Garden Office Buying Guide

The interest in for garden buildings in the UK has increased significantly in recent years, with the rise in home-working and a growing interest in making greater use of our gardens.

Here are some of the key considerations when thinking about buying a garden office;

Why should I consider a garden office?

Garden buildings are a flexible solution in many situations. For those working from home, they provide a dedicated professional space where productivity can thrive, freeing up the house for other uses. For homeowners looking for more space, garden buildings represent a cost-effective, quick and hassle-free alternative to an extension, renovation or moving house.

What should I look for when researching garden offices?

The first stage of any garden building investigation should always be identifying your particular need for the building, and assessing the available garden building options that can meet that need most effectively. Once you've created a shortlist of candidate garden buildings, you'll be in a position to actively compare them against each other.

How can I compare different garden offices?

Like most products, there is a vast difference between the quality and price of garden offices on offer at the top and bottom of the market, and as a result it is very difficult to make like-for-like comparisons. Garden buildings at the premium end of the scale have more in common with permanent dwellings, matching and sometimes exceeding their energy efficiency standards, and featuring a material and build quality that represents a first-rate investment. At the opposite end of the quality scale, garden buildings are little more than storage sheds that can't possibly offer the same level of performance. It is important to make this distinction when comparing garden buildings.

Quality

The quality of materials, design and workmanship should be actively considered in the selection process. While a high-end offering might seem expensive to begin with, especially when compared with lesser alternatives, the exceptional quality employed throughout will result in a longer-lasting and better performing building. In addition to this, a high quality garden building offers a far greater flexibility in applications, and can be used for a wider variety of activities over time.

Price

With such a massive difference in the overall quality of garden buildings on the market, there is inevitably a great deal of disparity in prices. Garden buildings should be judged against those in a generally similar price bracket, as this is a fairly accurate indication of the quality on offer. It is important to avoid using size as a sole factor in comparisons, as this doesn't demonstrate any significant similarities.

Is a garden office right for my garden?

The sizes of our garden buildings at Decorated Shed start at 2.4 x 3.6m, meaning that they can comfortably fit in even the most compact gardens. In larger gardens, a well proportioned and situated garden building creates a unique focal point, as well as a highly functional and usable space. With natural wood cladding, our garden buildings are designed with an organic and unobtrusive appearance that suits any garden style.

Why does insulation and energy efficiency matter in a garden office?

The issues of insulation and energy efficiency are highly important in any garden building that you are looking to spend any significant amount of time in, such as an office or studio. Without strong performing insulation the usage of a garden building is effectively limited to the warmer months. High performance energy efficiency also helps to lessen the environmental impact of the garden building and its functions, along with lowering running costs ongoing.