CR5 Issue 170 July 2019

Garden buildings:
Take the inside out
A well-designed outdoor
structure, whether for work
or relaxation, can make a
wonderful addition to a garden.
Albeit practical and
indispensable for storage,
why be satisfied with a
humble garden shed when
other garden buildings can be
more glamorous and equally
useful? From pavilions to pods,
summerhouses to shepherd’s
huts, all sorts of structures are
possible provided you have the
outdoor space. They take many
forms and will enhance the
overall look of your garden, too.
If you are considering adding a
garden building of some kind,
the best place to start is by
assessing your outside space
and considering how much
square footage is available. It is
important to leave a reasonable
amount of garden to enjoy
(and so as not to devalue your
home). What do you need the
structure for? If it is simply a
cosy nook in which to put your
feet up with a glass of wine
after a day in the garden, a
small, circular gazebo with a
diameter of two or three metres
may suffice, while a craft room,
for example, would need to
be more spacious, and a home
office might be much larger still.
Most garden buildings
are considered ‘permitted
development’, but check with
your local authority as to whether
you’ll need planning permission. If
the structure is going to be larger
How much will it cost?
A small, DIY timber summerhouse should cost less than £1,000 –
but you can easily spend a five-figure sum on a garden building. It
makes a difference whether the structure is conventional timber
frame or high-performance structural insulated panels, while
finishes such as cedar cladding and plastered walls all add up. For
a fully functioning, year-round garden room, £10,000 to £20,000 is
a very rough guide.
than 15 square metres, or used
for sleeping in, then it will have
to pass building regulations, too.
Without planning permission
you can’t put an outbuilding in
your front garden, nor can it be
higher than 2.5m if it’s within
two metres of a boundary.
Consider how close you want
the room to be to your house,
whether the ground is sloping,
where there are trees or other
potential obstructions, how the
sun falls at certain times of the
day, and which way you want
the windows and door to face.
Next, go into detail about
function. Do you want
heating, lighting, plug sockets
and maybe a kitchenette or
bathroom? If so, unless you’re
opting for solar or wind power,
consider how you will connect
utilities. Insulation is vital
(think walls, floors and roof if
the space is going to be used
beyond the summer months),
and so is good security. If
anything valuable is going
to be stored in the space,
glass windows (perhaps even
double glazed) are better than
plastic, and a sturdy door with
a proper lock will be necessary.
Some may prefer rustic
simplicity, perhaps a yurt with
solar lighting and a sheepskin
rug, or a thatched rotunda with
a deck chair and weather vane,
but others may opt for full-on
opulence, which may take the
form of underfloor heating,
floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors, an
entertainment system, cinema
set-up, ensuite bathroom,
a green roof or a hot tub.
Comfort and luxury are no
longer limited to indoors
– just step outside and see.
By Katherine Sorrell
Image: Summerhouse painted
in House White No 2012 Exterior
Eggshell, £69 for 2.5l, Farrow & Ball:
01202 876141;
www.farrow-ball.com.
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