The Coronavirus has forced most employers and HR departments to review the nature of work and the conditions under which their employees work. Additionally, with more people having the option to now work from home, the need for a dedicated home office or workspace has never been more urgent. As a result of this, when house hunting these days, most people are making a conscious effort to find living spaces that can also incorporate a workspace.

If you are in the market for a new apartment and have no idea how to get the process going or what to look for, keep reading as we explore five things to look out for in your new residence.

1. The flexibility to renovate and decorate the apartment.

If you intend to rent your new apartment, be sure to find out what liberties you can take with the house. Your home office is a room/section of your house where you will be spending most of your time, so it’s only natural that you would want to decorate and furnish it in a way that sets it apart from the rest of your house. Before you agree to rent, enquire on what tweaks are permissible to make—painting, hammering, what drawers can be taken out, to mention a few.

Incorporating decorations for home offices such as additional filing cabinets or floating shelves, extra cabinets, inspirational prints, or wall murals, the wall color—to mention a few, will need you to make significant changes to the apartment. Considering the fact that you’ll be home a lot, your designated home office space needs to feel like an actual office, and for this, you will need furniture.

If you already have an ergonomic work station equipped with an office chair and work desk, you need to be sure that they can fit in your prospective apartment. If the prospective workspace will be bigger than your current home office setup, assess the available space to see what other pieces of furniture and accent decor you will need to fill up the additional space. For instance, where your current work desk takes up the entire room in your current home office/workspace, you may need to add a stool for your printer, or a portable drawer to fill up the extra space.

2. Invest in a posture support wardrobe.

While this does not come attached to the new apartment, it is still important to think about as you plan for your work from home essentials. The great benefit of posture support clothing is that it fuses therapeutic fabric designs, with ergonomic, or physically corrective fashion. This fashion arm is growing fast and some of the items it incorporates include; hip alignment shorts, leggings, and ergonomic support bras—to mention a few.

For most women, bust size greatly affects posture and statistics show that women with larger busts tend to have poor posture. This is because most women with generous busts find it difficult to find bras and bralettes that fit their cup size to a tee. A great way to remedy this and find the right type of bra is by shopping at outlets that cater to a diverse group of body types; or brands that specifically cater to heavier cup sizes.

A great example of a brand that does this is Soma. Their demi bra and balconette bra range provides a much needed natural lift and great support that helps shape and sculpt the upper body. Paying attention to the underarms and shoulder area, they help with posture and natural upper body alignment by pushing the shoulders back. The thin lacy fabric makes these bras ideal for both everyday wear under a regular comfy lounge t-shirt or even for more formal evening gowns and dresses as well.

3. Assess the electrical set-up.

A downside to living in the digital age is that our lives are literally dependent on electricity. Knowing this, power outlets that are compatible with our electric devices—phone chargers, laptop chargers, power banks, kitchen equipment—to mention a few are important. During your empty house visit, be sure to test and make sure that all the power outlets work, and that those that do not are fixed before you move in.

On the off-chance that you do not know what exactly to carry with you to test the power outlets in our prospective home, most local hardware stores stock electrical receptacle wall plug ac outlet ground testers that you can use for this. Retailing at about $8, an ac outlet ground tester can help you check the circuit of each electrical outlet in the prospective apartment. Additionally, if you’re prospecting a fully furnished apartment, it will also help you test the light intensity of the bulbs in the apartment to make sure that the lights come on and off like they’re supposed to.

Also, make sure that the electrical outlets are in good condition and that they do not have any cracks or burn marks on them.

4. A Wi-Fi, cabling, and phone reception that works.

A key component of working from home is a strong and stable internet connection and phone reception. As you scout for a new apartment, make sure that the fiber optic outlets and internet cables are in good condition. Additionally, make sure that these cables are not blocked, and that the outlets to which they connect or are connected to do not have any breaks or damages to them.

5. Consider how much natural light individual rooms have.

Not only does natural light make you more productive, but it also helps boost your mood and freshen up your space. Also considering the fact that you will be spending a large part of your day in this room, make sure that it receives a ton of natural light.

If this is not possible, there are several home office ideas that you can incorporate into the space that can help create the illusion of natural light. For instance, you can create an “extra” window by placing a wall mirror directly opposite your existing window. Extra hangings like chandeliers and lamps can also help illuminate your space by dispersing more light across the individual room.

A real estate agent can be helpful in helping you find an apartment to suit your specific work from home needs as they come with a wealth of knowledge of what works for an ideal home office. If you’re looking to find an apartment in the Texas area, for instance, an established property management company like Venterra Realty can help ease the process for you. A real estate agent will also help you find the best deals with important service companies such as moving companies and storage facilities in the area.

Their knowledge of the real estate in the area means that they will help you find an apartment with the amenities and services that you need for your next home office. Their knowledge of the area will also guarantee that you get the best possible deals during the negotiation stage. Although the Venterra team is based out of Austin, Texas, it has a presence in major US cities. To enlist their services, visit their website or follow them on their social media pages.