Working from home can become "much more effective" if individuals install an office, either as a standalone building or as a shed conversion, it has been suggested.

Home improvements experts at Ratedpeople.com recommend that aspiring home workers ascertain how much space their venture is likely to demand, before considering the option of creating an external office as their dedicated business space.

"An external home office allows whoever is using it to be free of the normal hustle and bustle of a busy home," they note.

"When building a home office from scratch, you also have the advantage of designing it how you wish and including lots of windows for natural lighting to create a pleasant working environment."

Ottokar Rosenberger, the site's sales and marketing director, further suggests that an external office is "ideal" if separate parties need to access it, while the space can be made to look professional for potential business visits at a comparatively low cost.

Recent reports have indicated that an increasing number of couples are being confronted with the prospect of working from home in the same self-constructed office space, mainly because of recession-induced unemployment.