Hooray – the future is here! Way back when I was young, the thought of being able to “go to work” without having to leave the house would have seemed impossible. This, however, is the age of the remote worker, and whether you’re a blogger, a designer, an accountant or even a PA, all you need is an internet connection, and you can open your laptop and start working.

As someone who has spent the past eight years working from home, I can tell you that it is not always as idyllic as it sounds. Trying to balance, quite literally, a laptop, a toddler, a cup of coffee and ten other things all at once is a recipe for disaster.

Even on the rare occasions that other distractions are out of the way, curled up on the sofa is not the ideal place to spend hours typing on a laptop, and when you stand up, you find noises that ordinarily come from your parents emanating from your mouth as you stretch your back and try to massage some feeling back into your arms.

The truth is, even at home you need an office. It might be a room, or it might be a corner of a room, but it needs to be its own little area, separate from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house. And here’s what else it needs:

A desk with a comfy chair

Rule one: Do not stint on the chair. Rule two: Do not ignore rule one. There is plenty of time later in life for those Mom and Dad impersonations, right now you need a proper desk with a proper chair. That’s not one that has been borrowed from the dining room, but something adjustable with arms and lumbar support. If you are not comfortable, you will just end up back on the sofa, and that defeats the entire object – believe me, I’ve been there.

A printer

There is lots of talk about the paperless world, and it is absolutely wonderful until you need to print out a form, a shipping label or the eldest daughter’s homework assignment. The reality is that “paperless” actually means “less paper” in that we don’t use as much of it as we used to.

When choosing a printer, think about the ongoing costs. For example, ink has a reputation for being expensive, but if you shop around, you can get 10% off printerinks.com Epson ink cartridges.

A monitor

A controversial choice? I don’t think so. My father used to always remind me that I “only have one pair of eyes” if he caught me doing something that he thought was straining them. Using a monitor also means you sit up straighter and reduces the risk of that dreaded “sore back noise.”

Good lighting

Natural light is great, but not when it is shining directly on your screen or into your eyes. Ideally, you will have a set up whereby you can enjoy the sunlight when it is not an inconvenience, and shut it out when it is. Some good LED spot lights then complete the picture and you are ready for anything, at any time.