The short answer is yes! A garden office absolutely will add value to your property. If you’re working remotely, a garden office can offer a dedicated workspace to ensure maximum focus and productivity. Because of this, garden offices are becoming increasingly popular for those who are starting up/own small businesses and don’t want to pay for rented office space.

This means that properties which include a garden office naturally represent a far more appealing prospect to business owners than those who don’t. Garden offices also improve the overall aesthetic of an outdoor space, whilst adding additional floor space and extra room. In the future, potential buyers may even wish to convert this space for a different use of their choice.

The cost of a garden office is dependent on size, material, the thickness of log (in the case of a wooden office), as well as additional extras such as pressure-treatment, window glazing and the type of flooring. Generally, you can expect to pay in excess of several thousand pounds for a high quality garden office.

Here at Garden Buildings Direct, we offer a range of garden offices, all available at excellent prices - especially when considering the level of quality and craftsmanship which goes into designing these fantastic garden buildings.

Summer houses are available in numerous shapes and styles, each possessing their own unique set of benefits:

Contemporary Summer Houses

If you have an inclination for stylish and elegant designs, then this ultra-modern take on the conventional garden building is your best bet. Interlocking tongue and groove boards provide a unique aesthetic appeal which is sure to give your garden an edge.

Traditional Summer Houses

Many people are drawn to the classic, as opposed to the contemporary. For those people, a traditional summer house is absolutely perfect, thanks to Georgian windows and the popular apex roof.

Corner Summer Houses

Finding space to accommodate a garden building such as a summer house can be a tricky task. This is where corner summer houses come into their own. They’re designed specifically to fit into a corner, whilst offering side windows and double doors to ensure a panoramic view of your garden.

Small Summer Houses

This is a great option for those with limited space, but who still wish for an area separate from their house where they can relax and get away from the hectic nature of modern life. Small summer houses are not only convenient, but also highly budget friendly.

Log Cabin Summer Houses

If you have an appetite for a luxurious style of summer house, then this is the one for you. Log cabin summer houses will look brilliant in any garden, whilst providing plenty of structural rigidity and weather-resistance.

Summer House Sheds

These are the ultimate solution for those who want two different garden buildings, but don’t wish to compromise on space. A summer house shed can operate as an area of relaxation, or a convenient place to store your garden tools. This is a garden building which is more than capable of doing both simultaneously, thanks to additional side stores.

Converting your shed into a summer house will present you with a garden area which will be excellent for relaxing and unwinding in after a long day. There are several steps which can be taken to ensure the maximum use is made of your garden building:

1. Remove the clutter - If you’re redesigning a shed which has been in your garden for a number of years, then chances are it’ll be full of garden tools and other miscellaneous items. The more space you can make for your summer house, the better, so have a really good think about what you do and don’t need.
2. Paint your shed - Pick a colour for your summer house, based on your desired aesthetic and garden surroundings. Ensure that your chosen paint includes wood treatment, in order to protect it from weather damage and rotting in the future.
3. Fill your new space - Turning your shed’s interior to that of an idyllic summer house is no mean feat. Decorate the interior of your garden building, according to the style you wish to attain. Painting the inside with lighter colours will give an added sense of space, and some comfortable furniture is absolutely essential!

Irrespective of how you intend to use your summer house, you should ensure it’s built in the ideal spot. There are a number of considerations to think about when determining this location:

Check the terrain

It’s essential that your summer house - or any type of garden building for that matter - is built on an even surface. Building on a base is the optimal way to ensure this is the case.

Accessibility

Having a pathway leading up to your summer house can help it become the centrepiece of your garden. A further benefit is that there’ll be no chance of the area in front of your summer house being caked with mud and as a result, be trickier to get in and out of.

Natural lighting

You’ll want plenty of natural light to pour into your summer house. So, it’s best to avoid placing the summer house in a dark corner with overhanging branches. However, you also want to avoid direct sunlight. The goal is to locate an area with the perfect balance of light and shade, in order to ensure an enjoyable temperature throughout the year.

You should consider insulating any type of wooden garden building. Doing so will result in superior heat retention, meaning improved energy efficiency. In many cases, insulation is inexpensive, while offering something which can save you hundreds of pounds in additional heating bills over time.

