The Pros

If you're reading this, you're already probably well aware of the benefits of working from home, but you may not have considered some of this....or the pitfalls I'll start with the pros – if anyone reads it I'll be back with the negs ;)

As mentioned above, my hours are my own, so long as the work gets done. Some businesses send people to work from home and just assume the same hours, when in fact there's often no need for it – have a word with your employers if this is the case. Often times they're more than happy to accommodate flexible working hours
No commute! NO COMMUTE!! - I know people who spend well over an hour, each working day, in both directions from and to work – I used to be one of them. That's around 500 hours travelling to work every year – that's nearly 3 weeks a year! Never again! You can, if you really like, wake up, sit up and start work in your PJs
No dress code - Gone are the days that you'll be 'ever so grateful' to be allowed to show up in something half-comfortable on Dress Down Friday – now it's Dress Down Whenever I Damn Well Please' and the postwoman has long since expected to see me fully dressed at that time of the day
You're on hand - You don't want to encourage disturbances to your working schedule (see below), but it's always good to know that you can get away in case of an emergency and you'll generally be around to take parcel deliveries, grocery deliveries, feeding the cat, walking the dog, etc – in fact, if you happened to be a complete hermit, you'd probably survive very nicely without ever having to leave the house
Mo' Money – Don't even contemplate taking a lower remuneration to work from home, unless you really have no option. Employers save a lot of money having staff work away from the office and some will even pay a bonus for you to be working from home – it's always worth asking the question. On top of this, you'll be saving money on fuel, parking, car maintenance or public transport costs, childcare costs, work clothes that you usually wouldn't be seen dead in – depending on your circumstances, that can REALLY add up
Also depending on your circumstances, working from home may enable you to become self-employed. It's not for everyone, but maybe worth a quick chat with your employer and/or an accountant – being self-employed can be tax-advantageous
Wherever I Lay My Hat – It never ceases to amaze me how many people start working from home....and then stay in the same surroundings. Now you're a home-worker, you can live wherever you like, local laws allowing. A few years ago I decided to keep renting (even then I had zero faith in the housing market – I was a little early!), but to start looking further afield. I now pay less rent than I did 6 years ago.

How? Well, back then I lived in a crowded commuter area, in a soulless house on a soulless housing estate – a functional box that more and more people are happy to call 'Home'. So I decided to do a bit of research and moved to a beautiful part of the country, where wages are low, unemployment is high and housing costs are much lower than where I was previously – I now live in an idyllic house, right beside the river in a beautiful setting . Before this I lived in a 5 bedroom farmhouse in the middle of the countryside – it turns out that these sorts of homes are often far less to rent than lot of 'commuter boxes', so take advantage of the situation and find your very own dream home – you'll be working there remember, so it's important for other reasons that you might not have even considered – a positive environment will make you far more productive, believe me

8. Do you have kids? All of the above will add up to a lot more quality time with the family. You can drop and meet them from school, hope with homework and just spend more time with them - working from home can tie in perfectly with family life

Hope this helps some of you....watch this space for the next thrilling installment!

Cheers - Andy