Garden Rooms - yay or nay?

[MissHonkover]

Have a teeny house and want more room. Looks like a loft conversion might not be very successful due to lack of space for a fixed staircase, so our other idea was a garden room.

Anyone got one? We'd want it to be a bit of a step up from a shed, so it could be used as an office/study/music studio (if they can be soundproofed).

Do they add any value to the house?

We have one - and I'm sitting in it at the moment replying to this! We moved from a bigger house and were really desperate for office space and more storage. We went for a biggish room (around18' x 14' I think) - it's split into 2 rooms with a loo and wash basin in smaller room. It's insulated (better than the house!) and we have an electric heater installed in each room. It's at the end of the garden and is great - looks really nice and works really well for us. If you need any more info let me know!

What's not to like? They are fab.

It would definitely add to the value of the house, but make sure you do it properly - no-one wants to spend time in a badly-insulated glorified shed that you have to trudge through puddles to get to.

We have one on our wish list - I want it to be used by our DCs as a teen "den", but DH thinks he'll be getting it!

I think you have to worry about planning permission if it is greater than a certain size/height or near a boundary, but the suppliers can advise.

Suppliers know how to design it precisely so as to avoid planning permission. Not difficult.

Ooh, Mins, that sounds lovely. Our garden couldn't accommodate something that big, we'd be looking at one room with no plumbing, but we want all the other stuff (insulation, lighting, heating etc).

Having had a look on t'internet, some suppliers level the ground for you, and others require you to do it yourself. How was the installation process for you, Mins?

Ever tried playing music in it? Some installers offer a sound proofing service, but it adds quite a bit to the cost, and I'm not sure how necessary it is.

In terms of phone etc, do you just use a cordless from the house, and wireless broadband?

We have one and love it, its the same size as Mins but is just one large room. Its not used much in the winter however during the summer we spend most evenings/weekends in it. Last week we held DH's 40th party in it and its fab when we're having bbq's.

I can imagine that over the next few years that it will become a teen den, we have a tv and stereo in there so its only a matter of time before DS and his mates claim it as theirs!

Hi MissHonkover
We got a company called Homestead to do ours - it was more expensive than a lot of other suppliers but they did everything. Advised on planning permission, took out small trees and shrubs in garden, laid the concrete base and then came in with a team and built it. Would highly recommend them.The outside was up in about an hour (unbelievable!) but it took about 10 days to get the whole thing finished with electrics, plumbing etc. It's great though - we use it every day all year round (in the cold winter it was warmer in here than in the house!)

We do play music in here but not loudly! Not sure about soundproofing - we don't have that I suppose it depends what you want to do in there and how close you are to the house & neighbours etc.

We do use the house phone in there - just got a new one with a 300m reach I think. We don't use wireless broadband - we have a connection which was fitted into the trench they dug in the garden (and filled in very neatly I must say) with the electrics. I know you can definitely find cheaper suppliers than Homestead and if your DH is handy could maybe do some of the work himself but I really can't praise Homestead enough - the attention to detail was amazing and it was great to just get the whole thing done so quickly. Let me know if you have any more Qs. Mins