Pondering how to cost effectively rent an “office”

[FrugalSaver]

Having some work done at the house that is impacting focus in my in home office

Any suggestions of how cost effectively I could rent office space?

I won’t be meeting with clients. Just need some space for screens, power, internet, desk in theory.

Obv could just sit at library or Starbucks but thinking something a little different for a few weeks.

Never considered this so not sure what’s out there or exactly what I’m wanting but hoping the community can share some ideas.

[maizefolk]

If you need external screens for your work -- no judgement I do as well a lot of the time -- that limits a lot of the free options.

I guess the obvious next best answer would be a co-working space? Often they have free or low cost trial period offers you can take advantage of.

[Tasse]

Some libraries have enclosed "study rooms" that you can reserve--the ones at my hometown library are pretty nice. I know you already said library, just make sure you've considered all the options they have.

[FrugalSaver]

If you need external screens for your work -- no judgement I do as well a lot of the time -- that limits a lot of the free options.

I guess the obvious next best answer would be a co-working space? Often they have free or low cost trial period offers you can take advantage of.

Well a laptop or maybe 2. And a desk for that. Not much required actually

[Freedomin5]

How about a co-working space like WeWork? Or a quiet coffee shop?

[Turtle]

Maybe find someone in your area who is looking to house hack?  If you wouldn't mind it being a space inside someone else's house, that is.

[GilesMM]

How about a co-working space like WeWork? Or a quiet coffee shop?

Those co-working spaces are popping up everywhere.  But they seem to start at like $100/day or $400/month. Kinda pricy.


Could you just opt for a nice set of headphones?

[AMandM]

Do you have neighbors who work outside the home who wouldn't mind you using their space while they're out?

[nereo]

How about a co-working space like WeWork? Or a quiet coffee shop?

Those co-working spaces are popping up everywhere.  But they seem to start at like $100/day or $400/month. Kinda pricy.

...maybe?  I think it's all a matter of perspective.  If you were to select a home with its own home office in a MCOL (~$300/sqft) and finance it over 30 years the monthly portion of that home office would be about roughly $330/mo. Similarly in my area each additional bedroom pushes the price of a rental up roughly $400-500.  Then you've got to heat/cool and furnish it, plus you are responsible for the cleaning, trash disposal, etc.

So $400/month for a dedicated space for co-working seems reasonable, especially since IME they come with internet, comfy furniture, a kitchen/snack area, bathrooms and none of it you need to clean. Best of all if your home life is prone to interruptions a co-working space gives you freedom from being dive-bombed by your kiddos during a zoom meeting or interruptions from Amazon requiring signatures.

[LifeHappens]

The chamber of commerce in my town has a co-working space that is free for members to use as part of their benefits. There is also a church nearby that offers a donation-based co-working spot. I would look into options like this for relatively cheap space.

[ChickenStash]

Since we're only talking a few weeks, how about something a little off the beaten path like a local park? They often have covered pavilions with picnic tables that aren't heavily used. A laptop, lcd monitor, and tethering a smartphone uses fairly low power so a simple battery and inverter would keep things running all day. Maybe pack along a more comfortable chair.

Got a car or minivan with comfortable seats? Make a little desk in the back that can hold the laptop and monitor. Find a nice quiet place like a park or a beach. Essentially a low-cost "van life" setup.

[HPstache]

Could you maybe rent an RV from RVshare or equivalent and just hang out in your driveway?  You could use your own internet, would have great HVAC, private bathroom, refrigerator, etc.  That doesn't sound too bad to be honest!

[mistymoney]

How about a co-working space like WeWork? Or a quiet coffee shop?

Those co-working spaces are popping up everywhere.  But they seem to start at like $100/day or $400/month. Kinda pricy.

...maybe?  I think it's all a matter of perspective.  If you were to select a home with its own home office in a MCOL (~$300/sqft) and finance it over 30 years the monthly portion of that home office would be about roughly $330/mo. Similarly in my area each additional bedroom pushes the price of a rental up roughly $400-500.  Then you've got to heat/cool and furnish it, plus you are responsible for the cleaning, trash disposal, etc.

