Do I need planning permission for a garden room?
Usually not: outbuildings within the permitted development limits, under 2.5 m at the eaves near a boundary and not forward of the house, generally do not need an application. Listed settings and conservation areas differ. We check your situation properly before anything is priced.
Brick-built or a timber kit, is brick worth it?
If you want a building that is warm in winter, cool in summer, secure, mortgage-surveyor-friendly and still standing in 40 years, yes. A kit is cheaper on day one; a brick garden room is cheaper per year of useful life, and it reads as part of the property rather than a shed.
Can it have power, lighting and internet?
Yes. An armoured supply from the house consumer unit, sockets, lighting inside and out, and a data cable if you work out there. The electrical work is certificated by a qualified electrician and the trench is dug and reinstated as part of our groundwork.
How long does a garden room take to build?
Typically four to eight weeks depending on size and finish: a week or so in the ground, the shell up and roofed in a fortnight, then insulation, boarding, doors and finishes. Weather matters less once our roof is on, which is why we get it on early.
Will it be warm enough to use as an office all year?
Built our way, yes: insulated slab, insulated walls, insulated roof and decent glazing. Add a small electric radiator or air-conditioning unit and it holds a working temperature in a North Yorkshire winter without costing a fortune to run.
