Home Office Setup Checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate and improve your home office setup. Not everything is essential—focus on the basics first, then add improvements over time.

Essential Items

The minimum for effective remote work:

• Comfortable seating — Good chair or improved dining chair
• Work surface — Desk, table, or dedicated workspace
• Reliable internet — Sufficient speed for video calls
• Adequate lighting — Natural light and/or task lamp
• Computer/laptop — Whatever your work requires
• Power access — Outlet or power strip nearby

Ergonomics Basics

For comfort and sustainability:

• Screen at eye level — Top of screen at or slightly below eye level
• Screen at arm's length — About 20-26 inches away
• Keyboard at elbow height — Arms bent approximately 90 degrees
• Feet flat on floor — Or on footrest if chair is too high
• Back support — Chair supports lower back (lumbar)
• Wrists neutral — Not bent up, down, or sideways

See our ergonomics guide for detailed positioning advice.

Video Call Setup

For professional remote communication:

• Acceptable background — Clean, professional, or use virtual background
• Good lighting — Light source in front of you, not behind
• Camera at eye level — Not looking up at you from below
• Working microphone — Built-in or headset
• Headphones — For audio quality and privacy
• Quiet environment — Or ability to mute background noise

Organization

Keeping your workspace functional:

• Work items contained — Everything has a place
• Daily essentials accessible — What you use frequently is handy
• Cable management — Cables organized, not tangled
• Minimal clutter — Desk clear of unnecessary items
• End-of-day storage — Place to put work away

Nice-to-Have Additions

Not essential but helpful:

• External keyboard and mouse — More comfortable than laptop keyboard
• External monitor — Larger screen, better ergonomics
• Laptop stand — Raises laptop to eye level
• Monitor arm — Adjustable positioning, frees desk space
• Desk lamp — Dedicated task lighting
• Webcam — Better quality than built-in laptop camera
• Noise-canceling headphones — For noisy environments
• Standing desk or converter — Ability to alternate positions
• Footrest — If desk/chair heights don't quite match
• Plants — Natural boundary markers, improved air

Environment Check

Your workspace environment:

• Temperature comfortable — Not too hot or cold for focus
• Noise manageable — Or mitigated with headphones
• Distractions minimized — Entertainment out of sight
• Natural light available — When possible
• Ventilation adequate — Fresh air access

Boundary Setup

For work-life separation:

• Defined workspace area — Clear where "office" is
• Visual separation — Rug, plants, or furniture as boundary
• Work hours defined — Clear start and end times
• Shutdown ritual planned — How you'll end each day
• Storage for work items — Where things go at end of day

See our boundaries guide for separation strategies.

Setup Priority

If you're limited on budget or space, prioritize in this order:

1. Comfortable chair — Most important single investment
2. Good lighting — Reduces eye strain and fatigue
3. Reliable internet — Essential for remote work
4. Proper screen position — Can often be achieved cheaply
5. Workspace organization — Costs little but helps a lot
6. Additional equipment — Add as budget allows