Building Business Office in Garden

[NEF]

What are the negatives of doing this and can it be a different entity to your business address, has anyone else built an office/business building on there own land or garden ?

 

[cjd]

I have provided telephony services to several people that have abandoned their rented offices and built one in their garden. It saves an absolute fortune.

Downsides depend on business type and how well you built the office. If you get regular client meetings there it needs to be good and have a separate entrance to the house. To be a real office it needs to be warm, well equipped and have a toilet not in the house. Only works for small companies. SoHo it's cheaper to have an office in the house.

All the ones I've done have ended up with most of the employees working from home most of the time rather than doing the 9 to 5 in the boss's back garden everyday.

 

[Scalloway]

A couple of things you need to consider.

Planning permission. A garden shed will be fine but if it is solely for commercial purposes you may need to apply for planning permission, especially if customers will be visiting.

Capital Gains Tax. If it is a purely commercial building you may need to pay Capital Gains Tax on it when you sell the house.

 

[WaveJumper]

This is a useful read:

Do you need to apply for Planning Permission?

In many cases, a garden office can be built without a planning application. But, you really do need to check your individual situation before work starts.

www.gardenofficeguide.co.uk

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Also talk to your accountant - if this is being paid for by the business and is within your home's garden it may well be seen as a benefit in kind and any payments from the company towards it may be taxable personal income!

 

[estwig]

It depends, don't call it an office this will raise eyebrows, it's a study!

You won't get planning permission for commercial usage in a residential area, don't even try, your head will be above the parfait, it'll mark you with the council and the neighbours as trouble.

If you're going to have lots of cars and people coming and going, deliveries rocking up, disturbing the neighbours, the council will be on your back.

If you want a nice garden study, do it under permitted development, which is quite generous, keep building control out of it by not having any bedrooms, or sleeping arrangements, crack on and keep your head down, be considerate of your neighbours.

 

[estwig]

Oh yea, if it's within a meter of the boundary, all external materials must be of a mainly non-combustible nature.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

You won't get planning permission for commercial usage in a residential area, don't even try, your head will be above the parfait, it'll mark you with the council and the neighbours as trouble.

REally?

They actually encouraged my conversion of a barn into an office because WFH involves less cars on the road.

 

[estwig]

REally?

They actually encouraged my conversion of a barn into an office because WFH involves less cars on the road.

There are always exceptions, my comments are general

 

[Gecko001]

There are lots of negatives as has been said, but one that is rarely mentioned is that of keeping employees. I have worked in an office attached to someones home and there were times I found it uncomfortable. I sometimes felt I was just "the help" rather than someone working in a business. Maybe just my experience as I know it can work well for many.

 

[MikeJ]

Oh yea, if it's within a meter of the boundary, all external materials must be of a mainly non-combustible nature.

I think within 1m you need planning permission anyway.

We're just having a garden room built (paid the deposit, work will start in February) because apparently a 4 bedroom house isn't big enough for the two of us. You can go to 30m2 internal without planning permission.

 

[estwig]

I think within 1m you need planning permission anyway.

No this is not the case.

The internet is an echo chamber of nonsense, this seems especially true for planning matters.

 

[DontAsk]

I think within 1m you need planning permission anyway.

You do not. Distance from the boundary affects the maximum height.

 

[estwig]

You do not. Distance from the boundary affects the maximum height.

No, you're getting confused with permitted development rights.

I spend a lot of my time, listening to people get planning policy completely wrong. The internet is an echo chamber of rubbish, even the planning portal and Gov info is wrong at times.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

You can pick up portable offices very cheap and being portable means no planning needed

If lots of customers or f you have staff then toilets facilities a must otherwise just use home facilities if appropriate

Security is something that needs to be considered, theft can bring some companies down

Low overheads once installed and quite from family interruption's

Keep costs personal rather than business and charge yourself for rent on the books without having to register as self employed to I think £1000poa without having to notify IR

 

[estwig]

You can pick up portable offices very cheap and being portable means no planning needed

If lots of customers or f you have staff then toilets facilities a must otherwise just use home facilities if appropriate

I'm gonna get bored soon of correcting all the rubbish, that people think is true of planning.

Portable doesn't mean planning permission isn't needed.

If that many customers will be visiting that you need a loo for them to use, the council and the neighbours will be on you!

