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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to spend £20k+ on a garden office?

110 replies

SpeckledFrogsLog · 09/07/2021 14:29

We need an extra room as DH is going to be full time WFH from now on. At the moment he's in the spare bedroom but it's not very big and there's a lot of background noise when the kids are home. We don't want to turn the spare room into an office as MIL is in poor health and we like to have her stay with us for her safety (and our sanity!) when she's going through a bad patch.

We've looked at moving but would be spending £150k to get the same sort of living space elsewhere with an extra room. We live in a large 4 bed semi so we'd have to upsize to a detached.

We've had a quote on a composite garden room. It really is beautiful-all insulted and totally maintenance free but it's coming in at just over £20k Shock We can afford it but I'm totally torn as it seems such a lot of money to spend on what is essentially a posh shed! But we've looked at the cheaper timber options and are concerned about security, insulation and maintenance.

So AIBU to spend this on a garden office? Has anyone else done it and have good or bad experiences? Help me decide please!!

OP posts:
CovidCorvid · 09/07/2021 20:20

@DedalusBloom what size is it?

BlueSurfer · 09/07/2021 20:23

But it’s not a glorified garden shed, it’s a safe and suitable working environment to allow your household income to continue. It’s also a lot cheaper than extending or moving house. I really don’t see the question as it would be a definite yes for me every time. You can even take it with you if you move, which you can’t with an extension.

DedalusBloom · 09/07/2021 20:31

@CovidCorvid

It's 12 foot by 8 / can't remember the height but it's whatever height you can get away with without needing planning.

CoffeeWithCheese · 09/07/2021 20:33

If we had the money and garden space I would do it in a heartbeat - for me, sod dh!

Depends if you’ve got arsehole neighbours though - ours do music constantly in the garden - loud

CovidCorvid · 09/07/2021 21:02

[quote DedalusBloom]@CovidCorvid

It's 12 foot by 8 / can't remember the height but it's whatever height you can get away with without needing planning. [/quote]
Thanks, mine will be 10x8 so a bit smaller….I’m very excited about it. I keep trying to visualise what it will look like inside once I have a desk in, and a turbo bike and whether I can squeeze an armchair in as well! 😄. Will find out soon enough….I have a comprehensive Pinterest board!

Original poster
SpeckledFrogsLog · 09/07/2021 21:29

Thanks - really appreciate everyone's opinions. It sounds like it's definitely the way to go. It's loads cheaper than moving house and means we can stay where we are until we retire.

Even if DH does go back into the office, with two teenage sons, I'm sure it won't go to waste! In fact I may commandeer it as my she-shed and gin bar Grin

OP posts:
JudgeJ · 09/07/2021 21:33

My daughter and SIL looked at some plans and took them to a small independent man who built a superb one for about 12K that would have cost double.

welshladywhois40 · 09/07/2021 21:37

Can you offset the cost against long term commuting savings? I spent about £6k p.a on train and parking (so not even including running a second car just to get to the station - I had the 1 litre hatchback).

So in my case it would have paid for itself in 3.3 years.

What's the life of the room? 10-20 years?

Romanoff · 09/07/2021 21:38

If we had room in the garden, I would 100% do this.

On another note, not sure why people above are getting their knickers in a twist over the fact that employers are benefiting from people wfh.

If it benefits both employee and employer its a winner. If the employer then give away so much money, it's not longer a benefit then they won't do it.

bubblicious3 · 09/07/2021 21:47

We've just built one, tho it cost considerably more than that! But it's big - 5 x 5.5m. It's got a dedicated office, a huge lounge area and a store room. It's changed our lives. It's essentially an extension to our house, but at the peaceful end of our garden. My husband's mental health has improved so much now that he has an office and isn't in our bedroom.
I absolutely love it

Original poster
SpeckledFrogsLog · 09/07/2021 21:52

DH's work is project based which involved him working away on site for most of the time. He could be anywhere in the country, for several weeks or months at a time, just coming home on weekends. His employer funded all his hotel, subsistence and travel expenses so commuting expense isn't really an issue.

However lockdown has made his employer find technical solutions which are much more efficient and of course saves them a fortune in expenses!

DH therefore has the added benefit of being able to spend loads more time at home and it has relieved me of a lot of the parenting responsibilities. It's been a bit of a win win!

OP posts:
Lemons1571 · 09/07/2021 22:07

Might be a stupid question but can you join them to the house? I’d be in and out of both all day and if it’s raining I’d keep having to put a coat on and off, and would be tramping wet shoes into both the house and the office

BrightShark · 09/07/2021 22:28

There is a risk it will end up more than £20k once they start.

You don’t need to spend that much. Have a look at Costco online. You’ll need decent foundations, but it’s a pretty basic job and you should be able to get a competitive quote from non VAT registered independents, just to erect an off the shelf product. You can also pay Costco to erect - and it’s really reasonable. The ones we looked at were insulated.

BrightShark · 09/07/2021 22:29

@Lemons1571 yes this is a bug bear of mine as my DH works at the bottom of the garden. I bought him slip on shoes to go between office and kitchen, because he was walking mud through the house in winter!

Rhinothunder · 09/07/2021 22:29

How certain are you that he is going to be permanently WFH?? We were told we would be, now not the case. 20k is a lot to spend if he's only WFH for the next 6m

MurielSpriggs · 09/07/2021 23:24

@Lemons1571

Might be a stupid question but can you join them to the house? I’d be in and out of both all day and if it’s raining I’d keep having to put a coat on and off, and would be tramping wet shoes into both the house and the office
I think the idea is once you're "at work" you focus, and stay there, only popping "home" maybe for lunch. (For some models this might require you keep a bucket in the corner. Unless maybe there are some handy bushes in your garden ...)
CovidCorvid · 09/07/2021 23:28

Have to say I’m glad I have a working outdoor loo in the garden….will mean I don’t have to come in the house for a wee!

MurielSpriggs · 09/07/2021 23:35

If it's good enough for the cat it's good enough for me. Although the cat often pops into nextdoor's bushes ...

TheOrigRights · 09/07/2021 23:36

@Lemons1571

Might be a stupid question but can you join them to the house? I’d be in and out of both all day and if it’s raining I’d keep having to put a coat on and off, and would be tramping wet shoes into both the house and the office
You get used to it. I set my computer to lockdown for 5 mins every hour for a work station break. I usually go back in the house to use the loo, make a cuppa, turn the washing machine on, hang laundry, do a bit of tidying, open the post - anything to get moving for a little while.

I have shoes I slip on and off if it's wet. The office isn't so far from the house that I need to put a coat on!

TheOrigRights · 09/07/2021 23:37

I needed planning permission because we are in a conservation area.

ImbarbaraB · 09/07/2021 23:40

We’ve done one too for similar reasons

Couldn’t afford to go all out so spent around £5k

PickAChew · 09/07/2021 23:40

Sounds a reasonable expenditure so long as it's properly insulated for winter and not supporting a badly paid job.

PickAChew · 09/07/2021 23:43

@Lemons1571

Might be a stupid question but can you join them to the house? I’d be in and out of both all day and if it’s raining I’d keep having to put a coat on and off, and would be tramping wet shoes into both the house and the office
There is this modern invention called an umbrella. Weird, I know.
Daisychaincarrot · 09/07/2021 23:47

I just HAD to share the advert I’m seeing whilst reading this thread

AIBU to spend £20k+ on a garden office?
MitzyMooo · 09/07/2021 23:48

So spend £20K just to work from home? No sorry I just could not, I would spend £20K on something other than work related.