How do you remove an expensive, bespoke garden building?!

[DancingLady]

We've been viewing houses for a few months and have seen one we really like. Big house, great location for us, but there's a huge, soundproofed, windowless studio in the garden. Used by the current owner (a film editor) for work. And it takes up most of the garden. I'm all in favour of a garden office (I work from home) but is there a way to make an existing one smaller? Like, half the size and with glass doors? It seems ridiculous to remove a £20,000 building that's 2-3 years old, but we have two small DC and a garden is more valuable to us than a big studio. Other than this, the house needs very little work.

Has anyone done this? Would it be madness? Apparently removing the concrete foundations is a very big job too. Should we just keep looking?

You could advertise on gumtree or even Freecycle for someone to diamante and take it away. Might be able to get it for free, although the foundations no one would take. If they are pads it would be easier to take them if they are solid slab it could be ages.

What's the size of the building and the size of the garden?

Do you know what company installed it?

Trying to find out exact dimensions of the garden and the studio, and who installed it, from the agent. The garden doesn't look longer than 40ft and the building is about 8 X 15 ft, so pretty big.

Sell it when you move ,, if it's a decent one they can cost £20k !

Check the planning history of the property, there might be details there of sizes and installer.
I would consider seeing if you can reduce size of it, and deck or pave over the excess concrete slab. It could make an wonderful outdoor playroom for the children.
If you're looking at this as being your forever home, it would be useful if one of them takes up playi g the drums in 10 years time.

Breakfast you're a flipping genius! Off to look at Lewisham's planning portal now... all details should be on there.

gubbsy it's a very fancy one!

We are buying a property with a similar sounding outbuilding. Ours had a rather unattractive high security brick building used for vendors hobby. We originally thought we would knock it down but similarly having doubts that would be nuts when we are also considering an extension to the house.
Now thinking we might keep it for now then convert to something like this, and have as a guest room / social space.

If you're in Lewisham, an additional room - even if it's outside in the garden - is worth more than £20 k. Don't rush to remove it, much better to use the fact that it's got permission to be there, and adapt it for your needs.

Tiddle adapting it might be a possibility, if there's a way we can make it smaller and add windows/glass doors.

Breakfast I guess so, although it takes up about 70% of the garden. IN the long term, it'd be great for teens, but at the mo we need the outside space too. Looked on the planning portal and there's no mention of it, so I assume it didn't need planning permission - there are applications for the same house for an extension.

Looked on the planning portal and there's no mention of it, so I assume it didn't need planning permission
It might be worth investigating further. If it's not legal then the existing owners could be forced to take it down at their expense. Conversely, if it's found - under your ownership - to have breached planning laws then you may have the expense of dismantling.
If it didn't need planning because it wasn't a permanent structure then that is also good news because that sounds like you can dismantle and sell it.

Ask the vendors to give you details of who built it - they will still have plans. Ask them to quote for resizing and adding windows.

Small children grow very quickly, having covered indoor space as a play room and later a den for teenagers would be very valuable, so don’t be in any rush to remove it.
I wish I had something like that in our garden, there is no way I would be removing based on a small window of time with small children.

I am having the disagreement with my other half at the moment. He thinks we should knock ours down and build an extension to the house (about 3m away).
It is probably going to be easier to adapt what is already there than spend the money replacing it with garden.
I plan to put loads of glass in ours and add plenty of houseplants so it really feels part of the garden.

I’d keep it. Ring round a few firms and see if someone will come and quote for reducing size and glazing. Then soften with. Planting etc. You or the kids will love it as a retreat when they are older. Especially a sound proof one.

Your children will use the garden for a few months (or weeks) for a few years. Guarantee. Unless the house is huge an outdoor den space will be far more valuable to you when the children are older

Is probably kept it and turn it into a play room for the kids. Unless your planning trampolines, swings etc kids don't need a massive garden. We have a decent sized play house the kids sit and play in.

Thanks all. If we get the house (we've made an offer but not heard anything) we'll keep the studio for a month or so and see how we use it. If it still feels like an eyesore (it literally takes up 50% of the outside space) we'll make it smaller and use as a kids playroom/home office. DC are still small (youngest is 3) so have a good few years of wanting to run around outdoors left!