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How to buy the best garden room: your guide
Choosing your perfect garden room might seem a little overwhelming. You might have the idea in your head, but are probably wondering where you’d start making that dream a reality. Garden buildings are still becoming more and more popular with an ever-increasing number of providers. With so much choice in the market, where do you start? Take the first step by reading our handy guide on how to choose the perfect garden room for you. ​
Choosing your perfect garden room: the steps
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​Understand what garden rooms are and what you can use them for
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Understand what to look for in a garden building
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Do your research and make sure you’re considering the key things
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Choose a garden room provider that offers expert advice, transparent pricing and excellent customer service, plus stylish garden rooms that are great quality and value for money
What are garden rooms?
A garden room is an insulated building in your garden that operates as an extra living space, as it is separate from your main residence. Often, garden buildings open out onto your garden or have a nice view.
Garden rooms are not the same as garden sheds. Rather than just being an outbuilding to store garden tools and gather dust, a garden pod is an extension of your home, built to withstand the weather and to be used all year round. This is reflected in the more expensive price tag and longer process of a garden room versus a garden shed.
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Aren’t garden rooms the same as conservatories? Whilst conservatories used to also be called garden rooms, now the two names refer to very different types of buildings. A conservatory is built onto your main residence, whereas a garden room is detached and built anywhere in your private garden space. Unlike a conservatory, a garden pod seldom requires planning permission and is much quicker to build.
Are Garden rooms worth it? Garden buildings make a great addition to your home, as they create a multi-functional space that can be decorated and furnished for whatever you desire and used all year round. Good garden room providers should offer different interior, exterior and flooring options for you to select to make your garden room your own and level up your garden space.
Why choose a garden room?
Tired of working at the dining table with children running around, but without a spare room you can commandeer? Want to invite friends round for dinner, but have nowhere big enough to seat everyone? Dying for somewhere other than the lounge floor to practice yoga or the garage to do a workout? A garden room helps you to achieve the extra space you need quickly, easily and cost-effectively.
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Different from a loft or home extension, a garden room rarely requires planning
permission when built under standard regulations: this allows you up to 2.5m in height
and permission to build anywhere in your private garden.
Some garden room providers can deliver and install in one day, in as little as two weeks from order, making them a quick and non-disruptive way to add that extra space you’re looking for. A garden room is a cost-effective option which will add significant value and luxury appeal to your home, without having to extend, renovate or move!
Benefits of a garden room
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No planning permission is required for most builds.
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Quick, hassle-free, and non-disruptive installation – usually in one-day with our free and fast installation.
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Secure, double-glazed uPVC doors and windows.
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Loads of interior, exterior and flooring options to choose from as standard – put your stamp on your new garden room.
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Cost-effective compared to a loft conversion or home extension.
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Extra living space for work and leisure, working out or entertaining – can be amended to suit your changing requirements!
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Added value to your property.
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A unique, luxury feature that can level-up a forgotten or unused corner of your garden.
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Additional privacy as built separate from your main residence – somewhere to escape to or send the kids to play!
What can a garden room be used for?
Garden pods can have lots of different functions and purposes. The key thing is that a garden room is your space to make your own. In our extensive experience designing and installing luxury garden buildings, one of the most important lessons we’ve learnt is that there is no limit to the potential of your garden room. A garden building can be a home office, home gym, crafts, art or sewing studio, hairdressing salon, beauty salon, garden bar, “man-cave” or “she-shed” ... the possibilities are endless!
What to look for in a garden room?
A good garden room will be built on a solid foundation, with secure double-glazed uPVC doors and windows. Garden buildings should come fully insulated as standard, meaning they can be used all year round, no matter the weather. Watch out for garden room providers that advertise an unusually low price for their garden buildings – often they are advertising the shell of the building and will charge extra for all the fundamentals of making the building a “room” such as insulation, flooring, and windows or doors. Our garden rooms come fully insulated as standard, with loads of floor wall and ceiling options to choose from. You can check out our range here.
