The restrictions may be lifting, but the reality is that many of us will still be working from home throughout the summer. This week, with temperatures set to hit 30 degrees, Mojo Mortgages, has provided some tips on how to create garden offices to ensure you are getting outdoors and making the most of the glorious weather.

There’s no doubt that even though working from home has its benefits, some people are feeling stifled by the four walls of their home offices. Getting outside can massively boost your health and incorporating elements of nature into your workday can also give your brain a boost, resulting in increased productivity, focus and creativity. 

1. Productivity spaces for small gardens
You don’t have to have a huge garden space to be able to work from there. Blocking out time in the garden, or on your balcony, for phone calls, creative thinking and problem solving for example, will ensure you get up from your desk and get outside.  By removing yourself from familiar office surroundings, you can literally step outside the box and feel freer to brainstorm ideas.

2. Make a room outside  
Think of your garden as an extra room of your house. And then think about what kind of room you need. Do you need some soft seating for your morning coffee? Whatever you want to create, spend some time finding the right garden furniture to match its purpose.
It might be a set of chairs and a coffee table, some oversized outdoor cushions and rugs, a couple of sun loungers for catching some rays for when you are taking a much deserved break from work. That way you’ll make the most of the weather and be able to get on with work in your own space. 

3. Lunch al fresco
Eating at your desk is a bad idea, it doesn’t allow you to take a break from your screen and can also hinder productivity. Taking a step away from your workspace into your garden to take some time out will be hugely beneficial. It’ll give you something to look forward to (if you’re not working out there already), and you can really make the most of some down time to reenergise before getting back to an afternoon of Zoom calls. 

4. Zone it
It may be that your garden needs to be multi-functional, so in that case, be clever with some zoning. Use your furniture to create distinct areas for working, entertaining, for children's toys and playtime. The best thing to do here would be to take note of the direction of the sun, which corners of the garden have the sun on them for longest and then work from there in terms of how you want to zone the area.

5. Go all out and build a garden office 
Whilst this may not be do-able within a few weeks, with the likelihood of us working from home an ongoing reality, it might be worth considering building an outdoor office. This could be as simple as transforming your shed into a workspace or going a step further and building a more solid structure, which would of course need planning permission, and some extensive budget behind it. Recent research has shown that upgrading your garden with an outdoor office can add up to 20% to the value of your home, so it’s definitely worth thinking about. 

For more information and tips on how transform your garden into an office, please visit https://mojomortgages.com/working-from-home-in-the-garden.