Nobody should ever attempt to convince you that garden offices cannot serve as a place of business. Yes, people will make fun of you for working in the shed, but in actuality, a garden office is a cosy, well-lit workspace that can be configured to suit your needs. You can connect with anyone, anywhere in the globe from the end of your garden thanks to the latest technologies that are built in.
The COVID-19 epidemic had some sort of effect on each of us in terms of our professional lives. This became the new standard in 2020 and is still prevalent in 2022 for people who can work from home. But once things start to get back to normal, many of us are eager to leave the comforts of home and return to the workplace. The topic of whether remote work will become the new standard in the future is raised by claims that the pandemic has taught many firms that having staff work from home comes with many financial and physical perks associated.
But who’s to say that working remotely is only possible within the confines of our living room? We analyse the growth of the garden office trend in light of remote working and consider whether these are gradually influencing how people will work in the future.
What Is a Garden Offices and Why Have One?
Garden offices, also known as garden rooms, are standalone structures that aren’t attached to your main house and are intended to provide a welcoming and professional workspace.
A Garden Offices Can Connect With the World
You can connect to anyplace in the world from the bottom of your garden thanks to modern communication technologies. This enables many garden office workers to forego the daily drive and work remotely, if not full-time, then at least occasionally.
In fact, many small enterprises are conducted out of garden office buildings, proving that a garden office is not just appropriate for distant office workers. Garden offices have several advantages as small business locations since they are frequently tax-deductible and, if you are registered for VAT, you may be able to reclaim the VAT on the purchase price. For more information on the tax and VAT advantages, talk to your accountant.
You’re Not Limited to One Room
Incorporating additional rooms as well as kitchen, restroom, and shower facilities to create totally self-contained units is an emerging trend in garden office architecture.
This increases the alternatives for a developing business because it provides space to grow, and if you hire personnel, it means they won’t need to utilise your home’s amenities. This clearly separates the space used for business and home.
The idea of garden office space is more flexible with additional rooms and amenities like restrooms, making it suitable for professions like chiropractors, dentists, and beauty therapists. You might simply set up a professional clinic environment in the yard with distinct waiting and treatment areas.
Recent search data gathered between April 2020 and April 2021 reveals a sharp rise in the popularity of terms connected to garden offices. The terms “garden office shed” and “garden office pod” also had increases of 200% and 180%, respectively, indicating that many people are interested in the garden room trend.
So why would you spend money on a garden office? Here, we cover a few of the many benefits.
Travel Time Is Reduced
It goes without saying that working from home can reduce your commute costs and time. With home working, these two unpleasant things can be avoided: sitting in traffic for hours on end and paying too much for gas each month. Even the environment gains from it!
A Better Work and Home Life Balance
Having a set plan for our working hours can occasionally interfere with our personal lives. Garden offices enable us to be more flexible when it comes to balancing our professional life with our home life, even though jobs should always be established as a priority. Every parent wants to spend as much time as they can with their children and be a part of their daily lives. Therefore, working from your garden instead of an office makes this easier to accomplish.
Comfortable All-Year Round
A garden office maintains a comfortable temperature throughout the year thanks to the materials used to build garden rooms. In contrast to conservatories or the common garden shed, they do not guarantee that difficulties caused by excessive temperatures are avoided. Modern insulation will guarantee that it stays warm in the winter and that you won’t get scorched in the summer.
You may design the optimal environment for your own unique needs using intelligent lighting, climate control, and optional additions like a wood-burning stove. You can maximise lighting in your garden office and take in garden vistas by making a wise choice of windows and doors.
When it comes to designing the ideal garden office, this extra comfort in modern garden rooms has really changed the game. Nowadays, garden offices are frequently much more comfortable work spaces than standard office settings.
Everything You Need on Hand
It is simple to set up garden offices with phone lines, WiFi, and all the necessary outlet points. It is also possible to have your own bathroom and kitchenette installed.
Secure and Soundproof
Garden offices are extremely secure because they have toughened glass, high-security locks, and window catches. You won’t likely be bothered by children playing nearby or the buzz of a neighbour’s strimmer if you have soundproofing.
Office Gossip Is Avoided
Anyone who has previously worked in an office setting will be aware that it can occasionally be challenging to focus on a task when there are numerous other conversations going on around you. With so much going on around you, including catch-ups in the kitchen and phone calls every few minutes, it’s not always simple to concentrate. However, all of this may be avoided with garden offices, allowing you to complete each duty quickly and with the best level of quality.
