Show me your garden/outdoor working areas!

[YellowDahlia]

Right, it's the beginning of spring and I have a new job which involves considerably more wfh. I'm lucky to have a space inside the house where I can work but it's north-facing so quite a cold room, and I find myself gazing outside on a sunny day wishing I could be outside and warm, not inside and freezing!

I need a solution which means I can work outside in the garden, or in some kind of garden room/under a gazebo/in a pod of some kind?!

We have two patio spaces - one near the house and one at the end of the garden - this one is ripe for a makeover of some kind and I'm considering whether I could include something which might facilitate outdoor working, whether that's a structure, or just better garden furniture and a big umbrella! Screen glare and/or power for laptop are a consideration - plus I don't have £££ to spend so it can't be an all-singing, all-dancing garden annexe!

Oh and we're in Scotland, so we're not exactly continental temps - but if we have another fine spring/summer I want to be prepared!

I need some ideas or recommendations - and I'm certain some of the good people of mumsnet must have this cracked already...

Great idea although my first thoughts are do you have power down there and does the wi-fi stretch that far! It might be worth sitting down there for a while and getting the feel of the area, then more might spring to mind.
I would say that you will really need good screening around, if you are inside you can close the curtains to stop the glare, that's only a 2m² window, so if you have over ten times that space for glare, you will need a way of getting that down a lot.

I work in the garden, North West, but there's only one spot where the Wifi reaches so I'm kind of governed by that. If it's warm enough to be outside then I sit under an umbrella to stop screen glare.

But tbh I'm very unproductive as I will always spot something that needs done in the garden.

So I've tried to make the inside area nicer. I have a heater under my desk and lots of house plants around me so I feel less cheated at being inside. I'll also take phone calls/zooms outside as I can't be distracted then by weeding.

If I've got a long document to read then I'll sit outside and read it.

My husband is appalled by this as when he works from home - he just sits at his desk and works.

I think the answer is to save up for a proper structure...

Could it be a modestly-priced garden shed? Something like this maybe?

I have the same issue (WFH 4 days a week, north facing home office)

I’m really fortunate that the previous owners put up a ‘garden workshop’ ie a shed so I’m going to use that with a folding desk I already own, and probably only for a couple of hours at a time (pics attached)

I would suggest a lower priced shed tbh, as I think it’s good for productivity to have a specific place vs your garden table & chairs. You can also use that space for food/drinks/seating if you are using the garden at the weekend

However, while you are working things out, you can place your laptop inside a large cardboard box with open side facing you which will cut the glare & stop it overheating

@JustJam4Tea I totally understand what you mean about being distracted by gardening jobs! However I'd still quite like to sit in it and enjoy it while working instead of weeding as I like to be in it as much as possible My indoor working space is already full of houseplants and a heater, so I'm way ahead of you there!

@trulyconfuseddotcom that's not a bad idea...will need to do some measuring up to see what's possible - but I think that's one of the options I sort of imaged, a shed/room that's kind of open but also would prevent too much glare on screen.

@BeanStew22 I like your space! And suggestion of a lower-priced shed, nothing too fancy/expensive, in case it doesn't get used as much as I would hope?! Also excellent cardboard box idea - I hadn't even thought of that! Will source one asap for the next sunny day and give it a try...

@YellowDahlia: yes, I would not have spent so much on a shed just to WFH a few hours a week from April -Sept (I did a zoom call in the garden today but I would not have spent hours out there)

The reason I suggest a set spot is you don’t want to be thinking about work on the weekends when trying to relax in the garden. So far (& last summer) I’ve found doing some easier calls with a background works, & gives me a change of scene for an hour now and again. Be aware that other people can tell you are outside as the light is so bright…

Re the shed - you are probably looking at £500 to £1k for anything suitable

I have a 4x6 storage shed as well as the ‘big shed’ but that’s too small to work in really

To be pleasant I’d go for 6x8 as a minimum, double doors you can open (or what’s the point? A single door is too claustrophobic/dark) and windows (except on a high end shed those probably won’t open)

Take care re height - lots of sheds are 2m high, but it’s v v low. 2.5m is less claustrophobic. I’d also want a wood shed so I can paint inside white for more light

Here is one I would consider suitable (need to check on height)

www.robertdyas.co.uk/power-pent-double-door-garden-shed-8-x-6?gclid=CjwKCAjwrfCRBhAXEiwAnkmKmbelC-qFooM-52eoaQj5SamYHGH-H4w5HI2YUAtTvvS27C_yIm9mLxoCvc0QAvD_BwE

This shed would also need a gutter to be added (which is cheap). Honestly, I’d suggest you ask family/good friends (who won’t think you are nuts) if you can stand in their sheds to get a sense of what makes you comfortable

Lots of my colleagues have mentioned working outside, but I think it’s an hour or 2 here and there not the whole day (you are also unlikely to have a proper office chair outside) I used to work in an office with a roof terrace so we did some meetings/calls up there but it does get hot in the sun. If a shed is not feasible, a pergola with plant cover (some creepers grow fast eg Passion flower) or an awning are options

Re desks- there are loads if folding tables out there, you can get a £10 tv table style just for laptop calls, to a bigger fold up normal size desk
Don’t forget the sunscreen

Yes you're spot on @BeanStew22 that's a really good point - realistically I won't be outside all day, or every day, or all year round! So the amount of effort/investment needs to reflect that.

I'm currently weighing up a few options, including the shed idea, or possibly installing some patio doors in our dining room, which is very sunny during the first half of the day. This is also when the house will usually be empty so I could switch to working there regularly without too much disturbance. The cheapest/quickest solution might be to get a folding table like the one you've suggested and pop it into our back porch, which although is north-facing, it's still pretty warm and overlooks the garden.

I hope I can find a solution - it sounds a bit trivial but I want to be able to wear summer clothes in the summer - and not have to wrap up in thick socks and fleeces every day just to stay warm when I'm wfh!

We’ve got an outdoor wifi booster and outdoor sockets so dh can wfh outside. He uses our patio with pergola over it and a sail shade.