I am in the planning phases of finishing off a 15'x16' room in my house with the idea of this being a home office to trade in. I have several ideas of how I want to do things but am curious what others think. What suggestions would you give me as I work on this? What do you love about your current trading spot? What would you change? What features are most important?
You should talk to an office designer or visit those (in person) with a home office to see what you like or don't like...ask questions. At least use Google to look at the thousands of different types images of home office you see posted online via keywords like "Home Office Design". Until then, here's some things you should strongly think about. * Location of your desk to the window (natural lighting) and one that opens for air flow when needed. * Location of your desk to the electrical outlets and cable/dsl outlets. * Good chair to support your back/posture. * Proper eyes to monitor viewing distance. This will help to determine the proper monitor size you should be using. * Read the fine print in your home insurance policy involving home office involving a business in your home. * Talk to your tax accountant about your home office. * Setup your home office for expansion (e.g. have electrical outlets located in different areas of the office instead of in one location of the office). * Have a desk you sit at and a standing workstation...the latter is more healthier for your body and mind. * Have a bookcase in your office and not located elsewhere in your home.
Excellent points wrbtrader One simple thing I had done was have an electrician run separate dedicated direct electrical runs from the electric panel to the outlets for the trading machine, monitors, office. No chance of having the machine on same circuit that can get tripped by household appliances. The electrician can determine if your electric panel has room for the extra runs.
natural lighting;you'll not want to feel as though you're sitting in a bunker 12hrs/day, can be depressing and counterproductive
Too much natural light is also counterproductive. You need to see your screens clearly...it's not good to have a lot of glare.
You don't want to feel as though you're in the war room of a submarine either. But, yes, seeing screens is a must.