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Garden office

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    #11
    Thanks cycling programmer that's a really comprehensive outline. I think I might go with these people Morespace4u Bespoke Garden Buildings Lichfield | Bespoke Garden Offices. Pretty simple design, thermal foam with board stuck either side and then external cladding to make it water tight, pretty simple design but effective.
    Make Mercia Great Again!

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      #12
      Originally posted by BlueSharp View Post
      Thanks cycling programmer that's a really comprehensive outline. I think I might go with these people Morespace4u Bespoke Garden Buildings Lichfield | Bespoke Garden Offices. Pretty simple design, thermal foam with board stuck either side and then external cladding to make it water tight, pretty simple design but effective.
      Just to add to my previous post, if you're working mostly from your garden office, you *could* investigate the idea of renting the space to YourCo 9-5 Mon-Fri for a reasonable rate (it can't exceed a fair market rate and generally you'd only charge what you can reclaim in rental costs otherwise you'll just be taxed personally on the rental profits) but you should discuss this with your accountant as it needs to be done properly. You would need to consider whether or not it's worth it.

      Personally I just continue to claim the normal £6/week and I also have a dedicated broadband package in the company name which is also paid for the company (do make sure you run some CAT5e or CAT6 to the building when you do it).

      Those buildings look OK - to be honest most of the garden office companies sell largely the same thing - prefabricated insulated panels that they can produce off-site and assemble in a couple of days. They may have varying levels of fit and finish. I paid a bit extra for red cedar cladding on two sides (the other two sides face out of the garden so are standard cladding) and a fully plastered finish which makes it much more like a proper room.

      If you can find one near enough to you with a showroom you can visit I suggest you do that.

      Finally, don't forget insurance. If you pay for the building as I recommend you'll need to check:

      * That the building structure and any personal items you keep in there are covered by your existing buildings and contents insurance. Most building policies cover outbuildings, including timber construction buildings but they are typically your average shed with a value of £1k or less. Do check and also make sure your insurance company is happy with you using the building for business purposes - it will probably need an endorsement on your policy.

      * Take out dedicated business contents insurance cover for all business-owned contents and make sure they cover contents kept in a secure outbuilding. Whilst your personal contents cover will probably cover some business equipment it will be limited. You'll probably need a decent insurer that you can explain this to and make it clear that it's a proper building with insurance grade locks, not a shed or a garage. My old insurer Direct Line would not cover this, I had to go with Hiscox in the end - the combined policy of employer/public liability + business contents and interruption was 3x the price of Direct Line. The company can pay for this of course.
      Last edited by TheCyclingProgrammer; 3 August 2020, 14:11.

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        #13
        If you are in any way DIY inclined, one of the cheaper options is to build your own using a kit. I used a kit from Supersips (SIPs Panels | SuperSIPs UK Manufacturer of Structural Insulated Panels | Design G) which gives you a set of SIPs (structural insulation panels), some glue, screws and foam. Not a hard job at all with two people (apart from getting the roof panels in - but we managed it, just about). You then have to sort the windows/door, roof (EPDM roof kits are a couple of hundred quid for this size), electrics, floor, plastering etc. I had a full foil-lined plasterboard and plaster finish, which was probably £500 all up, armoured electric and cat6 under the lawn with a ton of electrical sockets (12 I think) running off a small consumer unit, engineered oak floor and cedral weatherboard on the outside. All up about £5.5k, but I did deduct VAT through the company.

        It probably cost about half of an equivalently specced off-the-shelf solution, so if you've got time (on the bench) or the inclination then it's definitely worth looking into.

        The office itself is fantastic - so incredibly well insulated that I rarely need the heater on even in winter. I honestly don't know how I would have managed without it during the last 4 months with the kids at home most of the time.

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          #14
          Checklist for Garden office and recommendations please

          Hi,

          I was wondering if there is a checklist I should consider when shopping for a garden office.

          I am desperate to have my own space now and it looks like I would be WFH for a long time. Can you please suggest what I should look for/consider?

