OECO's Guide to Garden Offices

Are Garden Offices a Good Investment?

While the effects of building a garden office differ, the answer is almost always yes. A well designed garden building adds utility to your day to day to life, quite apart from the return on investment you might get in terms of house price.

As many of us have started working from home, family life can get in the way of our work. A garden office then is a superb way to avoid the morning commute whilst also keeping out of earshot of anyone else in the house - a perfect way to keep your productivity up and your stress levels down.

Naturally, this will also increase the value of your house to anyone who also would like the opportunity to work from home or run their own business without taking on expensive office premises.

There is also the prospect of the office being repurposed by a new owner: there's nothing to stop an office becoming a gym, a summer room, or even a bar.

To make the most of your garden office in terms of value, it's important to talk it through with an experienced designer first - which is why we recommend giving us a call first.

Why are Garden Offices So Expensive?

The costs of garden offices can vary in price and down to the materials used and features included. Especially the size, garden offices will certainly rise in price the larger they are. One thing you want to be careful of is choosing cheap, poor quality building materials and the wrong contractor.

Garden rooms and offices are considered expensive because they offer so much for a household. The benefits of having your outdoor room are endless. With the extra floor space, you can transform the building into anything you want. A dedicated and professional home working office out in the garden away from the house is every homeowner and home office worker's dream.

Here at Oeco Garden Rooms, we have a range of garden offices that are a cost-effective way of creating a productive workspace.

We give you the freedom to configure your garden office to your requirements. You can choose the shape of the garden office, from cube, canopy, corner, canopy corner and concave. Select your style of classic, contemporary, composite and stone. Proceed with your sizing for your outdoor space. If you need assistance or further advice, get in touch with us today.

Painting Outside

When buying a garden office from OECO Garden Rooms, there are a number of exterior options available, which when the garden office is constructed, form the outer walls.

These finishes include traditional Western Red Cedar, Thermowood, textured and rendered cement or split face stone slate. All of these finishes are treated for resistance against weathering, therefore able to keep their appearance whilst also being highly durable all year round.

Whilst this may be the case, there may be times where a garden office owner chooses to decorate the exterior of their office in order to coordinate with their personal preference or match other elements within the garden.

Our Western Red Cedar option is a popular selection amongst our customers. This unique red cedar is likely to last for 40 or even 50 years before any problems arise. It also doesn’t need any treatment with paint or varnish, meaning it’s acceptable left untouched and looks wonderful.

We advise leaving your garden office untreated as the appearance will change over the years offering a range of warm browns, pinks and reds.

Some people may worry about painting their garden office from the outside. There's a possibility it won't look like a professional building once you've finished and the overall maintenance required too. But that shouldn't put you off the task.

Of course, it's very much possible to achieve a fresh new look whilst keeping it looking professional. The wooden exteriors would indeed need to be primed prior to the application of exterior paint and could even require cleaning or sanding depending on the age of the garden office.

Water-based or oil-based paint is recommended with plenty of options available in DIY shops across the UK.

If you're still unsure or concerned before carrying out the task, then do some further research and watch some tutorials if needed to help.

Painting Inside

If you're looking to paint the inside of your garden office, of course, the process is much easier. Freshening up the paint is a good way to keep the working environment up to date, modern and trendy. Research suggests a change-up of colour can help improve moods and productivity.

It's said blue is good for the mind, stimulating the brain and leading to more productivity. Consider "West Coast by Benjamin Moore". Red will stimulate energy levels, try the "Radicchio, Farrow & Ball".

Green provides balance and calmness, consider "EasyCare Paint Garden Sage". Yellow stimulates emotion and is good for being creative, try "Little Greene Yellow Pink".

Can you sleep in a garden office?

The short answer is yes: after all you can sleep anywhere. If you want to use your garden office as a temporary guest room, let the kids use it for a sleepover, or as a place of refuge after an argument then there is nothing at all to stop you having a foldout bed or convertible sofa so the room can be used to get some shuteye.

What people normally mean though is: "can I use my garden office as a permanent bedroom?" and that is a different matter. It is perfectly possible, but you will have to make sure your office/bedroom complies with building regulations over and above the usual rules for building an outbuilding.

These essentially mean making sure that the building is safe and fit for purpose. We have been helping people with this for years, so get in touch today if you're planning to explore this and we can explain what you need to consider in full detail from a legal perspective.

It's worth bearing in mind that if you want to turn your outbuilding into a sleeping room that it needs to be more comfortable than just sticking a bed in. You need to consider insulation, draughts, heating for the winter, lighting and electrical points. The great news is that we've been doing this forever, so we can design a garden office that also meets all of these needs.

Finally, you need to consider the potential impact of an external bedroom on your council tax. If your office becomes a permanent extra bedroom, it can affect the value of your home and you could incur additional tax as a result. We are fully familiar with most regulations and can offer advice (call us now!) or you can get in touch with your local Citizens' Advice for guidance.

Can you put a toilet in a garden office?

A question we get asked - particularly when people are thinking about converting their garden office into a spare room is whether or not features like showers and toilets can be added into the building. The short is yes, but again you will have to consider the building regulations that govern connections to the water supply and sewage system.

There are also practical considerations: laying pipework into your outside office will also mean added disruption to the building process - and likely a deep trench being dug into your garden or through your driveway. This will also involve someone carrying out a survey of the grounds to make sure it is possible, and that the right locations are chosen. All of which means some extra expense.

Finally, installing a toilet in your garden office will also mean you'll need good ventilation and an extra interior wall and door, as well as a toilet itself and a basin for washing hands.

Again, we've had years of doing this, and can advise you properly, so give us a call and we'll help you to understand what's involved and help you plan and price out your project properly.