Home office - garden or house?

[LittleLamb93]

What is your preference between a room in your home as an office space or a garden office?

I cannot decide between the ease of having the office in our home or whether having a separate building that I physically have to leave our home to go to would be better. On the one hand, it would be cheaper to have the office in our home but then I think about being in meetings/ trying to work and potential house noise, people walking in, etc.

Separate building on the land seems the more appropriate option but also adds complication and cost. Is it worth it?

If you’ve got a separate room that you can set up an office in then I would do that. Who would be around in the day to cause background noise? I’m sure you would have the same issues of people walking in if you were in a separate building.

id also think about things like, in a separate building would you have a toilet, tea/coffee facilities or would you have to trek back to the house? Not so bad in the summer, but not so much fun in the winter.
Would a separate building be secure enough, and it would need to be kept at a minimum temperature to stop it getting damp and musty? How much of your garden would you be prepared to give up for a separate office space?

Definitely in the house

In the house! We viewed one house where the garage had been turned into a home office. It was a lovely space but the thought of having to traipse across the garden in the snow, rain, dark to go to the loo or get a hot drink was really off-putting! Sure, you could out a kettle, coffee machine or fridge over there too.

My ideal is a self-contained room within the house so you can have privacy and keep work to one space but still be within easy reach of facilities.

I'm buying a house with a home office in the garden but while its got electrics and heating etc I am also not keen to trek into it in the winter.

I'm therefore hoping to set up the tiny, (65 sq ft) third 'bedroom' as a guest room/office with a trundle bed, some built in IKEA desks and shelving.

Desperately keen for this to be feasible in such a tiny space. Luckily it doesn't have any built in storage etc already.

I've viewed a lot of smallish houses in the past year or so and here are some other inside office-type set-ups I've seen when there is either a garden office or nothing else otherwise and space is a bit tight. Ive googled images that are very similar to set-ups I've seen.

The under-the-stairs office, which seems to work if you don't have a loo there already.

The dining room office nook, which is a great use of space for this frequently unused part of house.

The IKEA put-it-anywhere office

https://poppytalk.com/2020/07/10-inspiring-home-workspace-ideas-from-ikeas-stylists.html

My in the house, DP in the garden, as he doesn't seem to need the loo or really eat or drink much, and gets annoyed by noise. We're actively hunting for a house where we can do this. Nearly bought a house with an acre and were both really looking forward to having some space between us (both work from home almost full time and are tripping over each other). But it wasn't to be.

If you’re going to have a home office, you really need at least a loo, and kettle, mini fridge etc, as well as decent phone coverage on top of WiFi.

At our last place there was a shepherds hit type thing that I occasionally took the laptop to, but it was in no way suitable as a permanent office.

If we ever had one built, I’d have an actual kitchenette and shower room down there so it could support ten hour days and sometimes do double duty as a guest room.

Depends what the space in the house is like. Is there an available room, or are you taking up space that could be better used? Are you in the living room?
I’d generally prefer to be in the house but a friend of mine has an absolutely gorgeous home office garden pod thingy, plumbed in with a little kitchen, toilet, space for an exercise area, and working area. Cost a fortune though (obviously). It’s basically a small flat in the garden.

This is so helpful and I really hadn’t considered the toilet issue nor had I put much thought into the weather!

Space isn’t an issue, luckily! We added a small bathroom downstairs at the other side of the house, and all the uproar and chaos that caused, cost a small fortune in plumbing and groundwork. I imagine putting a toilet on the land somewhere would just be too much work for what sounds like little to no benefit.

We are starting a family in the next year or so, and I’m anticipating the noise generated from small children won’t be conducive to productive meetings 😂

Maybe noise proofing the walls could help and a lock so nobody can walk in unannounced?

Would the kids be at home when you're working though? If not then I would just have an office in the house. But if the future kids are likely to be at home then I'd have a garden office as when they're young they won't come crashing in when they need a snack - but then who would be looking after them??? Would you need to be in the house to keep an eye on them?

I have a garden office and it is nice to be able to leave the office at the end of the day.