Garden Offices Inspiration: Where to Start
According to data, a common concern is how much it will cost. For example, searches for “garden office cost” increased by 200% between April 2020 and April 2021. In order to respond to this inquiry, the typical price to build a garden office can range between £5,000 and £30,000. Even though this is a sizable sum of money to invest in a space, over the long run, it can add a tremendous amount of value to your home — specifically, between five and seven percent.
Interior Design
The enjoyable part now starts. Now is the time to use your creativity to design your garden office so that it never becomes drab to look at. First, choose a theme. Since it is your personal space, consider the things that bring you joy and utilise those as the inspiration for some interior design. You might enjoy knitting your own throws or pillow covers, or you might have an eye for colourful and bold furniture pieces. Alternatively, you may decide on a theme based on a particular sport you like. Whatever you decide, choose a theme and give your garden room a unique touch.
There is one key activity that might help you save money in the design stage because this is the creative part of the process: DIY. Easy-to-follow instructions on how to DIY anything, from building a bed frame to creating an entirely new home, can be found on platforms like YouTube. Obviously, depending on the task, some work may require the assistance of a professional, but determining what can be completed by you saves money.
You Save Money
Working from a garden office can help you save money in a variety of ways. You save money on transportation in the first place. Whether it’s gas, car repairs, bus tickets, or new tyres for your bike, not having to commute to work and back every day will have a favourable effect on your budget. Second, you won’t need to purchase new clothing and shoes as frequently. This does not imply that you are not required to wear a great shirt to a Zoom meeting, but you will undoubtedly be able to avoid rapid fashion fads. By preparing your own coffee and eating home-cooked meals, you can save money in a different but no less significant way. This will not only enable you to save money, but it will also make maintaining a healthy lifestyle simpler.
You Have More Flexibility
Another benefit that will make your daily routine more enjoyable and less taxing is this. You can decide what you do during breaks when you work from home. You can do laundry, wash dishes, cook, walk your dog, pick up your kids from school, or take your dog for a walk during your breaks rather than staring out the window or scrolling through your Instagram feed. You can still use your phone to access the internet, and your co-workers won’t notice. When you operate from a traditional office, leaving frequently will appear unprofessional, but if you can be available while doing other things, this won’t happen. You may even be able to create your own schedule based on when you feel most productive and other daily activities if you work from home, which also generally offers more flexibility in terms of working hours.
The Final Finishing Touches
The last finishing touches need to be applied after the primary interior work is completed. The exteriors of your garden office can also be improved with a little artistic flair in order to make it the focal point of your entire garden, in addition to the extra home décor that you choose to purchase or construct yourself.
Your garden room can be made more lively by framing it with a variety of vivid flowers and plants. Additionally, you might buy a selection of outside solar lights and set up a cosy night-time environment to unwind in after work. This can also be a reasonably priced task.
Garden Offices and Planning Permission Simplified
The good news is that garden offices or rooms typically do not require planning clearance. This is due to the fact that they are typically categorised as outbuildings, much like sheds or garages.
However, before you rush off to design and order a garden office, it’s worth checking a few things first. Depending on where you live, the type of property you own, and where exactly on your property you’re intending to build, the rules may be a little bit murkier.
Many of the rules governing outbuilding planning permissions across the country date back to 1948. These are the guidelines:
1. You are not permitted to construct a log cabin, garden room, or outdoor office in front of your house. If your house was built in 1948 or earlier, “the front” refers to the condition of the house at that time; as a result, if you have extended the property, you may build in front of any such extension.
2. No single outbuilding may enclose more than 50% of the land surrounding your home, including any sheds, garages, or future garden rooms.
3. Your garden office’s eaves cannot extend higher than 2.5 metres above the ground.
4. You cannot include the outbuilding with a veranda, raised platform, or balcony.
5. It cannot be categorised as a self-contained lodging
Therefore, those basic guidelines are applicable pretty much everywhere in the nation, and the majority of garden office suppliers and builders already design their structures in accordance with those guidelines.
How Close Can I Site a Garden Office to My Boundary?
The quick answer is that you can build a garden office anywhere on your property because there are no restrictions on where they may be placed around your home. However, unless it is made of a non-flammable substance, basic building regulations advise that any outbuilding be at least a metre away from your house.
What Is the Maximum Height You Can Build a Garden Office Without Planning?
Any outbuilding may only have one story and may not exceed 3 metres in height, unless it is intended to have a dual pitched roof, in which case it may be constructed up to 4 metres high. Simply said, a dual pitched roof is one that slopes on both sides. Many garden structures just have one slope.
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