The rise and rise of the Garden Studio
The lockdown has meant that huge swathes of us, from Acton to Ealing, are now working from home. Mostly, that means cramming yourself and your laptop into whatever space you can find. Our obsession with open plan living means they are often noisy and it is hard to get away from them at the end of the working day. It’s not the ideal arrangement, but even when lockdown ends, many of us will be reluctant to return to the daily commute. For those lucky enough to have some outside space, the solution is simple – a garden office.
The good news is they are not nearly as expensive as an extension and if you buy an-off-the-shelf one, prices start around £4,000 for the smallest, most basic models, rising to around £30,000 for the biggest and best appointed ones. Bespoke designs are more pricey and will cost around £1,200-1,400/sq metre and can range anywhere from £6,000 to £40,000+ depending on size and specification. Typical extension costs in Acton are between £1,500-£2,000/sqm.
www.greenretreats.co.uk
The great thing about garden offices is that they minimise the need for planning permission, are quick and easy to install and, since many are made of wood, they tend to be extremely energy efficient. They don’t have to be used as an office, they can also be an auxiliary guest room, a studio or even a gym. And, as the main components are constructed offsite, there should be minimum disruption to the rest of the property during the build process.
www.officepod.co.uk
Once your garden office has been installed, your working life will change beyond all recognition. Separating your home and work life will be a doddle, your commute will improve dramatically, punctuated by grass and flowers rather than traffic fumes and crowds of people wearing facemasks. And, if you put in a sofa bed, when your relatives are allowed to stay again, you can happily send them to the bottom of the garden.
www.thegardenoffice.co.uk
Under the current circumstances, it is no surprise to find that demand for properties with garden offices is growing. They can raise the value of your property, whether you live in Acton or Chiswick, and often tip the balance of a purchasing decision in your favour when compared to properties without one. As ever, it is important that you chose a good quality one and that you get it professionally installed if you want to maximise the potential value uplift. As an additional bonus, in some instances you can even offset them against your personal tax bill (check with your accountant first). You will certainly save yourself the cost of your annual travel pass and any office rent you might otherwise be paying, not to mention the two extra hours of free time you’ll have every day.
http://ateliergardenstudios.com
So, hopefully you are now inspired enough to build your own garden office. And, if you haven’t got the space, you know what you have to do – buy yourself somewhere that does…
Always check with your local planning authority first – see below
https://www.ealing.gov.uk/site/scripts/google_results.php?q=planning
You can also make a request to see an historic planning application. For both of these services please email multimediateam@ealing.gov.uk
