I need work space!

[CoffeeMummy]

I suppose I'm just looking for sympathy here - anyone else struggle to get work space in their house?

I would LOVE a study, even half a room, or a garden office or somewhere separate where I could work. At the moment I take over the dining room table with my laptop and notebooks, and then clear it all away once the kids are home from school/CM. I have various files/books/piles of papers stacked on the bedroom floor - it's getting out of control and I'm worried I'll overlook an invoice or bill one of these days.

We just don't have a spare room in our house. We do have an upstairs room which is currently filled with DH's instruments, spare furniture, and all the junk we don't have any space for anywhere else. Even if I could convince him to tidy this (a MASSIVE job) I'm not sure I'd be able to work there, as it would inevitably become hideously cluttered again.

Anybody been in a similar position and found the ideal solution which I haven't thought of yet??

Could you rent somewhere locally? Otherwise definately take over the currently upstairs room and make it your own.

Some freelancers do office shares - I think there are websites to help you find them. So if you have the money for it, you could rent space at a desk and go there for work space - it depends on your needs, I suppose.

Under the stairs? A cupboard (!) that could fit desk/shelves and foldaway chair?

Something like this, maybe, so you can shut the doors on it with all your stuff inside?

I worked in on site audit for years
my briefcase is my mobile office
I unpack and pack in minutes
a couple of big archive boxes are good - unload from them, reload them at end of session
my newly built office is 1m wide by 3m long
my desk is across the narrow end and I have spur shelving high up to store everything - small spaces are good!

Thanks for the suggestions - renting is not really an option as there's no spare cash for it. It's why a garden office is currently out of the question too.

The cupboard thing is interesting - although a bit ugly?!

I would love to take over the upstairs room but the fact is we do still need some of it for storage (it's a long, low attic conversion) ...it looks like my best bet for the meantime but i just know I will end up picking a path through the mess just to reach my desk and it would be horrible to work surrounded by the clutter (I like having a tidy work area, bit anal but it helps me psychologically iykwim?).

Saw a desk and chair bargain on gum tree yesterday and DH seems up for getting them - I think/hope he's finally getting the message that I need some more space?!

Are you sure you cannot rearrange the attic room to give you some space and still leave storage space? Move the stuff you don't access frequently to the furtherest end, with your office area near the door. She says not knowing what in is your attic!

We have just created a bit of a space upstairs and it is nice having "somewhere" to go.

Good luck.

watersign our attic room is truly a Room of Doom. I try to avoid going up there tbh - it's depressing! Still, I think the time has come to get a bit more proactive about it. I'm enjoying working from home and really want to take my freelance career seriously so I want to give myself the best work space I can, under the circumstances.

Lots more here though none of them things of beauty!