A well-designed garden building, whether for work or relaxation, can make a wonderful addition to your home
The humble garden shed is the last word in practicality, indispensable for storing everything from half-used pots of paint to lawn feed and balls of string. But why be satisfied with just a shed, when other types of garden buildings for your home can be much more glamorous – and equally useful? From pavilions to pods, summerhouses to shepherd’s huts, all sorts of outdoor structures are possible, provided you have space for one in your garden. They take many forms, from quirkily decorative to all-singing, all-dancing, year-round rooms – an open-sided gazebo, for example, might simply be a shady space in which to relax on a hot, sunny day, while an insulated, secure room could be an invaluable home office (and potentially save you the five-figure sum it costs to move to a bigger house). In short, an exterior home-from-home can be used for anything from outdoor dining to practising meditation, and will enhance the overall look of your garden, too.
If you are considering adding a garden building for your home of some kind, the best place to start is by assessing your outside space and considering how much square footage is available. It is important to leave a reasonable amount of garden to enjoy (and so as not to devalue your home). What do you need the structure for? If it is simply a cosy nook in which to put your feet up with a glass of wine after a day in the garden, a small, circular gazebo with a diameter of two or three metres may suffice, while a craft room, for example, would need to be more spacious, and a home office might be much larger still.
Whatever you decide on, whether off the shelf, customised or entirely bespoke, is limited only by your imagination and your budget – and sometimes by whether you’ll be granted planning permission. Most garden buildings are considered ‘permitted development’, but it’s vital to check with your local authority. If the structure is going to be larger than 15 square metres, or used for sleeping in, then it will have to pass building regulations, too. Bear in mind that, unless you have been granted planning permission to do so, you can’t put an outbuilding in your front garden, nor can it be higher than 2.5m if it’s within two metres of a boundary. You’ll also want to think about how close you want the room to be to your house, whether the ground is sloping, where there are trees or other potential obstructions, how the sun falls at certain times of the day, and which way you want the windows and door to face.
Next, go into detail about function. Do you want heating, lighting, plug sockets and maybe a kitchenette or bathroom? If so, unless you’re opting for solar or wind power, consider how you will connect utilities. Insulation is vital (think walls, floors and roof if the space is going to be used beyond the summer months), and so is good security. If anything valuable is going to be stored in the garden building for your home, glass windows (perhaps even double glazed) are better than plastic, and a sturdy door with a proper lock will be necessary. Some may prefer rustic simplicity, perhaps a yurt with solar lighting and a sheepskin rug, or a thatched rotunda with a deck chair and weather vane, but others may opt for full-on opulence, which may take the form of underfloor heating, floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors, an entertainment system, cinema set-up, ensuite bathroom, a green roof or a hot tub. Comfort and luxury are no longer limited to indoors – just step outside and see.
How much will it cost?
A small, DIY timber summerhouse should cost less than £1,000 – but you can easily spend a five-figure sum on a garden building, depending how large and lavish you go (David Cameron’s shepherd’s hut is said to have cost around £25,000). It really makes a difference whether the structure is conventional timber frame or high-performance structural insulated panels, while finishes such as cedar cladding and plastered walls all add up. For a fully functioning, year-round garden room, £10,000 to £20,000 is a very rough guide; but do check whether your quoted price includes gaining the necessary permissions, groundworks, connecting utilities, delivery and installation.
Article by Katherine Sorrell.
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Photos of garden buildings designed by Sheen-based architectural designer, Veronica Congdon. vcdesign.biz