          Also, can you be kind enough to suggest a few sellers what won't cost me over 10k to build a garden office?

          Best,
          E

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            #15
            Originally posted by Eleanor20 View Post
            I am desperate to have my own space now and it looks like I would be WFH for a long time. Can you please suggest what I should look for/consider?
            Wired internet and plenty of plug sockets!

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              #16
              Originally posted by Eleanor20 View Post
              Hi,

              I was wondering if there is a checklist I should consider when shopping for a garden office.

              I am desperate to have my own space now and it looks like I would be WFH for a long time. Can you please suggest what I should look for/consider?

              Also, can you be kind enough to suggest a few sellers what won't cost me over 10k to build a garden office?

              Best,
              E
              * Properly lined and insulated building (SIPS panels or similar)
              * Probably 2.5m square minimum size if you have the space but 3m square even better.
              * Hard-wired data cabling - you'll want to put a wireless access point in too for mobile devices. Don't rely on house wifi, my garden office has a foil insulation wrapping around it that blocks a lot of wifi signal.
              * At least one double plug socket on each wall.
              * Insurance grade locks
              * Don't rule out air conditioning - I didn't bother and just used the oil heater that came with it which was *ok* in the winter (although the expansion noises as it heated up were annoying) but whilst these buildings tend to be insulated well enough to keep heat in they don't do well at keeping heat out if you have a lot of glass (one side of mine is mostly glass). You can keep the doors open for ventilation but if you have a noisy neighbourhood or children this isn't going to be ideal. I had an LG air-con unit installed a few months ago which does heating and cooling. It cost about £2k but it feels like a good investment to me.

              Honestly I'd still recommend Green Retreats (Garden Buildings | The UKs Leading Provider | Green Retreats) but don't expect much change from £15k for a 3x3m building. If you go for the treated timber cladding instead of cedar, go with the melamine lined walls instead of fully lined and plastered you might be able to get this down closer to £10k. This isn't including air-con though or the electrician costs for connecting the building to your home.

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                #17
                Check you don't need planning permission.

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                  #18
                  I went with these guys in the end. Planned install date is the March! A lot of people have the same idea. I need to arrange a sparky to wire power to a fuse box in the office to the main board in the house and will send a network cable down from the house at the same time.Morespace4u Bespoke Garden Buildings Lichfield | Bespoke Garden Offices
                  Make Mercia Great Again!

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                    #19
                    Garden Offices - Work From Home

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                      #20
                      Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
                      Check you don't need planning permission.
                      You should check, but its very unlikely you will as long as you have permitted development rights (not everyone does, especially in conservation areas or if you live on a new build estate which might have had PDR removed to avoid over-development).

                      Most of the rules around outbuildings are simple - they need to be a certain size, height and location but most garden office companies make sure their buildings comply with these rules. You also need to check building regulation rules - most of these buildings are not subject to building regulations but there are conditions to meet to ensure they are exempt. There are rules such as proximity to the boundary etc.

                      Planning Permission | Outbuildings | Planning Portal

                      The final point that people often overlook regarding planning rules for outbuildings (and almost all garden office companies don't mention this either) under PDR is that first and foremost they are intended for use that is "incidental to the enjoyment of the main dwellinghouse". This covers sheds, greenhouses, summerhouses, playhouses, swimming pools etc. but would not include any habitable accommodation. A garden office sits in a weird grey area where different local authorities have their own intepretation of what is considered "incidental". Generally, a building used as a study/office for clerical work only with no visitors or employees should fall under this definition but you should speak to your LA as some would consider it to be business premises and say you need planning permission.

                      People have put these buildings up for things like fitness studios/salons etc. and been caught out by this rule and told they need planning permission.

                      If your council won't offer informal advice the best thing to do would be what I did and apply for a certificate of lawful development, where you can show them where the building would be located, plans that show it meets all size/location rules for PDR and a brief outline of how you will be using it (just say you're working from home using computer equipment only, no employees and no visitors) and you should be covered. It costs about £80 and should cover your arse.

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