Moving into the garden

Wednesday, 17 November 2010 2:00 PM

InsideOut Buildings' Lynn Fotheringham explains how to choose the garden building that's right for you.

In the 1970s, the great outdoor living trend was the patio. Throughout the UK, crazy paving was being laid so that we all had somewhere to position our deck chairs. Those were also the days when, if your house was too small for your expanding lifestyle, you simply moved.

In 2010/2011, patios have been replaced by decking, and moving house is rather more of a challenge. The property market is slow and expensive. If people really like the area they live in, there is an increasing inclination to improve their house rather than move to a new one.

But, if you have converted the loft and extended the house, where do you go next? The only space left is outside, and adding a building to the garden is becoming increasingly popular.

So what are we all using these buildings for? The quick answer is everything from the traditional 'man shed', where the male of the household can potter in peace, to architect-designed granny annexes for the senior generation.

A popular use for sophisticated, insulated garden buildings is as a work space. So many of us now work from home that it makes sense to have a dedicated place in which to do it. If the office is at the bottom of the garden, work and home life are kept separate and you can lock the door and 'go home' at the end of the day.

Using an insulated garden building as a chill-out space for teenagers can reduce the pressure in a busy, bustling household. It can also provide a sophisticated room for pursuing a serious hobby or craft.

So, how are you going to choose the right building for you? There are three ways to do this:

1. Go to the local garden centre, buy a shed, take it home and get a local tradesperson to put it up. If you want to use the building for something more than storage, you could ask them to insulate it for you. Then, if you get the local electrician to wire it for you - hey presto, you have a cheap-and-cheerful garden room. This is a good solution if your budget is small or you only want to use the room for a year or two.

2. Employ an architect to design a bespoke garden building for you and get a local builder to construct it. This way you get a unique design that suits your garden and your personal requirements.

3. Choose a company that specialises in designing and building garden rooms and garden offices. This will be cheaper than option two and more expensive than option one. A garden room company should have a range of designs, but they'll usually also be willing to produce a bespoke option for you.

And finally – don’t forget that there are rules in place to prevent enormous chalets being built right next to a fence and overshadowing neighbouring gardens. Unless your garden building is less than 2.5 metres tall or or at least two metres from all the garden boundaries, you will need to obtain planning permission before beginning work. The full rules can be found at www.planningportal.gov.uk.

Lynn Fotheringham is the director of InsideOut Buildings Ltd, The Green, Over Kellet, Lancashire LA6 1BU.

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