Working at home is quickly becoming working in the garden, with more and more home owners opting to definitively separate the space between life and work.
With garden offices costing £5,0000 and upwards it’s prudent to carefully consider the options before you, before you so much as make an online enquiry or pick up a brochure. Here are five initial pointers…
1. Think about your technology and the ergonomics
Consider how you’re the space that you currently work in – maintaining or expanding on this may be essential where you’re currently finding that your working life is just about as spatially restricted as it can be.
You’ll also need to list the forms of technology that you’ll need, consider Wi-Fi reach and employ a professional who’ll map out elements such as electricity supply whilst considering health and safety.
2. Maximising light and the illusion of space
You’ll need to carefully consider your design options if your garden office is to feel more like an airy retreat, and less like a claustrophobic shed. Bi-fold doors and a roof lantern can both maximise light and allow you to experience as much of the great outdoors as possible (which is, after all, the reason that you’ve opted for a garden office in the first place).
3. Gain inspiration from exceptional examples
Half the fun of creating an outdoor office space lies in the planning. Gain inspiration from places such as Pinterest and Google Images.
4. The boring bits… planning permission and rules
Your garden office will be considered a ‘permitted development’ (that doesn’t require planning permission), if:
– The construction doesn’t take up any more than 50% of the garden
– The construction is single storey and doesn’t reach over 2.5 metres in height; where there is a pitched roof, this must not be any higher than 4 metres. NOTE: Where the construction is less than 2 metres away from the boundary, the limit for the roof is 2.5 metres.
Alongside these measurements, there are also further questions, such as whether there will be goods arriving to the garden office and how many people will be employed there.
You can find out further information on the government planning portal.
5. Think about insurance
Insurance should apply to not only the contractors you employ to create your garden office (such as professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance), but you must also check your home buildings and contents policy. In some cases, an outdoor space such as a garden office won’t be covered (which would lead to a large loss should your technology become damaged or fall victim to an intruder).
Parsons Joinery in East Sussex can create beautiful solutions for your garden office’s bi-fold doors or roof lantern. Speak with the team on 01273 814870 or send us a message via enquiries@parsonsjoinery.com.