Things to look out for when choosing your garden room:
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Can you easily speak to a member of their knowledgeable team about your options and questions?
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Does the garden room provider offer a garden room base solution?
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Hidden costs: are insulation and floor, interior and exterior options included as standard?
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Do they offer free and fast delivery and installation?
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Do they offer a free 3D design?
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Do they offer bespoke options as well as standard designs?
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A garden room is a “big-ticket item” - meaning that it’s a large sum of money to spend and a big decision to make! That’s why the above things are so important – you deserve expert advice, transparent pricing, and excellent customer service.
Buying the best garden room: considerations
Who's the best garden room provider?
Consider what the best garden room company might be to help you with your garden pod. Do your research and talk to the teams. A good garden room provider will have a friendly team on hand that can take you through the process and provide unbiased, clear information.
What do I need a garden room for?
What is going to be the purpose of your outdoor building? Do you need a home office, or your own beauty cabin? This will affect where you decide to put your garden room, what style you might go for, what size and whether you choose to opt for the electrical plug-n-play package. Remember, this function could change over time – so don’t make it too specific!
What style do I want?
A good garden room provider should offer a range of styles and designs that suit all different outdoor garden building purposes. However, some styles might be better suited for certain gardens or uses than others.
For example, our Model 0 range has fabulous large sliding doors, perfect for a yoga ashram looking out over a beautiful view or letting in oodles of natural light. Our Model 01 range might be better suited to a garden office with sleek window features and a pent-roof design. And our Model 02 range just has it all!
Whatever style you are looking for, a good garden room provider should offer a free 3D design to help inspire you, like our free 3D design service where we can superimpose your garden room onto your garden space to really help you visualise your dream garden building! If you’re looking for something you can’t find, expert garden room builders will be able to offer you the option of a bespoke garden room that won’t break the bank. Learn more here.
What's the process?
Choosing your garden room should be a seamless process. Here’s ours:
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Work together to develop a bespoke, personalised 3D design.
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Confirm design and finishes.
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Book installation date – with us, it can be in as little as 2 weeks from order!
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Confirm your base where the new room will be located (our expert team will assess from photos or conduct a free site visit). More information on base options.
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We prepare and pre-build your new room in our factory to ensure it all fits perfectly.
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Our expert installation team will carry out the full installation process usually within 1 day!
Do I need planning permission?
Our clever garden pod designs mean that you do not require planning permission. Because the height is below 2.5m no permission is required. However, every building is different, so we recommend you check with your local authority, especially if you have a listed building, live in an Area of Natural Beauty, a National Park, World Heritage Site or a Conservation Area. If the new room covers more than 50% of the garden or is on a front elevation, you should check if planning is required. (This information is for guidance only and you should check if you have any doubts).
How much will it cost?
What would be considered an affordable garden room? The answer to that question is a personal one. You should weigh up the quality and service you are getting with the price, and research different providers to compare. And remember, Estate agents and lenders estimate that the extra space provided by a garden room can add between 5 to 10% to the value of your home. So, the amount you invest now will benefit you in the future, providing you choose a garden room that is stylish and contemporary, but robust enough to stand the test of time.
Do I need an architect for my garden room?
The short answer to this question is no, you do not need an architect for your garden building. This is especially the case if your garden room provider offers some great styles as part of their standard ranges and offers a complementary 3D design service for all garden room designs. You should be able to work in a consultative manner with your garden pod provider, chatting through your garden room ideas and dreams, before drawing up a design. With our free 3D design service, we can superimpose your garden room design onto a picture of your garden, so you can really visualise your new garden room. With services such as these, an architect is unnecessary.
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When choosing your perfect garden building, you need to carefully consider what you need it for, where it is going to go, and how much you can afford to spend. Choose a garden room provider that offers a wide range of stylish standard options but also offers a bespoke service. A free 3D design also helps you to visualise your garden pod dream and a one-day delivery and installation service, such as ours, will have your new garden building in your garden in as little as two weeks, whether in London, the Midlands, North, South, East or West!
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