Do you have a loo and drinks facilities down there? It’s interesting to hear about other people’s set ups.

I took a largish (15’ by 15’) reception room as my office and I do find I nip to the loo and the kettle a lot. If we move, though I’m going to struggle to replicate this without building work.

I do still wonder about building a decent garden office, but I provisionally decided that to do it properly would be beyond current budget.

We have a purpose built office in the garden but no toilet or sink facilities (can be repurposed when not needed in the future) and an office in the house (with a fire door for some soundproofing).
They are both equally pleasant to use and it's not much of a problem to walk from house to garden offices and back in the rain.
The only advantage of the garden office is that if I have meetings the client can visit without setting foot in the house. Also lovely in nice weather hearing the birds etc.

No. I barely drink though so happy to take a water bottle with me. We do actually have a functional outside loo in the garden so I use that. But yes if it’s raining I get wet running to the loo.

The electricity cost for heating it in the winter I guess is a consideration. but maybe cheaper to heat one space than have the central heating on in the house? Saying that in winter I sometimes stay in the house and light the fire rather than put the heating on.

A garden office would be my preference. It clearly marks out that you’re at work. It’s also far too easy to just pop in to the home office when you’re not working or equally easy for others to disturb you. Physically leaving the house helps to set you in ‘work mode’ and doesn’t blur home/work boundaries.

Having to get up for loo/coffee/lunch also forces you away from your desk for a break and unless you’re living on a massive estate, popping into the house isn’t any more effort than going to the water cooler.

Thank you all - really helpful to get others advice/ opinions.

Childcare is likely to be at home at least one or two days of the week although, that is not a definite given I am not even pregnant yet - no concrete plans. My ILs/ DM will likely want to do at least a day each and our house is set up better for activities and children generally (I am not counting on this childcare but they seem fairly determined so want to plan for it).

I'd definitely go for a separate building, dh has one attached to the garage and it's brilliant. Ours has a small bathroom plumbed in, which makes it even better.

Another aspect to consider is whether you get many deliveries or couriered items.

I am starting to think a strong bladder is the most useful factor for a garden office, though, after reading this.

We have offices in the house but recently thought about garden. We've discounted it because it's actually so expensive to sort out with proper heating. And while we often sit at home with no heating on I suspect a garden room would be at least a few if not more degrees colder in the winter making it horrible.

Have you considered working outside the home but locally on days when child will be in the house? Are there any coworking spaces locally?

@Sofasloth you are absolutely correct. Heating is a must, even for a well insulated garden office.

As mentioned by another PP, regarding deliveries, it is useful to have a doorbell connection to the outside room.

Put a screen round the compost heap and you wont need a loo

I think it’s the menz urine that’s good for compost isn’t it? Plus they have the equipment.

We have a garden studio office, it was already here when we bought the house. Just across the patio outside the kitchen doors. Would much rather this than in the house.
I also actually prefer having to get up and walking into the house for teas and toilet breaks.
I really like being completely seperate from the house

my garden office if the heating isn’t on would be the same temperature as the outside. So if it’s -1 then it’s -1 in the office I reckon. I have an oil filled radiator with a smart plug so I can turn it on from my bed! The space warms up quickly and stays warm without the radiator been on the whole time (it’s on a thermostat). My garden office is not a super duper expensive one. Cost me 7k inc electrics I think in 2021. It has an insulated roof and floor but the walls are just thick wood. I suspect a better garden office would be warmer.

Thank you all! Office will be built specifically as an office so I have the opportunity to make this perfect. It would definitely have heating, solar panels, WiFi, electric, etc. I am leaning towards the office being in the main house and having a separate building for the gym instead. I won’t need a toilet in the gym for a start 😂

I assume you planning on having a nanny or someone else to do childcare while you are working.

If I had small kids in the house being cared for by someone else I’d want a garden office. Small kids won’t understand the concept of “mummy is busy” and if they know you’re shut away in another room I could see the possibility of them just wanting to get in the room a lot. Which could be noisy for you, unsettling for them and hard work for your mum/MIL.