Regular readers of my original blog, The PDA Guy, might recall that I had a home project to create a new office from my old shed. Well, it's taken a little longer than I expected as furnishing it pushed the edge of my budget. However, a cheap desk came my way and I was able to complete the project.

For anyone contemplating a similar project here are a few things I learned.

1 - Get plenty of quotes, especially for big ticket items. For example, the most expensive single item of expenditure was the work and materials for the electrician. The final cost was around $2000 but I had a quote for $5000. In Australia, the final work has to be certified by an A Grade Electrician.

2 - Look for opportunities to save money. My carpet was a very surprising cost saver. It was far cheaper than lino or timber.

3 - A lick of paint can make an ugly structure into a feature. As I was converting a shed, there was a metal frame that I couldn't hide. By painting it with a strong, contrasting colour, I made it into a feature. It also provided a sturdy frame for a shelf that I use as a charging station (it's the shelf with my son's Buzz Lightyear figure).

4 - All my power outlets are set at above desk level making it easy to power up and disconnect my gear. In retrospect, I wish I'd had a few wired in at floor level although the electrician left plenty of slack in the internal cabling so adding extra points should be pretty easy.

Below is a series of photos that show what I accomplished with the assistance of friends and family. Incidentally, the last three images were shot with the Nokia N95 and are unedited.

The start...

Work in progress

Project Complete!

 Build an office • renovations