Across the UK, there are 1.54 million workers choosing to work from home. In Scotland, around 12% of the workforce is self-employed with a large number choosing to work from home rather than from a corporate office. Finding space in the home can be tough which is why garden offices are proving popular. But are garden offices perfect for everyone?
Why a garden office can really work
A garden office can make a real difference in many ways. Working from home doesn’t have to mean a desk in the corner of the room or your business taking over the whole house. Here’s why people have chosen a garden office;
It’s space away from the house
On one hand, working from home releases you from the hell that is the morning and evening commute but on the other, you need to create a working environment that you can ‘shut off’ at the end of the working day.
A garden office is a space away from the house in which anything work-related can be kept. It is also perfect for escaping the distractions of home too. It’s amazing how when you don’t want to do something or are not looking forward to a task that other things become more attractive, like doing the vacuuming!
Well-insulated, well-built, delightfully decorated and with heating in the garden office, it’ll be a great space from which to work.
Adds value for money
We’ve written blog posts on garden buildings and the value they can add to a property, especially when they are professionally built and well-maintained.
Converted sheds make for dismal working conditions. They never really lose the ‘shed’ or musty smell, they are cold even when insulated and draughty too.
A bespoke garden office, on the other hand, is built with your activities in mind. You can choose from glass or plastic windows for example, including double glazing in some instances too.
And when you come to sell your home, a garden office van make a handy asset when it comes to swelling the value and saleability of your property too.
It’s less expensive than co-working or renting an office
If you want a nice office in a nice part of town, it will come with an inflated price tag. And you will often be tied into a lease.
Or you could co-work – that is, hire space in an office complex as and when you need it and feel like company. But again, you’ll be back to the distractions of phones ringing, people talking and so on.
Renting office space can cost between £100 to £500 a month. Worse still, after several months of renting office space, you’ll have spent all that money with nothing to show for it.
With a garden room, you’ll be able to see the benefits because you have a beautiful space that is perfect as an office. And if your career path changes and you no longer need it as an office, it can be a pleasant outdoor room you can enjoy throughout the year.
