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How to get a groovy garden room, whether you have £100K or less than £10K
They offer invaluable extra space, and they can add value to your home. No wonder they’re in demand. Holly Thomas asks the experts what to look for, and how to proceed
Agarden room is a desirable addition to your home if you want to maximise space – and keep up with the latest trend. A spike in requests for luxury outbuildings with six-figure price tags has come from homeowners clawing to get their outdoor spaces looking plusher than ever.
“High-net-worth homeowners want a structure that adds value to their property, using quality building materials and with luxe amenities such as guest rooms with marble-clad en suites, micro-gyms and infrared saunas,” says Stefan Pitman of architecture firm Spase Design. “We’re installing smart technology so that users can set the lights and switch on their sauna before taking the short walk across the garden.”
Paul Ransom, co-founder of bespoke supplier Into the Garden Room, agrees that demand is up: “We’re seeing a big uptick in clients looking for more luxurious options for their garden rooms. They are now viewed as a stylish and more cost-effective option for permanently expanding living space as the cost of house extensions continues to rise.”
Adding the wow factor
The sky is the limit when it comes to designing a garden room to dazzle house guests. Luxury kitchen design group Tom Howley reports that it is designing kitchens for an increasing number of garden rooms where entertaining is on the agenda.
Garden rooms can easily be converted to anything you like once they’re built, functioning as a multi-purpose space for both work and play – from a fitness studio or cinema room to somewhere for teenagers to hang out.
Bigger garden rooms can be a wonderful space to entertain, and can be zoned, for instance with an office area, so that they can be multi-use.
While not everyone has the luxury of an unlimited budget, the good news is that upgrading your own outdoor space doesn’t need to involve a six-figure price tag.
Affordable luxury
Constructing a permanent outbuilding isn’t always cost-effective for those with more modest budgets. The cost of the plans, the builders and everything else that goes hand in hand with a bricksand-mortar addition to your garden means the bills stack up quickly.
A timber-clad structure immediately cuts out much of the prep work and labour costs. It also allows you to fasttrack your project, as these structures come with much shorter lead times.
The size, specification, materials and fixtures and fittings you choose will all have a direct effect on what you eventually end up paying, as well as the extras you choose to add inside.
Companies typically construct their own timber kit to form the shell of the building: the walls, floor and roof. Crucially, this is usually done off site, so you don’t have to put up with months of disruption – just the time it takes for installation.
This type of garden room typically comes with fully insulated walls, floor and ceiling to make it feel warm all-year round, and you don’t have to compromise on quality of workmanship or wow factor by dropping into an affordable price bracket.
Names in the frame
At Bonni Outbuildings a “Bonni Small” measures 3.7m wide by 2.5m deep, with a height of 3.4m for a pitched roof, and 2.4m for a flat roof. Prices start at £30,000 – an all-in price for the building, including exterior cladding in raw or painted oak or corrugated steel, a corrugated steel roof, which can be left in its natural form or painted, and the company’s signature circular window, which serves as a design focal point. You’ll also get electric underfloor heating, solid oak floorboards and lighting inside and out, as well as full installation.
Installation takes between two and eight weeks, depending on the size of the building. The company is currently drawing up plans for outbuildings to house a yoga studio, a teenage hangout and a mini guest house for a family who
don’t have enough space in the house for their relatives to visit en masse.
Elsewhere, at Green Retreats (greenretreats.co.uk), contemporary garden rooms start from £21,665 for a structure measuring 2.5m x 2.5m. Rooms are 2.5m high as standard with extended height options of 2.7m or 3m. The price includes a list of features such as installation, foundations, flooring, heating, lighting and windows. The company is also offering a new self-build option for those handy in the DIY department: the Basebox starts at £9,860.
Practicalities
You might need to organise a prepared concrete base that has been laid by a professional before you take delivery of your garden room. The base must be constructed of either paving slabs laid on mortar or a concrete base. As a rule of thumb it should be no less than 10cm thick. It should also be large enough to help with water drainage – an important consideration.
However, some companies install on giant ground screws instead, a more environmentally friendly base avoiding the use of concrete, which allows airflow beneath the structure.
You must also factor in a power source, cabling and plumbing before the structure arrives – unless your company offers that too. And, of course, you’ll want to think about getting an internet connection ready for when the garden room is up and running.
Money matters
Splashing out on a garden room can make good financial sense, as it can add to the appeal of your home if you plan to sell. Estimates suggest that a high-quality garden room can boost the value of your home by up to 15 per cent. Emma Seaton, director of the buying agency Prime Purchase, says: “One of the appeals of a good quality garden room to potential buyers is that they are so flexible and multifunctional; you can change its use overnight, so not only are they hugely desirable, they also add value. We often find that if there isn’t one, buyers will want to put one in.”
Some homeowners are choosing larger structures with a kitchen and bathroom to use as a source of income by listing them as holiday rentals. This means the building will cost much more – and planning permission will be needed – but it could pay for itself in time.