Monday, January 03, 2011

Future-proofing your garden office (guest post)

Here are some thoughts on future-proofing your garden office by Paul Barton from Roowmworks.
Even though garden offices/studios/rooms are a relatively new concept, with a huge market yet to discover the benefits of this type of extra space, there are a growing number who are already thinking ahead.

We have had quite a few projects where the customer's brief has been for a room that will evolve as they do, as their family grows (or shrinks) and as their work/play requirements change. With the significant costs involved, "future-proofing" your room and your investment makes a great deal of sense. What might start out as an office today, could become a granny annex in a couple of years time, so thinking ahead about your likely requirements is something Roomworks encourage their clients to consider as part of the design process.

Roomworks only build bespoke buildings, (in fact so far we haven't built the same design twice) which makes future-proofing a natural part of the design process. This is also one of the reasons our building specification is so high. Because our rooms surpass building regulations, a change of use from say an office to living accommodation is straightforward, assuming there are no planning issues.

It might also make sense to remodel a garden room if you decide to sell your home. A chill-out space for your dog for instance (and Roomworks have built them!) might suit you but not the saleability of your property. Extra accommodation for the new owner's mother on the other hand might be a more attractive proposition! Thinking ahead means that provisions can be made - the shape and size of the space can be properly considered, services built in (even if they are not connected until required) and any potential modifications made easier to make at a later date.

Another question we are often asked is "Can I take my garden room with me if I move?" Some garden room suppliers refer to the fact that their rooms can be easily taken apart as a key benefit, and for some, this may well be the case, but we take a different view. It would be easier to knock a brick building down than take a Roomworks structure apart and we make no apology for this - our rooms are built to last and perform. Assuming the building isn't too large for transportation and where access to the site is good however, a Roomworks structure can be lifted and moved to another site. Again, if factored in at the the design stage, this process can be made less of a challenge.
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