diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 225dd44..309b89a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,27 @@
+Local Setup
+===========
+
+Create a local playbook `local_playbook.yml`:
+
+```
+---
+- hosts: localhost
+  user: $MY_USER_NAME
+  roles:
+    - { role: ansible-nodejs, node_version_family: "4.x", local_development: { user: "$MY_USER_NAME", enabled: true  } }
+```
+
+Create local inventory `localhost_inventory`:
+
+```
+localhost ansible_connection=local ansible_become=true
+```
+
+Run the playbook locally:
+```
+ansible-playbook test_playbook.yml -i localhost_inventory -vvvv -K
+```
+
 Role Name
 =========
 
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index de38834..3a1911c 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@ globally_installed_tools:
     - browserify
     - npmrc
 
-# Set to true for provisioning a development environment
-local_development: false
+local_development:
+  # Set to true for provisioning a development environment
+  enabled: false
+  user: "{{ ansible_env.SUDO_USER }}"
+
diff --git a/tasks/development.yml b/tasks/development.yml
index 4ab46b0..8148afc 100644
--- a/tasks/development.yml
+++ b/tasks/development.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 ---
 - name: setup a user local node folder for development
-  file: path="{{ ansible.user_home }}/.local/nodejs" state=directory owner={{ ansible.user }}
+  file: path="{{ local_dev_setup.user_home }}/.local/nodejs" state=directory owner={{ local_development.user }}
 
 - name: setup a npmrc setting for local development
-  file: path="{{ ansible.user_home }}/.npmrc" state=file owner={{ ansible.user }}
-  when: local_development == true
\ No newline at end of file
+  template: src=npmrc.tmpl dest="{{ local_dev_setup.user_home }}/.npmrc" owner={{ local_development.user }}
+
+- name: install globally required tools
+  npm: name={{ item }} state=present registry=http://registry.npmjs.org/ path="{{ local_dev_setup.npm_home }}"
+  become_user: "{{ local_development.user }}"
+  with_items: globally_installed_tools
diff --git a/tasks/main.yml b/tasks/main.yml
index 8669aaa..f7965c8 100644
--- a/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 ---
-include: nodejs.yml
-{ include: development.yml, when: local_development == true }
-include: tools.yml
+- { include: nodejs.yml, become_user: root, become_method: sudo }
+- { include: development.yml, when: local_development.enabled == true }
diff --git a/tasks/nodejs.yml b/tasks/nodejs.yml
index 9a445de..5e30f49 100644
--- a/tasks/nodejs.yml
+++ b/tasks/nodejs.yml
@@ -32,4 +32,5 @@
 
 - name: install globally required tools
   npm: name={{ item }} global=yes state=present registry=http://registry.npmjs.org/
-  with_items: {{ globally_installed_tools }}
+  when: local_development.enabled == false
+  with_items: globally_installed_tools
diff --git a/tasks/tools.yml b/tasks/tools.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 87c1d83..0000000
--- a/tasks/tools.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
----
-- name: install globally required tools
-  npm: name={{ item }} global=yes state=present registry=http://registry.npmjs.org/
-  with_items: {{ globally_installed_tools }}
-  when: globally_installed_tools exists
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/npmrc.tmpl b/templates/npmrc.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcc979b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/npmrc.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+prefix={{ local_dev_setup.user_home }}/.local/share/node_modules
diff --git a/vars/main.yml b/vars/main.yml
index d69fcff..a65d551 100644
--- a/vars/main.yml
+++ b/vars/main.yml
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 ---
-# vars file for ansible-nodejs
+local_dev_setup:
+  user_home: "/home/{{ local_development.user }}"
+  npm_home: "/home/{{ local_development.user }}/.local/share/node_modules"