Set up a home office
The world of… Natalja
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When Corona hit us unprepared two years ago Home office sent, I, like many others, set up a makeshift workstation in the living room. It consisted of my laptop, the living room table and an uncomfortable wooden chair. After two weeks my back gave up. “It won’t last, I’ll definitely go back to the office soon,” you thought.
Two years later, the pandemic has permanently changed our working world and, in all likelihood, working from home will become permanent for many Part of everyday job life remain. So it’s worth setting up your workspace at home so that you can work there well and enjoy it. I did the same and invested in an ergonomic office chair and an external monitor. I’m telling you, it’s worth it!
What do you expect from the Home office furnishings and equipment What you should pay attention to and how you can claim your job and all purchases for tax purposes are summarized here in five tips for you.
Setting up a home office: It doesn’t necessarily need a lot of space.
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1. Look for a suitable place to work
- Separate study room: If you have the space to set up your own study, this is particularly recommended. It has the advantage that you can work undisturbed. It is particularly practical to have a separate room if you have family or roommates who also want to use the living room or kitchen. You can also claim a room that you use specifically for work as a tax deduction. You can find more tips on this below.
- Set up a home office with little space: If you don’t have your own room, the home office can be integrated into another room, for example the living room or bedroom. There are space-saving desks or desks for this purpose Corner desks. Through a Room divider You can separate your work area from the rest of the room, which helps you achieve more peace and concentration.
2. Find the right desk
- The Standard size of an ergonomic desk is 120 to 160 cm wide and 80 cm deep. The table height is 72 cm. If you don’t have enough space for a desk of this size, a smaller model will of course also work. In this case, you should only place the work tools that you use often on the desk so as not to waste space and to keep the work surface as tidy as possible. This ensures better concentration.
- Even better than a standard desk is a height adjustable table, which you can adjust individually to your size. A height-adjustable desk also offers the opportunity to work standing up from time to time. This relieves the strain on the spine and gets the circulation going. Tip: This model is a classic among height-adjustable desks Desktopia Pro X from Ergotopia, which is available in all sorts of colors. You can even save your individual standing and sitting height thanks to the memory function.
- At the Orientation of the desk You should make sure not to place your desk with your back to the window, as reflections on the screen quickly tire your eyes. You should also not place the desk facing the window as the light shining in will blind your eyes. Ideally, place the desk at a 90 degree angle to the window so that daylight comes in without disturbing you.
3. Invest in an ergonomic office chair
Anyone who spends 4-8 hours a day at a desk should go to one ergonomic office chair invest. This supports the spine and promotes a healthy sitting posture. This prevents bad posture and pain and promotes the ability to concentrate. You can use the following criteria as a guide when purchasing your chair:
- Adjustable seat height: It ensures that you can adjust your desk chair to your height. When adjusting, make sure that your upper and lower legs form a 90 degree angle. The feet should touch the floor with their entire surface. Your upper and lower arms should also form a 90 degree angle when you place your hands on the table top.
- (Adjustable back: The backrest should be adapted to the natural S-shape of the spine. The backrest of some chairs can also be adjusted to suit your body size. It should reach at least your shoulders.
- headrest: It is not absolutely necessary, but the head or neck support relieves the strain on the cervical vertebrae and neck muscles, which tall people in particular find pleasant.
- Chair casters: Thanks to the wheels, the chair can be easily moved while sitting. For a hard floor you should choose soft rollers, for a carpet you should choose hard rollers.
- upholstery: Foam padding makes sitting for long periods more comfortable. It allows pressure to be distributed evenly when sitting, which prevents pressure points on the thighs and buttocks.
My favorite: I got the classic from Ikea. The LÅNGFJÄLL conference chair with armrests is simple, comfortable and elegant. The height can be easily adjusted and the integrated lumbar support relieves and supports the spine. I chose the model in beige, but there are many other colors.
4. Technical equipment: screen, keyboard and mouse
A laptop is practical, but from an ergonomic point of view it is not an ideal work tool. You can’t adjust the height of the screen and you usually sit hunched forward, which causes it Tension and back problems leads. The screen is small and strains the eyes over time. The integrated keyboard is also not ergonomic. With the right laptop setup, you can significantly minimize the stress.
- With a external monitor You can raise the screen to viewing height so that you can work with your head in a straight position. It is best to choose a monitor that is height adjustable. Also make sure that the screen has a high resolution – at least Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) – and a size of 24 to 27 inches.
- Alternatively, you can also use one Laptop stand Use to raise the screen to viewing height. Laptop stand are significantly cheaper and also have the advantage that the notebook can be better ventilated and does not run hot.
- When you position the laptop on a stand, the keyboard also moves up. In this case you need one external keyboard and mouse. This is recommended anyway, as an external keyboard allows for larger key spacing and makes typing more ergonomic.
My favorite: If you work with a MacBook, this is an option Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Magic Mouse that connect easily and wirelessly to your device and, as a combination setup, also look pretty stylish on your desk at home.
5. Tip: Deduct home office setup from your taxes
If you work from home, you can claim this against your taxes. It makes a difference whether you have a separate study room or whether you have your workplace in the bedroom or living room, for example.
- A Workspace, which you use purely for your professional activities, you can deduct. In this case, the room may not be used for private purposes. For example, there shouldn’t be a guest bed there. If you only do part of the work in this room, the deductible costs are up 1,250 euros limited per year. If you have your entire work center in this room and your employer does not provide a workstation, you can deduct even more and, for example, claim costs for rent, electricity, water or heating.
- If you no separate study but still work from home, you can deduct 5 euros per day that you work at home thanks to the home office flat rate introduced in 2020. Maximum you can 600 euros drop.
- Regardless of your home office situation, you can Work equipmentthat you need to get your work done advertising costs drop. These also include Office furniture, technical equipment or office suppliesthat you use for professional purposes. Office furniture can be deducted in the year it was purchased if it cost less than 800 euros net (per piece of furniture). For example, if your desk was more expensive, it will have to be depreciated over several years.
Sources: taxfix.de, bueromoebel-experte.de