Insulated summer houses also tend to have longer lifespans than their non-insulated counterparts. Sudden changes in temperature, as well as high levels of humidity and moisture, can damage a summer house’s structural integrity over time, leading to rotting wood and the growth of mould. This will become less of an issue if insulation is installed.

Condensation can be a common problem amongst metal sheds, though not one which you should necessarily worry a great deal about, provided the proper steps are taken to tackle this.

Condensation can occur in a metal shed when surface temperature, air and water vapour alike, all collide, resulting in droplets of moisture covering walls, ceilings and other internal surfaces.

Here at Garden Buildings Direct, this issue is largely negated by the intricate design of our metal sheds. Specifically, the fact that the vast majority contain vents for added air circulation. Simply allowing air to freely flow in and out of your metal shed will go a long way to negating the effects of condensation.

Beyond this, you can check your roof for leaking. A roof is a place where hidden condensation can accumulate and consequently cause a build up of moisture in the ceiling over time. You can also provide additional ventilation for your metal workshop by occasionally opening the doors, allowing fresh air in.

While it isn’t essential, insulating your metal shed/metal workshop will aid in preventing a build up of condensation, thus greatly reducing the likelihood of rust. Moreover, insulation will allow your metal shed to maintain a more consistent temperature throughout the year, meaning a higher internal temperature in the winter and a lower one during the summer.

When it comes to insulating a metal shed or metal workshop, some of the options are:

Fiberglass batts

These are most commonly used in larger metal sheds and workshops. Their best aspect is the high r-value offered (this being the level of resistance to heat flow) without being particularly expensive. Despite this, fiberglass batts aren’t very moisture resistant.

Rigid foam boards

This is often considered the most popular option, courtesy of excellent moisture resistance, a solid r-value and not being too expensive. However, garden buildings with curved wall surfaces will struggle to accept a rigid piece of foam, meaning this insulation type isn’t always suitable.

Mineral wool

Mineral fibre is highly resistant to moisture and is completely fireproof. Though, this can be an expensive alternative which doesn’t work well with all shed types.

While not completely essential, it’s highly advisable to have any kind of garden building built on top of solid foundations. A great foundation will protect your building from variable ground conditions, thus minimising the risk of rot/rust in the future.

In the UK especially, the weather can often be unpredictable, lurching from drought to consistent rainfall in a matter of days. When this occurs, any garden building which has an inadequate foundation, or no foundation at all, will likely suffer and find its structural integrity compromised as a result.

There are a number of viable base options to consider, such as concrete slabs, stilted foundations and concrete plinths. The main aspects to review are whether or not the ground is level (as your garden building should always be constructed on a level surface), will it be able to support the weight of your garden building, and, if your garden building is wooden, will it be effective in stopping damp seeping into the timber?

As a general rule of thumb, the majority of garden buildings are classed as ‘permitted developments’, meaning that the use of the building is ‘incidental to the enjoyment of the main dwelling house’, so don’t need planning permission.

The larger your garden building and the closer it is to your property boundary, the greater the chance that you’ll require planning permission. How you intend on using your garden building also affects the potential for requiring planning permission. If you intend on regularly sleeping in or using it as an office, then the need for planning permission becomes more likely.

To be safe, we’d recommend checking with your local planning authority (LPA).

The most obvious and effective way of treating wood is through pressure-treatment. Pressure treating wood involves dipping the timber into tanks full of preservatives which consequently penetrate the timber. Once wood is full of these preservatives, it’ll be capable of standing up to any harsh British weather, whilst boasting a vastly improved lifespan.

Pressure-treatment tends to be carried out by professionals, and is a service offered here at Garden Buildings Direct on a large number of our wooden garden buildings!

However,if pressure-treatment isn’t the route you wish to pursue, then a number of other options exist. Wood preservatives are widely available online and only need applying every couple of years. Wood preservers are great as they can make garden buildings far more water resistant, thus preventing mould and mildew in the long run.

Water and oil based treatments are a further possibility. Water based treatments are cheaper but less effective and require regular re-application, while oil based treatments provide strong weather protection and only need to be reapplied every five or so years.