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It’s been a busy few years for 32-year-old Oliver Smith. After leaving school, he honed his carpentry skills before moving to Australia, where he thrived in a construction trade that still uses timber framed houses.

He said: “I started as carpenter, self-employed, working as a servant – also for individuals by creating custom joinery: wardrobes, alcove furniture, bookcases. I did a whole bunch of different things growing up working for different manufacturers.

Returning to England just before the pandemic, he had a business idea and is now the owner and director of Vertex Garden Rooms, which he established in 2021.

A garden room is a self-contained unit that people buy for a variety of purposes, such as gyms, offices or places to relax. The pandemic has proven to be good for business.

Mr Smith said: “People had a lot of money lying around because they weren’t allowed to do anything and were turning their attention to their homes and gardens. Working from home has become very popularso I created and designed these houses.

“Everything is tailor-made, nothing is a model. I sit down with the client and go through their wish list, going over what they will use it for. I propose a design that is written.

“We carry out the entire project turnkey, from start to finish. We don’t leave it half-hearted: we provide electricity, decoration and plastering. The customer receives the keys and can move in.

The business took off and now earns around £200,000 a year. He has already built more than 20 garden rooms and employs two full-time subcontracted carpenters, with a third on the way.

He owns an apartment and has some savings, as well as premium bonds. However, one aspect that is conspicuously lacking in his finances is pension.