Maintaining your workspace while your house is on the market

If your business is busy and buyers touring your house would be an interruption, consider relocating your business to a rental space until your new place is available, or — if you’ve already purchased a home — moving the office earlier than the rest of your household.

If these suggestions don’t work for you, your agent will work with you to be considerate of your business hours when she schedules showings. If that’s the only alternative, be prepared to be busy — keeping everything tidy and out of the way. Before showings or open houses, put everything on your desk into a deep basket file or a briefcase and store it in the trunk of your car.

Considering privacy issues

Message boards and calendars are common accessories in home offices. Because you don’t know who’s touring your house, clear off the message board or calendar of family schedules, children’s names — anything you don’t want a stranger to notice. Then, neatly tack up what you do need.

With all the business people conduct online today, many home offices have passwords and user ID numbers posted around the computer for easy access. When your house is on the market, don’t compromise your computer privacy! Find a secure place to keep this information.

Remember to turn off your computer screen before showings or open houses. Your best bet is to shut down the computer completely before each showing.