Fall means back to school, but this year, back to school could be schooling at home, depending on your district. With schools closed across the nation due to social distancing orders, top real estate agents are finding that buyers are looking for homes that can accommodate virtual classrooms.
In HomeLight’s Summer/Fall Survey, 60 percent of agents said that the no. 1 wish list item for buyers in a post-vaccine society is a home office. If you have your eyes set on creating a home classroom in your current home, or your next one, here are some tips to keep in mind.
If you have an extra bedroom
When it comes to creating a home classroom, it’s ideal to have a dedicated room to help keep everyone’s sanity in check.
If you are going to turn a guest bedroom into a classroom then you are working with the best possible scenario. If you have a full bed in the room, you can consider swapping it out for a trundle to create even more space.
A fresh coat of paint can go a long way in sprucing up the room, and if you have natural lighting that will be ideal for your home student’s focus level.
A closet can be converted into a storage space for books and school supplies, or if the room will be used often, you can even arrange a desk in the closet space to be stored away when not in use — be sure you have plenty of lighting.
Teachers are even turning to their spare bedrooms to create home classrooms, installing whiteboards to use as they would at school, as 14 percent of agents found in the survey.
If your child will be using their bedroom as their classroom, be sure they take breaks outside throughout the day.
Bedroom alternatives
If you don’t have an extra bedroom yet, don’t fret, as 32 percent of agents noted in the survey, many parents are moving because they need more space to accommodate home school.
Some alternatives to the extra bedroom are partitioning off an area of a living or dining room to create a classroom, and agents found that some parents are getting extra creative with 10 percent of them noting the conversion of garages into classrooms.
If you will be using part of a room for a classroom, be sure to keep everything as organized as possible.
A cabinet that has a fold out desk can be a good option, or having a partition that stays up in a corner of a living room can keep everything sight unseen when not in use.
Make it functional
No matter where you find space for the home classroom, function is everything. The area you create should ideally be only for studying, working on homework, or virtual class.
If you don’t have natural light, make sure the area is well lit with a desk lamp, or floor lighting. If you go with overhead lighting, avoid fluorescents.
Other must haves are a clock, a trash can, and ideally an ergonomic chair. A home desk also has the advantage of allowing students to add personal touches to their work area, like photos or decorations.
Recommended Read: Homeschooling Continues to Grow in 2021
Whether you are moving to a new home to accommodate a home classroom, or are working with the space that you have, making a few changes and getting organized can ensure success for your home students this fall.