With more people in recent times seeming to have turned their backs on commercial offices for rent and are already working from home or wanting to work from home, we are inclined to overlook some of the difficulties associated with this.

Yes, there are a number of obvious advantages that we are all aware of, but what about the disadvantages?

Listed below are 7 reasons why doing your work from home can often be a disadvantage:

1. Disturbances can come in all shapes and sizes. From visitors coming and going to barking dogs. And what about the constantly ringing phone, the screaming baby, and the distractions from her husband or wife that just wouldn’t happen if she were in a commercial office space?

2. Are you a person who must have other workers around you to inspire and drive you to work better?

3. On the other hand, you could very well be someone who, as a result of working from a home office, starts work much earlier and ends much later than necessary. For some people, the temptation to work ungodly hours is all too appealing when their office is down the hall. This is a real problem and one that is often not appreciated by your spouse.

4. Many people are the complete opposite and won’t be able to resist being too casual and careless with the apparent freedom that being at home offers.

5. Consider the very real issue that arises when you have a client request to come into your office for a meeting. There are only so many times that Starbucks can be suggested.

6. The professional image is another matter. Regardless of how professionally you run your business, you never seem professional when you tell a customer that he works in his spare room.

7. The address of your company is another problem. It goes without saying that you can use your home address, a PO box, or a rented address, but that’s certainly one of the downsides of working from a home office.

These are my 7 personal concerns about working from home.

So what are the alternative options, especially when there is a budgetary incentive to have a home office? There are many different styles of office space available to rent, quite possibly offering a much more competitive solution than you might think. Serviced offices, virtual offices and conventional office space are all possibilities, although for many a virtual office space is an effective transition from home.

It may be worth investigating further regarding fees and what you can get for your money. You may be silently surprised.