue that’s been wearing down slowly and now needs a little attention. Maybe you’ll realise that your air conditioning has been overdue a clean, and during your relaxing in front of the TV sessions you hadn’t notice that before.
With this advice, we hope you can fix up the home to your needs as required.