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

What are the negatives of doing this and can it be a different entity to your business address, has anyone else built an office/business building on there own land or garden ?

Outside of the technicalities of building a garden office, i'm told that the concept of convenience and cost savings outweighing more traditional ways soon wears off unless you have some genuine separation/distance from the main house.

 

[DontAsk]

No, you're getting confused with permitted development rights.

I spend a lot of my time, listening to people get planning policy completely wrong. The internet is an echo chamber of rubbish, even the planning portal and Gov info is wrong at times.

I am not confused at all. PD and PP are intertwined.

If you can't do what you want within PD then you may be able to get PP for it.

If you don't need to use your PD rights, i.e., something is explicitly allowed, then you do not need PP either, subject to other considerations.

If you stay below 2.5m height and further than 2m from the boundary, and satisfy all of the other conditions, then you do not need to use your PD rights or apply for PP.

Hence "Distance from the boundary affects the maximum height." rather than the blanket statement that you need PP "I think within 1m you need planning permission anyway".

 

[estwig]

I am not confused at all. PD and PP are intertwined.

If you can't do what you want within PD then you may be able to get PP for it.

If you don't need to use your PD rights, i.e., something is explicitly allowed, then you do not need PP either, subject to other considerations.

If you stay below 2.5m height and further than 2m from the boundary, and satisfy all of the other conditions, then you do not need to use your PD rights or apply for PP.

Hence "Distance from the boundary affects the maximum height." rather than the blanket statement that you need PP "I think within 1m you need planning permission anyway".

You're spouting utter nonsense!

 

[Gecko001]

Another negative which applies to all types of working from home whether you work from a building in the garden or inside your house, is that it can attract the people who are looking for a cheap job because they think that you have low overheads.

 

[estwig]

I've been dealing with householder planning full time since 2008, a lot longer than that part-time, all in more than 20 years at this. Loft conversions, house extensions, garden buildings, garage conversions, etc....

The thing that fascinates me, is that people with no knowledge or proof of being right, will state things as if they are fact, based on, no experience and no proof whatsoever. Typical examples being........

You have to keep a meter from the boundary
Conservatories don't require planning permission
The neighbours have to give permission
Planning permission isn't needed for a porch

It's quite bizarre the way people will hold onto things that aren't true, and will even argue about them!

 

[UKSBD]

It's quite bizarre the way people will hold onto things that aren't true, and will even argue about them!

Building regs is even worse.

I don't even bother trying to explain to people any more I just point them to the guidelines and the Act

The biggest problem is, people read one section without reading others and because it says in one section they can do something quote that section to you

 

[estwig]

I've been an LABC partner for donkeys years, the building regs are a nightmare, BCO's make it up as they go along!

 

[UKSBD]

I've been an LABC partner for donkeys years, the building regs are a nightmare, BCO's make it up as they go along!

I worked in the building 20 years ago for 20 years

In the early days the building inspectors turned a blind eye to a lot as long as you were sensible.

Towards the end they were younger kids with clipboards, rarely helped if asked anything but they just referred you to the documents.

I completely understand why though, they are probably the lowest paid in the chain and they are the ones who get the buck passed to them if anything goes wrong.

The are pressurised by architects, planners, developers, building owners, builders, etc. to sign things off when thy shouldn't.

I wouldn't want their job, especially since Grenfell

 

[estwig]

I worked in the building 20 years ago for 20 years

In the early days the building inspectors turned a blind eye to a lot as long as you were sensible.

Towards the end they were younger kids with clipboards, rarely helped if asked anything but they just referred you to the documents.

I completely understand why though, they are probably the lowest paid in the chain and they are the ones who get the buck passed to them if anything goes wrong.

The are pressurised by architects, planners, developers, building owners, builders, etc. to sign things off when thy shouldn't.

I wouldn't want their job, especially since Grenfell

You're not wrong, I wouldn't wanna be a BCO for all the tea in China!

Especially not with arseholes like me giving 'em hard time, it's too easy to harass them to get own way, it's not nice, or fair, but it works.

 

[estwig]

Ha, I've been back 5 mins, I got a swear word past the filter!!

Life goals!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kulture]

Ha, I've been back 5 mins, I got a swear word past the filter!!

Life goals!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s the new improved filter that lets you insult yourself