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The 10 Things I Hate About Working From Home

Ken Horst
4 min read
The 10 Things I Hate About Working From Home

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and sometimes that means starting your business at home.

Sometimes you do it because that’s where you want to be and other times because you can’t yet afford a business space of your own.

Though it can be managed well, working from home can also be quite complicated.

The title is a little bit of a misnomer. I love working from home in many ways: It’s comfortable, I don’t have to fight anyone for the coffeemaker, and I don’t have to get out of my bathrobe if I don’t want to.

Related: 6 Tips for Keeping Your Business on Track While Working From Home

But some of the things I love about working from home are also on the list of reasons why I hate working from home. So without much more fuss, here are reasons why I hate working from home:

1. I Don’t Live Alone

My lovely wife, the kids, the pets, they’re all here with me. Sometimes guests of my lovely wife and kids come over. When conversations get going and people participate in activities, it can be hard to concentrate on work and not join in on the fun that’s going on in just the next room. Or if there are arguments occurring between siblings, it can get hard to resist leaving your work to go play referee.

2. It’s Comfortable

I’m surrounded by all the things I love, in particular my big screen TV and other electronic gadgets that allow me to watch pretty much any movie or show I want. And my comfy couch is right there, calling to me to take a nap with remote in hand.

3. Blurring Lines Between Work And Home

When you work from home there is no separation between where you work and where you live, so there’s a bigger chance you’ll have less of a work-life balance. You could start working too many hours because it’s easier to do when you’re not watching the clock to beat rush hour. Or you could swing the other way and end up doing your weekend dining room painting project at noon on a Wednesday.

Great for getting your painting done, but not so good when you allow household tasks to distract you from your income-producing work.

4. I Don’t Have To Get Out Of My Bathrobe

Working from home, I never have to put on pants if I don’t want to. I can sit around the house in my shorts and a bathrobe and not have to worry about my appearance. It can be fun and liberating to not have to put in a lot of time to grooming habits, but it’s not very good for your confidence.

It does your soul some good to try to look good, or at least presentable in public.

5. I Don’t Have To Fight Anyone For The Coffeemaker

Well, except occasionally my lovely wife. But that also means that there isn’t a lot of watercooler talk in a home office. Those little interactions build relationships and networks, which can help you learn new things and expose you to different ways of thinking that could help you in your work.

Plus, it’s kind of lonely to not have coworkers to talk to during the day.

6. I Have To Arrange For Places To Meet People

I don’t have an office space, it’s not easy to meet clients. We usually end up meeting at a coffee shop, which can be quiet, but it isn’t very private.

Additionally, if a rush comes in, there goes any semblance of quiet you might have had. Not having an office space can cause people to take you less seriously, too.

7. Perks Of The Job Are What I Can Afford

It can be very easy to get used to corporate perks, like employer-provided health insurance, on-site workout rooms and heated parking garages. No corporate perks here in my home office.

The ACA has opened up health insurance options for me that weren’t available previously but compared to employer provided health plans, the price is still hefty. My wife’s yoga DVD isn’t a gym, but that’s the closest I have to an on-site workout room. Just the regular type of attached garage for me – when I can fit the car inside.

8. No Such Thing As Sick Leave

One of those pesky corporate perks that I don’t get is sick time. I have to push through the sickness if I have a deadline. There’s no one who can take up the slack for me if something more major happens.

9. I Wear All The Hats

I am the boss. But I’m also a personal assistant, a secretary, a financial director, a marketing expert, even a janitor. If there’s a lot to be done, there’s no one to which I can delegate tasks.

I have to make the time to get everything done –or it doesn’t get done and that can cost me money.

10. I’m Not Taken As Seriously

All of these things add up. When you wear so many hats, you could drop an important task along the way and look like a fool. When you have to arrange to meet at a coffee shop instead of an office, your client could think twice about working with you. When you say you work from home, people probably imagine you sitting around in your bathrobe all day.

Related: 9 Ways to Leave Behind “A Great First Impression”

It sounds glamorous to work from home, but it isn’t always so. Even if you have a dedicated office space, it can be hard to carry through with all the tasks you have at hand, knowing that all the comforts of home are just a few steps away. This is why I have a love-hate relationship with working from home.

How about you?

Do you have any negative experiences working from home? Share in the comments below.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.