Does anyone own a garden office?

[revs]

I was thinking of purchasing an insulated garden office and was wondering whether anyone has any experience of working in one. Do they maintain heat well? Is a kitchenette/toilet worthwhile? Any advantages/disadvantages?

Cheers

 

[Leather Briefcase Company]

Worked in mine for eight years. [ 4 m x 3 m ]
Make sure the insulation is good. This one actually needs no heating at all.
The lighting is sufficient to warm it.
Special things in the design were three sides totally solid, but one end is floor to ceiling glass windows and double doors. Gives great view to the garden and gets the sun coming round all day.
No kitchen or toilet, they're not necessary, and it's nice to take a break back in the house.
Velux windows in both sides of the roof, as it can get too warm...also allows natural light.
Make sure you have enough electric points.
Make sure the floor is really strong, as the loading from furniture, shelving, machines and accumulated files and stuff does add up.
Advantage of being very inexpensive and I love the commute.
Disadvantage is popping in for a few minutes in the evenings and at weekends, which can become hours! and our cat has a habit of finding a warm corner or shelf, and gets locked in.

 

[LowPrices.uk]

I don't have a garden office, but I wish I did.

 

[revs]

Thanks for the advice. I'll give the toilet and kitchenette a miss as it was starting to get expensive and messy with digging trenches through my garden. The one I'm looking at has 5" PIR foam insulation so I'm guessing that'd be adequate to hold the heat. Also with all my computers going and a huge TV it should feel quite toasty. Initially I thought I'd go for the cedar clad but after seeing the wood composite today I've changed my mind plus the adv of no maintenance. Just out of interest, which material is yours clad in?

 

[Leather Briefcase Company]

The foam insulation sounds really good.
It's surprising how the warmth is retained.
Right now I have one door wide open and the thermometer is at 18 degrees.
The outside cladding is red cedar, and you've reminded me it does need treating!
Bonus I didn't mention before. There are bushes by the doors...long-tailed tits, wrens, fire-crest! and many other garden birds come very close.
Last Spring a robin and a black-bird used to come for breakfast seed feast every morning, and a field mouse family lived under the office - no longer possible now Lily has joined our household!

 

[revs]

It sounds great..mine will be nestled between the trees/bushes so it should be a nice retreat away from the noise of the little one...I might even put a bed in there to catch up on some sleep.

 

[Clinton]

I've got one that I've been using now for 5+ years. It's warm, cosy and comfortable. But I do have a heater and an air-conditioner. No toilet. Also, no kitchen.

It's nice being among the trees except for when my local feathered friends have a domestic. Don't get me wrong, I love birds as much as the next guy, but I do wish they'd see a marriage counsellor.

 

[cjd]

Don't rely on WiFi from the house, run two cat 5 cables from your house inside 20 or 25mm MDPE water pipe then you're future proof for telephony and internet. Best to bury it, but you can run it round your fence if you really don't want to did a little trench.

Did one last year for a neighbour - she loves it.

 

[Alan]

2 of us worked in a log cabin style garden office for 4 years, it was fine, double skinned pine with insulation (wall floor roof) & double glazed. Coldest winter just a blast with a fan heater to take the chill off, summer open all the windows and doors.

Issues,

• Glare on the computer screens, blackout blinds needed when sun low in the sky.
• Wifi connection (as no foresight like cjd), but simply solved with powerline adaptors.
• Domestic broadband, has a tendency when it goes wrong to be days rather than hours, so ended up with both ADSL and Virgin Cable to avoid down times
• We moved to serviced offices as eventually you go crazy (cabin fever).

 

[cjd]

• We moved to serviced offices as eventually you go crazy (cabin fever).

I reckon this is the great weakness of the garden office - ok if it's your garden and your business. If you're asking others to join you, not necessarily so good long term.

 

[Peter Durrant]

I'm dying to get one too - let me know how you get on..

 

[Ashley_Price]

Do double check to see if you will need planning permission - which you almost certainly will if you live in a conservation area or similar. Some areas are very strict on what you can put in your garden, even if you're replacing a like-for-like shed.

It's always worth just checking this with the council beforehand. I'm not saying put in an application - just give the Planning Office a quick call and they can advise. There's no point just putting one up, then have the neighbours then complain to the council. You'd have to put in a retrospective application which, if refused, can mean you have to take it down.

 

[exciteseo]

Good idea, I'd love to have one

 

[Leather Briefcase Company]

Yes, do check out the latest rules and regs of the height allowed, and you must be a certain distance from the property boundary. Good idea to sound out the neighbours too.
Local council inspected our building twice, and applied a business rate - which it turned out we are exempt from!