It’s a question we get asked a lot – how much does a Garden Room cost? And while we would love to be able to respond with a short and succinct answer, unfortunately garden room prices depend on a range of different factors.
So we have decided to devote this blog to all of those different elements that determine what Garden Rooms cost. This will enable you to decide whether this is the right form of home extension for you, and whether it is cost effective. Throughout this article, keep in mind the benefits of extra living space, a purpose-built garden building (like a garden office) and freeing up room in your main house – then you can decide whether the overall cost is worth it.
Factors that impact Garden Room Costs
We’ll look at each individual factor now, weighing up the various decisions that you’ll need to make which will impact the price of garden rooms.
Planning permission
The first thing that you’ll need to establish is whether you need planning permission for your garden room. The rules on planning permission in the UK are quite clear, and you will only require permission if your garden buildings are:
- over 2.5m tall
- in front of your the main elevation of your property
- taking up more than 50% of your garden space
- or if you live in a listed building or in an area of outstanding natural beauty
Applying for planning permission can cost anything from £750 to £2,000, but to put your mind at rest, most garden rooms will not require planning permission. The garden rooms that we supply are specifically designed in a way that does not require planning permission in the vast majority of cases.
Foundation
The foundations of your garden room may be one of the most important factors when you are planning your room. A strong foundation will protect your garden room against long-term issues like subsidence, so it’s important that you get this right.
The main options are whether you want a concrete base or whether you are going to use ground screws as your foundation. A concrete foundation is the traditional solution, but it tends to be more expensive – around £500 to £1000 as a rough guide.
Ground screws on timber frames are often considered to be the more cost effective solution as this won’t require any excavation and, as it’s a quicker solution so the labour costs will be cheaper. It can also be prepared in any weather, whereas concrete requires dry conditions.
In truth there isn’t a huge amount of difference in cost between the two options. Whichever solution you go for will depend on the ground onto which your are building the garden room.
Installation
How much it costs to fit garden rooms can vary depending on who is doing the work for you. It would be possible to install a garden room yourself, if you had the time, equipment and training to do it – but to be honest, unless you are very confident in your abilities, this may be more hassle than it’s worth.
Most Garden Room companies offer installation included in the price of the overall package. This is the best way to ensure it is correctly installed, and using a reputable company, like Apex, will take out a lot of stress and hassle from the build. Our Garden Rooms take 5 days for our fitters to install.
Insulation
One of the main appeals of Garden Rooms is that you can use that space all year round – so don’t underestimate the importance of insulation when you are looking at different Garden Room suppliers. There’s no point skimping on this and ending up with a garden room that is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.
All of our garden rooms are built with materials that will ensure your garden room is fully insulated -spruce wood walls and double-glazed units.
Electrical connection
Whatever you are going to use your garden room for, you’ll probably require it to have an electrical connection. Wiring, lighting and sockets will need to be installed, and most electricians will charge between £30-£50 an hour, and you’ll have to add in the cost of the fittings on top of that.
You should also consider whether you need an internet connection – your WIFI from the main house may reach, or you may need to wire it in.
Heating & Plumbing
You should also consider whether you’ll need heating and plumbing installed. In most cases, this won’t be necessary – a well insulated garden room with an electric heater will be sufficient. If you are making a more elaborate guest room, or bar, you may require plumbing. That could cost anything up to around £2000.
Finishes
Now the fun bit – how do you want to finish the garden room? Laminate flooring (£30 to £80 per square metre). In terms of decorating, you could paint it or wall paper it, which can be done by decorators for around £30 an hour, plus materials.
Cost of a Garden Room – Conclusion
As you have probably gathered, there is no short answer to the question ‘how much does a garden room cost?’ Garden room prices can vary depending on so many aspects of the design, that it’s very difficult to estimate the average cost of a garden room without a closer inspection.
That’s why at Apex, we will take care of all of this for you. Get in touch with us today for a quote on your own bespoke garden room – we have a number of flexible finance options, and all of our builds come with a 10 year materials guarantee.
We’ll make your garden room add value to your home, as well as providing some much needed extra space for you and your family.
- Does A Garden Room Add Value To Your Home - November 28, 2024
- The Top 8 Garden Room Bar Ideas In The UK - November 18, 2024
- Cost of a Garden Room - November 7, 2024
