Garden rooms are a (mostly) fuss-free way of extending your living spaces, especially in properties where extensions are not possible. They surged in popularity a few years ago, and now there are many companies offering creative garden room designs that can be adapted to suit almost any garden.
From home offices and gyms to hobby spaces and extra living rooms, Adding a garden room Often allowing homeowners to embrace creativity, productivity and quiet time away from the main home without encroaching on any valuable living space. So, how do you know if a garden room is right for you (or not!)?
I put the question to the experts to find out the signs you should invest in a garden room.
1. You need a quiet place away from your current home
(Image credit: Ocopod)
Getting away from the main spaces of the home and creating a new retreat is a huge appeal of a garden room.
‘Many people choose a free-standing garden room to create additional living space for relaxation and entertaining, separate from the main house,’ explains George Lucas, Marketing Manager. Vale Garden Houses. ‘This could be a dedicated seating area to compliment the garden, home office or multifunctional space.’
While the purpose of a garden room can be as flexible as you like, people generally use it as a sanctuary to work away from the hustle and bustle of a busy home. As a home office, a garden room can offer privacy and space to get outside and ‘commute’ to work while still being remote.
‘In the early days, the home office was the dominant driver — often triggered by a new addition to the family and gently nudging one of the adults out of the spare room!’ explains James Home, founder of around the corner.
Garden room for office Generally falls under permitted development And you’ll need to comply with building regulations for electricity and heating to make the space usable all year round. However, this extra effort and distraction will ensure that you have a dedicated WiFi hub, the right one LightingAnd also a place for kettle and mini fridge.
George Lucas
George has worked for Vale Garden House for almost a decade. The company specializes in timber framed garden rooms, orangeries and conservatories.
James Home
In 2019 James Home built a bespoke garden room and inspired Ocopod, which led to the delivery of over 350 pods, extensions, homes and garages using factory-built construction techniques to maximize quality, precision and speed of installation.
2. You need a space dedicated to creative hobbies
(Image credit: Ocopod)
Giving up a spare bedroom for a hobby is a really tough choice and not one that most of us are willing to make — and that’s only if you have a spare room to begin with! Alternatively, unpacking all the equipment and immediately repacking it to set it on the dining table is undeniably frustrating. But given the possible scope Garden room ideasThey can be a great option, especially if your hobby is pottery. Painting Or anything else that requires space-hogging equipment.
‘The variety of what people make has increased,’ says James Home. ‘We’ve built everything from Pilates and pottery studios to fully functional marketing suites and classrooms. Briefs are always different, and that’s what keeps them interesting. Garden rooms have gone beyond the traditional office-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden concept.’
George Lucas adds, ‘Freeing up space indoors by moving work, hobbies or leisure activities into the garden can dramatically improve the flow and functionality of the main home without requiring a full extension or home reconfiguration.’ ‘One of the biggest attractions is the sense of connection with the outdoors. A well-designed garden room allows homeowners to comfortably enjoy their garden all year round, with natural light, views and a sense of immersion in the garden.’
3. You need extra space but can’t expand
Building an extension is an expensive business and can cause all kinds of disruption but sometimes it is not a feasible option for the house and plot. While you will need specific planning permission to turn your garden room into a full-time annexe with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, it may be worth the comparison. Cost of loft conversion or similar extension for an additional bedroom.
‘We now do a large number of home gyms, wellness spaces, annexes and large multi-room builds,’ explains James Home. ‘We were really struck by how multi-functional these spaces are – today’s home office is tomorrow’s gym, or the year after that, an extra bedroom. People are investing in a space that can grow with their lives, not just solve an immediate problem.’
Another advantage over extensions that is often underestimated is that you can usually move garden rooms if you need to. ‘If your circumstances change, a well-built pod will go with you,’ explains James Home. ‘More importantly, a quality garden room will usually add more value to the property than it costs to build it, so even from a purely financial perspective, it’s rarely the wrong call.’
When is a garden room not the right choice?
There is one factor that could mean that a garden room is not a feasible option for your home and they come in all sizes.
A garden room suits most homes, but it may not be the right choice if it means sacrificing your entire outdoor space. There are also planning restrictions on how much land around the house can be taken up by outbuildings, such as garden rooms, and this may mean they are not feasible for your property. As with most building works in Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, planning regulations will be slightly different and stricter so it is always best to check with your local building authority before any construction work begins.
Also, while garden rooms are certainly cheaper to build than extensions, they can still be Expensive for the size and quality you are after A prefabricated off-the-shelf design will be the cheapest, with a timber frame or insulated garden room costing at least £10,000 and sometimes more than £25,000.
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