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Home Office in North Jersey?

North Jersey can be an expensive place to live. Between astronomical property taxes, education bills, and other costs that come with living in this dense Tri-State area, it's hard to keep costs down and quality of life high. Add in the often epic commute times that many North Jersey residents have to deal with, and you can see why North Jersey homeowners are interested in installing a home office in their house. But did you know that home offices -- other than the cost of installing them -- can often add extra costs to your monthly expenses? Here are a few tips on how to keep your home office from stacking on too much to your already-hefty monthly expenses.

North Jersey Home Office Costs - How To Keep Them Low

Here are a few tips from the Alliance to Save Energy:

Stay warm or cool — not hot or chilly. Exercise moderation when it comes to regulating temperature; your body can get used to almost anything! And, while working in your home office, close off the heating/cooling vents in unoccupied rooms. Be sure to clean or replace furnace and room air conditioner air filters once a month, and give your furnace or heat pump a professional “tune-up” each year. Look for Energy Star furnaces and heat pumps. 

Electronics are crafty. Even when switched off, electronics such as phones, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, or cable boxes still consume energy, to keep display clocks lit and memory chips/remote controls working. Use Energy Star-labeled electronics because they consume less energy in the “off” mode. 

Refinancing your North Jersey mortgage? Consider wrapping into the loan the cost of adding on an energy-efficient home office or increasing the energy efficiency of your existing home office. The loan interest could be tax deductible.

Talk to Us About Your Home Office Needs

California Closets' home office specialists can create and install a home office for you that will help you stay on track. Get started today by contacting us for a free, in-home design consultation.