The Top 10 Tips when buying a Garden Office

So you've decided to work from home. And you know that a "home office" is never the best solution and that the solution awaits in your garden. All you need to do now is to purchase a proper garden office. Charlie Dalton, the UK's garden office expert guides you through the decision making process and helps you avoid the pitfalls.

Choose your size wisely. You should only buy your garden office once, so make sure you get the right size: not just for your garden but for your intended purpose. I‘ve spoken to countless garden office users who always bemoan that, with hindsight, their office is just a little too small for their day to day needs. Think about how much desk space, filing space and meeting space will you need? Will you be working alone, with colleagues or will you be expecting other visitors? Once you've established these factors you can start to think about the impact your garden space.  

Think about how often you'll use the office. Even if you are planning to use your garden office only occasionally, you'll still need to ensure that your choice of building is well insulated and secure if you intend to leave any files or IT equipment in it. If you are a regular garden office worker, then make sure your interior environment will match that of your "in house" office. Warm, comfortable and secure should be your top 3 tick points.   

Avoid a shed, summerhouse or log "cabin". Remember that most garden buildings are designed for garden use. Garden being the key word. You need to be concentrating on the word office. Sheds and summerhouses are perfect occasional work destinations when the weather is neither too cold nor too hot – so you and your laptop can stroll down the garden and will be fine for around 30-60 days of the year. However, you'll be uncomfortable and miserable for the other 10 months of the year. Recently, log cabin importers have added "Home Office" onto their suggested uses of these Eastern European sheds. Sure, a log cabin is a little bit tougher than a shed, but we've yet to establish how a single skinned building can effectively deter the local villains, cope with the British weather or can prevent the logs opening up to reveal impromptu additional windows and an unwelcome source of  ventilation. They're cheap (and they are certainly not cheerful!) but it will cost you pretty penny to heat/cool and you'll be lucky to get insurance for it as a "home office".  This is a risky strategy.      

Make the right impression. Even if you are not expecting regular visitors, you must ensure that your office inspires you, delights you and entices you every morning. Make sure the garden office that you choose makes you keen to go to work every morning. You should have a spring in your step as you stroll down the garden to work.    

Don't be a Guinea Pig. Avoid choosing a garden office that will be the "first time" for the company. The internet is full of companies who have produced a prototype – photographed to a great extent on a flashy website …and then plan to sell it to you. Garden Office manufacture is specialist sector, and whilst a few fly-by-nights might have some pretty pictures there is little substitute to a history of production and installation.  There are only a few reputable garden office manufacturers in the UK who have a proven track record of consistent manufacturing quality. These companies can supply you with a robust, attractive and comfortable office space. Market leaders are Smart Garden Offices, MPB and Henley Offices.

Don't get caught out by the new planning regulations.  It's a little known fact that the new planning regulations may make your garden office non compliant if you locate it within 2 metres of your boundary. Make sure you select a garden office that is below 2.5m in height if you're a looking to make the most of your garden space, and want to avoid having to apply for planning permission.

Make the most of the tax breaks. If you plan to run your business from your garden office you can get some excellent tax breaks – but only if you buy wisely. If your garden office can be proven to be "demonstrably movable" you can gain the VAT, Capital Gains Tax and Capital Allowances advantages. A building that falls into this category must prove that it is able to be removed from it's current location (not just across the garden) and transported to another location within one day. Garden Offices that have plastered walls, fixed footings or cannot prove their ability to be readily demounted do not fall into this category and are therefore not able to offer the same (if any) of the tax breaks.    

Avoid this weeks designer "fashion". We watch with interest the vagaries of architectural fashion. Sadly these fashions become painfully embarrassing within a few years. Our current pet hate is cedar cladding. This looks absolutely beautiful for the first year but then reality sets in. Every single water mark becomes a very visible stain, the gold shade creeps back to "council house grey" and nail marks stand out like grim pimples. Our guess is that buildings clad with this stuff will become "very noughties" very soon.

Get a good idea of running costs and maintenance. You don't need to be an expert in building materials to establish the main maintenance issues of your office. The main garden office manufacturers will only use construction grade materials and professional coatings to ensure minimal maintenance. Don't get sucked into "ecobabble" about sustainable insulation or roofs. Sedum roofs are prone to failing on a regular basis (expect a very wet interior after a year or so) and if they are successful will look derelict after a few years. PIR insulation is the most effective insulation (all the main manufacturers and house builders use this material). Whilst sheeps wool insulation and reconstituted paper insulation have a low manufacturing footprint, they are inefficient as insulators especially when insulating relatively small buildings due to the wall thickness limitations.     

Check out the web sellers in great detail. You don't need to buy your garden office from a showsite or a middle man. Why pay their substantial margins when you can search for the manufacturers online. But take time to check each one out. Firstly, search for"garden office manufacturers" on Google. Establish each company's manufacturing credentials, and avoid those that claim to make sheds and other garden buildings as their production processes will be compromised. Ask to see your office being made in the factory, and gauge the reaction. Also make sure you credit check each supplier – this will give you a good idea of the solidity of the guarantee and safety of your order. Only order from a supplier who gives their full address details on their website (not just a contact form or mobile number) and phone them to request a site survey of your garden. Reputable suppliers offer this service free of charge.