Hybrid working is here to stay. With less emphasis on office or in-person hours in favour of time on the clock, many of us need our homes to be able to double up as a work place for at least part of our working week. But what’s the secret to a perfect home office – could it be a garden room?
What are garden rooms?
Garden rooms are a freestanding structure, separate from the main part of your property. You can either opt for building them from scratch or converting an existing structure like a garage. Prefabricated rooms are also becoming a popular option. What once may have seemed like a zeitgeisty moment in residential design now looks set to be a long-term investment to your property that’s here to stay.
What is a prefabricated room?
A prefabricated (or ‘modular’) room is a contained space constructed off-site and then installed. Installation can have a shorter timeframe and be cheaper than some traditional extensions or conversions so it could be preferable to knocking down your garage and starting afresh. This could be preferable for a garden room as it’ll be easier to manoeuvre into place.
How much does a garden room cost?
As with any construction or addition to your home, there’s no one answer to this question. We’d advise that costs will likely begin at around the £1300 mark but this will depend entirely on your materials, contractors and the size of your proposed build. To get more insight into how much a garden room home office could set you back, try out our Quick Quote Calculator or get in touch for a free advice call.
Why choose garden rooms for home offices?
Everyone works differently but there are some trends around what makes a successful working day. Productivity often rests on a need for quiet with no disturbances, stimulating views and physical comfort. With these factors in mind, we explore why a garden room could be fertile ground for your new home office.
Find a pocket of privacy
Being set away from the main property, garden rooms naturally provide privacy that you can’t get to the same degree if your office is within the same building. Just that slight bit of distance could make it less likely for family members to wander outside to interrupt you. It’s this privacy (not to mention the peace and quiet that comes along with it!) that makes garden rooms such an appealing choice for relocating your home office. With limited distractions, disruptions and a really important sense of separation to help you set working-hour boundaries with your loved ones, it’s a fantastic option if a large part of your day requires razor-sharp focus or confidential video calls.
Get home in seconds
For some of us, missing out on lunch in the comfort of our own homes is one of the downsides of office life. With a garden room in the office, you can skip the commute and swerve the almost inevitable £10 daily spend in Pret (somehow even when you bring lunch in?). It’s not just nosh that home offices in garden rooms are good for, of course. It also eases the pressure on keeping on top of all the regular chores of life and work. Cutting out travelling time can mean having time to make sure you don’t run out of socks by the end of the week, making a nutritious meal from scratch – even squeezing in a quick workout. If you have a nanny, this could mean that you’ll be available for the school run to spend some time with kids after school and can head back to the garden room once they’re home.
Make it your own
In our recent Happy Homes report, we found that having space in your home that feels like your own has a direct impact on how satisfied you are both in general and with your home. Choosing a garden room for your home office is a way to assert your independence within the wider family home. Carving this out could be essential to your wellbeing and, in turn, have a positive impact on your family dynamic. We also found that people who felt their homes reflected themselves felt more satisfied with their homes. So don’t be afraid to decorate your garden room office your way – skip the trends and choose prints that inspire you, colours that invigorate your energy and furnishings that’ll make you feel relaxed, even on a tight deadline.
Soak in the views
If you’re working from home on a weekday in summer and can’t manage to get childcare for the day, a garden office can feel like a true saving grace. Keep an eye on the kids playing outside while you get your head down (with one eye looking up, of course). Whether you have children or not, garden rooms are a treat for the greenfingered among us. If you take pride and pleasure in your green space, a home office among the flowers can feel calming and nourishing. If you’re yet to embark of creating the garden of your dreams and you’d like some guidance from some foliage experts, visit our friends at Muddy Trowel for all things gardening.
Garden rooms are the ideal middle ground between workplace and haven. When the day is done, shut your laptop and revel in the extra few moments of time alone before you head back into the house with all its hustle and bustle. Sound good? Book a free advice call with one of our experts to see whether there’s scope for a garden office at your home.
