Garden Offices

Already two million of us work from homes and that figure looks set to grow as more people swap office life for home working. However, the convenience of tele-working comes with its own drawbacks, in particular the loss of a room in the house and the feeling of never really 'leaving work'. "People in Britain never seem to consider an alternative to converting one of their spare rooms into what often turns out to be a cramped, work-prohibitive cubby hole," says John Rudd, Sales Director of New Forest Log Cabins. "Moving your place of work to the garden not only saves interior space but gives the owner a real sense of differentiation between office and home." The answer may be to invest in a garden building.

There's no hard and fast rule on the optimum size but a garden building should never look overbearing or take up more than a quarter of your garden. At the planning stage, consider creating a hard path leading to its entrance so you don't churn up the grass. Trees or shrubs screening the building will make it less conspicuous.

Where you plan to site the new building is also important. If it will be within five metres of your home (and over 10m3) it will be treated as an extension to your house. Your local authority will then count it as part of your permissable development. This may be a problem if you already have a large extension to your home.

In addition, your neighbours may object if the room blocks light to their property or overlooks them. Always contact your local authority's planning department and ask their advice. You may be asked to send in a sketch with the dimensions and location in your garden. Your council office's planning department should let you know within two weeks if it needs planning permission.

Building regulations don't apply to the building of a timber cabin as it is classed as a 'temporary structure'. Lastly, bear in mind that a garden room is often an easier target for an intruder than a house so fit a PIR light and alarm to sense movement. Buy metal security casings for PCs and lock these to the walls.

Choosing a building

Cabin Style: Softwood tongue-and-groove boards interlock at the corners to form a cabin with a pitched roof. You only need a few metal fixings for the roof and floors ― the rest locks together and can be built up in a couple of days. B&Q's range starts from around £1,500. The glazing is plastic but you could fit your own double glazed units. A 3x3m cabin from Garden Affairs in 44mm timber and a range of door/window styles starts from £3,000.

Modular: Basically mini houses, with softwood clad walls filled with insulation and plasterboard interiors. These buildings can also be assembled quickly. Doors and windows are often Pilkington K double glazed units. The Garden Escape can supply anything from a 7.2 to a 19.8m2 unit with insulation, electrics and phone points installed from £7,500.

Timber frame: If your wallet stretches to £10,000+ a timber framed building is the ultimate hideaway. Choose weatherboarded or rendered panels, an oak frame, roof tiles or even a thatch roof. Courtyard Designs offer 10x15ft - 20x15ft offices with a double glazing, high security locks, wiring, lighting and insulation from around £21,000 - £28,000.

What else could I use it for?

Many log cabins are bought as home offices and it's not difficult to see why. Even if you only have to walk out the back door and across the lawn to 'work' it creates a physical division between work life and home, making it easier to work to set hours in a quiet undisturbed space, especially with a family. You can claim back the messy spare bedroom, save travel time and possibly some of the building costs against your tax bill.

Art studios or hobby rooms need natural light. If you have a large garden, aim to get your new building to face south. You can even add roof windows, as well as a sink, toilet or work surfaces. Cabins make excellent music rooms, but soundproof walls to keep noise to a minimum for neighbours.

Although it may seem more convenient to have a home gym in your loft or spare room, there are usually too many distractions to make a serious workout possible. It's also difficult for a guest bedroom filled with fitness equipment to look welcoming. Check that your new building's floor is strong enough for weights and fitness machinery. A concrete slag base is a better bet than tongue-and-groove flooring.

Many of us crave a private den or hobby workshop and again a space away from the house is often the best solution, especially if your hobby uses noisy tools or requires storage space.

Further reading:

• Setting up a Home office
• A Guide to Electrics
• Home Networking: Wired or Wireless?