Garden office or convert the pig sty?

[Covidcorvid]

Looks like I’m going to be wfh permanently and the arrangement of working on the dining room table can’t continue long term.

We have a big garden and a garden office initially looked the only solution. Certainly nowhere in the house for me to go. I half looked at this pre pandemic but the garden office costs put me off. Looking at 14-15k for something with electrics and heating. Probably prices have shot up now!

Other option is we have an old, brick built stable/pig sty. It’s solid but damp. Double brick thickness, Victorian thing. No electricity. Has a concrete floor, solid walls, solid roof.

I’m guessing it needs tanking/lining.....a ceiling of some sort putting in. Will need a proper window and door as at the minute the window is perspex and the door is plywood. Will need electricity and heating.

It’s quite small but big enough for a desk and book case. Low ceiling but I’m short and I can stand up in it ok once I’ve ducked through the pig sty end into the stable end. 😁

Is it likely to be cheaper to sort this out seeing as the structure is there already? Not sure which is the better option. Not sure about the longevity of garden offices and the stable is 100 plus years old already and still standing.

Presumably it would need to comply with building regs? Not really an area I know much about but you'd probably need to check roof heights and stuff?

@MaggieFS

Presumably it would need to comply with building regs? Not really an area I know much about but you'd probably need to check roof heights and stuff?

I hope not because I can’t get a full sized door in it. The door is about 4ft high....I’m hoping seeing as it’s already built we can ignore building regs! 🤷‍♀️🙈

“ building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and is not used for sleeping.”

Perfect!

Infrared panel heaters are meant to be pretty good, too - you can even mount them on the ceiling so as not to lose space elsewhere.

Sounds fab

@Covidcorvid

“ building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and is not used for sleeping.”

Perfect!

Good news!

External shots. The pigsty bit is the small right door. The left door is the toilet. The middle door is a stable which I don't want to convert as it's chokka full of stuff.

I still love the idea of converting a pigsty, but I think I would have to have the roof level elevated and a more normal size door put in. I think ducking down that low and into that space would make me feel claustrophobic. Looks like it could be a great space though.

Use the pig sty as storage and convert the stable section?

If you want a budget option to see if you like it, I can assist with this!

We recently had a consumer unit put into a shed (Office), sockets and two strip lights fitted, and at the same time ground sunken cables run down to an outside plug for a hot tub (DH's doing, nothing to do with me, hate the thing!)

It was about 1k all in, fitting and Materials. We had decent lights as shed is slotted down the side of the house, so no windows other than the one in the door, similar to your set up light-wise. Obviously feed distance from main CU in the house will make a difference to the cost, apparently all the spend is in the wiring!

We have a plug in wall mounted electric radiator on a hive plug, so we can set timings for heating. This was an Amazon job, £150, its 5ft long!

Depending on how wet the building is, you might need a damp screen on the walls and a dehumidifier for a while, then insulation for warmth (you can buy this on big rolls, it's super easy to fit). I put wooden batons up and used them as bases to fit the click together tongue and groove panelling, that would smooth your walls (plastering is not a skill I possess), and you should be fairly warm and toasty!

Don't underestimate the coldness of the floor, I have a burning hatred of laying carpet, but have discovered the joy of carpet tiles in situations such as these.

Hanging a new door is an absolute arsehole of a job. I have nothing to add here.

Much of it you should be able to do yourself. If you get someone in, Estimations of tens of thousands are ludicrous, honestly. Don't panic!

@Lou573

Use the pig sty as storage and convert the stable section?

Yes surely you would use the low height bit as storage and the full height bit as a study?

Personally I would go with converting simply because I wouldn’t want extra buildings cluttering up the garden. But depends how much space you have.

@Lou573

Use the pig sty as storage and convert the stable section?

Oh that's a good idea, though it is more awkward getting in and out and I keep a lot of bikes in the middle bit. Will have to contemplate how easy that might be.

Some internal shots though it's really hard to get any which convey what it's like. So the first bit is low, but then the ceiling goes up. There's a skylight in the roof here. And there would be enough space in the tall section for a desk and book case

That low part really would be very low to work in. If you can declutter then move storage items into the low area, I'd use the taller area for the desk. That or raise the roof on the pigsty part?

Or reconfigure the internal stable/pigsty space a bit -ie move the wall, so that the door goes in the taller part but you build built in storage into the lower-rooved part?

@TheSpottedZebra

Or reconfigure the internal stable/pigsty space a bit -ie move the wall, so that the door goes in the taller part but you build built in storage into the lower-rooved part?

Thank you. that's a great idea and would work! I could have low down shelving in the low part.

I love it so much, I cannot even express how much I would love to work there. It is just FAB.

If it’s close to the house, are extension leads for electricity an option? My friend did this with a home office shed to save the expense and it works fine. Might need to blast a space heater in there to dry it out before you move in? And a rug on the floor will help warm it up a lot.

I guess extension leads would be an option? Those heavy duty ones you can use on campsites. I could plug my laptop and an oil filled radiator into it. Lighting would be trickier but do'able. But I think deep down I'd like it to be a bit more "professional". A proper ceiling light, being able to walk in and turn stuff on without having to put extension cables away every evening/out every morning.

DH has an insulated cable running from the house to his shed-office, buried underground. He also has a small solar panel, oil filled radiators, insulated and boarded walls/floor and carpet with underlay. It's professional looking and warm.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a damp proof course.

@MrsMoastyToasty

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is a damp proof course.

Yes I guess a DPC might need doing at the same time as the lining/tanking. I doubt it has one, will go and inspect for the little circles later.

Just wondering if you decided to go ahead with this?

Covidcorvid