Garden Office

Section62

iwantadeal said:

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

This may mean you won't be able to use permitted development rights to build a shed/office of the size you want (the 50% rule).

You also need to check all previous planning consents for the property (e.g. for the extension) to see if permitted development rights have been removed entirely.

If you are thinking about applying for planning consent, you should check the local planning policies for any minimum requirements for outdoor space for your type of property - for a 4-bed house there would normally be a planning expectation of a reasonably-sized outdoor space.

Section62

twopenny said:

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.

Because some houses form part of a development that the planners/developers intend to be 'open' and 'green' (in the old sense of the word).

Therefore restrictions are imposed on the amount of additional development that can be done on the plot.  Putting up a shed is a form of development.

The purchasers should have made themselves fully aware of the restrictions that applied to the property, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to them that they weren't allowed (additional) sheds in their gardens (without consent).

Brie

My biggest problem with sheds in general (no matter what they are used for) is climate control.  They are often too hot in summer and much too cold in winter - mostly due to have such a large percentage of "walls" being just glass.  

theonlywayisup

Brie said:

My biggest problem with sheds in general (no matter what they are used for) is climate control.  They are often too hot in summer and much too cold in winter - mostly due to have such a large percentage of "walls" being just glass.  

The OP is talking about a garden room.  Garden rooms should be proper buildings, with insulation and properly constructed, not the sort of shed you keep your tools in. 

Doozergirl

Brie said:

My biggest problem with sheds in general (no matter what they are used for) is climate control.  They are often too hot in summer and much too cold in winter - mostly due to have such a large percentage of "walls" being just glass.  

We've started doing proper ones, made from SIPs, the same as our house.  Not a shed.  That's not going to add value! 

Eldi_Dos

If you do go ahead with your garden office, don't think of it as making a small garden smaller but creating a courtyard type space.Maybe with decorative path round perimeter and water feature in centre, if you are going to be working in office alot something calming and peaceful to look out on would be nice. As to effect on value only someone with knowledge of your local area could answer that.

iwantadeal

To be honest I am coming around to the fact that the garden office may be too big for the garden. A few friends agree with that too.
I'm just loath to build small and later find that we should have gone bigger....

scottishblondie

I think you’ll regret taking the full width of the garden. You can always build another section on, but you’re never going to demolish/dismantle part of it once you’ve paid to have it built.

Have you considered a 3x4m garden office (is that finished internal dimensions or external dimensions BTW?), and then make a covered pergola type area to the side of it across the rest of the width?  That could be an actual outdoor space that is useable for more of the year. 

Bendy_House

iwantadeal said:

To be honest I am coming around to the fact that the garden office may be too big for the garden. A few friends agree with that too.
I'm just loath to build small and later find that we should have gone bigger....

Compare your proposed GR sizes with existing rooms in your house that you can actually go in to - try and figure out how the space can be used, and whether it's large enough.

Doozergirl

Bendy_House said:

iwantadeal said:

To be honest I am coming around to the fact that the garden office may be too big for the garden. A few friends agree with that too.
I'm just loath to build small and later find that we should have gone bigger....

Compare your proposed GR sizes with existing rooms in your house that you can actually go in to - try and figure out how the space can be used, and whether it's large enough.

I always say design from the inside out.  Put the furniture you want/need in and then put the space around it.   If you don't have relevant computer skills, pretend you're in primary school and cut out pieces of paper to scale and move it around.  

I went through this with our last client and we ended up making the extension a full metre smaller than they thought they needed.  

I'm just designing a one bedroom annex for a family and that is 8m x 4m inside with a kitchen/diner, bedroom, ensuite and a considerable amount of storage.  Maybe I'll post up a screenshot later.  

If you look at Ikea room sets, you can really see what can be fitted into small spaces.  

What is that you have and what do you actually need, OP?   Do you have floorplans?   You can only sit in so many places at once!