Options for budget room in the garden

MissMollyJ

Hello

I’m about to buy a house and need to create a space in the garden for occasional use as a bedroom (a handful of times a year but at any time of the year). I have a good size garden with a garage at the end with a small drive leading to the next road.

I’ve looked at garden buildings/log cabins but for one that is useable in all weathers the cost is way out of my budget. A friend has an old but sound caravan that they are selling for a few hundred pounds and I am wondering whether that would be an ok option? Would I need to do anything to it to make it comfortable in winter? It’s only for occasional visitors so doesn’t have to be amazing.

My 13yo is disabled and will probably always live with me so eventually when (!!) I have money I would like to apply for planning permission and build a small granny annex type thing but that’s a few years down the line. I would love to do it now rather than faff about but I just don’t have the money or credit options at this time.

Any input regarding the caravan idea or alternative ideas for a budget option would be welcome.

Many thanks

elljay

I had a caravan in my garden for a year or so intending it for the same purpose, especially for visiting teenagers. But mine was free so a cheap experiment. Although they were warm enough ( I managed to thread a cable out of an upstairs window in the house so they could have a fan heater etc) the main problem was the loo. Nobody wants to traipse over to the house in the night, only to find they forgot to bring the key and have to traipse back (or alternatively pee in the bushes!) Although there was a loo in the van, cleaning it out etc etc was more trouble than it was worth for a couple of night's stay.

Now when visitors come, I give them my room and sleep on the sofa. Mine is long enough to be comfy, alternatively why not get a sofa bed/chair thingie, or a z bed or even a lilo, for you, so visitors get a private room. When I visit people and have to sleep on their sofa, although comfy enough, I find the lack of privacy from the resident family a pain, as well as having to go to bed later than usual because they're watching a late film etc etc so would always prefer to ensure my guests are comfortable in their own room.

The other thing is that garden rooms often need planning permission - is it worth the hassle and expense for a few nights a year? Save your money for the extension.

EJ

Fire_Fox

Welcome to MSE.

Partly depends on who will use the caravan. Younger children, older people or those with certain health problems may cope less well with extremes of temperature or waiting to get to a toilet than strapping lads. The more people breathing in an enclosed space the more condensation damp in winter.

Consider how flat/ level the proposed location is, direction of the sun, insulation (heat gain in summer/ loss in winter), toilet facilities (emptying if chemical), heating, safe electric hook-up.

As an alternative 'clic clac' sofabeds can be very comfortable.

Rusty_Shackleton

or the sake of a few nights a year, why not just use a local B&B or hotel?

given the cost of building an annex, I would suggest you might be better off trying to buy a house in the future that already has an annex!

MissMollyJ

Thank you. I may we’ll be in a position to buy a more expensive house in the future 🤞 but if not I’ll think about an annex. I’ll save up and see what position I am in when the time comes.

I will think on further regarding the caravan option - the nephews will be on a sofa bed in the living room and the caravan/whatever accommodation will be for the parents.

Thank you

Gloomendoom

We sometimes sleep in my parents-in-law's caravan when we visit for big family get togethers. We have an electric hook up and a fan heater in winter.

We actually prefer to staying in the main house as it's quiet and we have our own space.