So $400/month for a dedicated space for co-working seems reasonable, especially since IME they come with internet, comfy furniture, a kitchen/snack area, bathrooms and none of it you need to clean. Best of all if your home life is prone to interruptions a co-working space gives you freedom from being dive-bombed by your kiddos during a zoom meeting or interruptions from Amazon requiring signatures.

Alternate POV: downtown parking could also cost hundreds monthly!

[GilesMM]

How about a co-working space like WeWork? Or a quiet coffee shop?

Those co-working spaces are popping up everywhere.  But they seem to start at like $100/day or $400/month. Kinda pricy.

...maybe?  I think it's all a matter of perspective.  If you were to select a home with its own home office in a MCOL (~$300/sqft) and finance it over 30 years the monthly portion of that home office would be about roughly $330/mo. Similarly in my area each additional bedroom pushes the price of a rental up roughly $400-500.  Then you've got to heat/cool and furnish it, plus you are responsible for the cleaning, trash disposal, etc.

So $400/month for a dedicated space for co-working seems reasonable, especially since IME they come with internet, comfy furniture, a kitchen/snack area, bathrooms and none of it you need to clean. Best of all if your home life is prone to interruptions a co-working space gives you freedom from being dive-bombed by your kiddos during a zoom meeting or interruptions from Amazon requiring signatures.

I guess if OP is considering moving to or building a new house as an alternative, then renting a space is preferred.

[crocheted_stache]

If you're a member of a Buy Nothing group that lets people ask for favors as well as stuff, ask there. One of your neighbors might like to have you around "house sitting" while they're on vacation or they may have an empty bedroom while someone is away for the summer.

If your town has any college or university, post a notice (not on BN) or figure out where students advertise, and see if you can sublet someone's apartment or a room in one over summer break.

[Smokystache]

If you're in a college/university town, you might check out their library. Over the summer, most college/university libraries are pretty dead ... especially at a smaller college. Usually the librarians are fine with people working there as long as you don't make a mess or a lot of noise. Find a study carrel or a desk deep in the stacks and you'll hardly see another person around.

[PMG]

Smokystache beat me to it but I was chiming in to say check out your local university or community college. Most will let you use the facilities for free. You may need to register with the front desk if you want access to the good internet or to reserve spaces.

Eta If you built a bit of a relationship they will do everything reasonable to help you and keep you coming back, including allowing you to plug in to internet vs wifi if stable connection is vital. They’ll probably even call IT over to help you troubleshoot connecting to their extra monitors, etc.

[Metalcat]

Could you maybe rent an RV from RVshare or equivalent and just hang out in your driveway?  You could use your own internet, would have great HVAC, private bathroom, refrigerator, etc.  That doesn't sound too bad to be honest!

This is exactly what I did. I bought an old RV and used it as my office all last summer.

[FINate]

Having some work done at the house that is impacting focus in my in home office

Any suggestions of how cost effectively I could rent office space?

I won’t be meeting with clients. Just need some space for screens, power, internet, desk in theory.

Obv could just sit at library or Starbucks but thinking something a little different for a few weeks.

Never considered this so not sure what’s out there or exactly what I’m wanting but hoping the community can share some ideas.

If you only need it short term, then just pay the $300-$400 to get a desk at a coworking place for a month.

[tyrannostache]

If you only need it short term, then just pay the $300-$400 to get a desk at a coworking place for a month.

This is the way.

I used to subscribe to a local coworking space that charged around $200/month for a floating workspace, $300/month for a dedicated workspace where you can set up longer term. I did it for the increased productivity that comes from working around other people. Also, they had fast internet, dedicated phone booths and meeting rooms, a book club, DND club, and other events for members. Most importantly, good coffee was included. It was a great way to get out of the house.

Renting a space like that is likely to be much more cost-effective than buying an RV.

[Fru-Gal]

I loved using a coworking membership back when I worked. For me, being around other people working is like being around other people lifting weights, monkey see monkey do.