Garden Office

iwantadeal

Hi All

We have a relatively small back garden. It's 9.6m long by 8.5m wide. Additionally we have a further 2.7m of patio area.

Since Covid, my wife and I have been working from home (and will continue to do so most of the time).
As a result we really need an office space (and don't want to move as it will cost too much) so we're thinking of building a garden office. It will be 3m deep and 8m wide (the whole width of the garden)
I'm worried that we will be left with a really small garden (probably only 5m deep by 8.5m wide by the time we finish)

I'm interested to find out if others would go ahead with this, of if you think the lack of garden will devalue the property overall?

Many thanks
Raju

Doozergirl

It depends on where you are.  In London it will add value. We've just built one for friends and it looks amazing.  Their garden is smaller than yours.  

We don't have a massive garden but have one that is 3.5 x4.5.  

A small garden is a small garden, so major gardeners are going to be put off anyway, but does it really need to be that big? It will
be very long and skinny.

It's all about quality. Some massive great shed is going to intrude.  Something with big doors that you can see into with great big mirrors etc might accentuate space more.  

FaceHead

I'm in a very similar spot, and considering a garden office - once I get the inside of the house ship shape. 

The garden is about 4.7m wide  x 8m long, and I have a similar 2.7m ish patio near the house. 

I don't think you need to go full width - I think half width would be plenty for you, and would give the garden the feeling of more length.  I was thinking of putting an 8ft x 8ft shed in my garden - it's all a compromise of how do you want to use the limited space. I think 8ft x 10ft is a perfectly decent office, which could work well for you, whilst 8ft x 8ft is a bit on the small side, but might be the compromise to be made in an even smaller garden. You could even go to 8ft x 12ft and have it nicely half width. 

The 3m x 8m (10ft x 26ft) you suggest seems like a monster office, which might not be the best use of space (depending on what you want from your outside space)

Now the question is where to get it, or to DIY it from the timber yard across the street.

naf123

Is a dual floor garden office allowed?

twopenny

Just check the deeds.
There were some houses where i live that people weren't allowed to put sheds in their gardens.
Goodness knows why.

Doozergirl

naf123 said:

Is a dual floor garden office allowed?

Do you mean two storey? 

That sounds weird and might block out a lot of light,
given the size of the garden, but you can build anything if you can get planning permission for it...

silvercar

I wonder if mirrors at the back of the office would work, with bifold doors at the front. The mirrors wouldn’t annoy when working as you would sit with your back to them in order to look out onto the garden. 

iwantadeal

Thanks for all your comments

We're on the outskirts of London, but far enough from the city that our garden is considered small
I did check the deeds, and there is no clause stopping us building a shed / office. 

Not sure about dual floor sheds - I assume they'd be very difficult to get planning permission for, and our neighbours would not be happy, so not an option for us

We did consider a smaller shed, but if we're going to build something, we want it to be multi purpose, so want to make sure it's big enough. We are going to have two very large french doors (so almost the entire width will be glass) so it becomes an indoor / outdoor space in the summer too.

We have two kids and while this means less garden space, I think it will get them outside more if we plan and use the space better. Our only main concern is really on whether we will be devaluing the property for the future

Doozergirl

If you measure out 3m by 8m, it's not a very useful space.  It's a bit like a corridor so needs to be subdivided into zones.  That would be my concern.   It could do with being deeper to balance it.  

How big is the house?   It needs to feel proportionate. 

iwantadeal

Hi Doozergirl - yes we would split it in two. Office on the left and a more general area on the right.
I worry that making it any deeper would be (even more) too big for the plot

The house is four bedroom (already with a wraparound extension which is why the garden is smallish) Ground floor is about 104sqm. Facing the garden is the kitchen/diner which is 8m x 4m

Doozergirl

I do think a room that size will make it too small a garden for a sizeable family home.

Our ground floor is slightly larger, the garden is 14m wide by 10.5 deep.  Our garden room is 4.5 by 3 and it takes up enough room to be interesting but not overbearing.  It also provides a flexible space.  It can be used for work during the day, but a TV room/sapre room/entertaining space at evenings and weekends.  

I'd consider how well the house itself is addressing your actual needs  first.  You're suggesting you need two additional rooms but 104 square metres on one floor forms a sizeable house.