The vast majority of garden offices we feature are designed for one person to work from home. However, a garden office building lends itself for use by bigger businesses too. They are ideal if you employ staff, as they create a professional work environment and if you incorporate a toilet and kitchenette, can maintain a division between your work and home life.
If you are a lone worker, in many cases, you can build a garden office under the Permitted Development rules. If you have staff working with you in the building, you would need to make a full Planning Application, as the building can't then be classed as 'incidental' to the main house - a fundamental term in the Permitted Development rules.
18sqm garden office
JML Garden Rooms designed and built this 18 sqm garden office based on their Lowlander Design in Edinburgh. The customer wanted to move their home-based business into a dedicated building in the garden. With staff coming and going at different times of day, which was disruptive to family life, they realised there was another way of working.
Experienced with garden office planning applications
This project was always going to require a planning application as the house is situated in a Conservation Area. The JML Garden Rooms team can handle the planning application as part of the overall service they offer. They will liaise with the local council on the project on your behalf.
In this case, JML Garden Rooms were familiar with the requirements of the City of Edinburgh Council, having worked with them on projects previously. This experience meant that planning approval was granted quickly.
Turnkey project
JML Garden Rooms offer their clients a turnkey service. This means they project manage all stages of the build from ground clearance through to the electrical connection.
With this project, the first job was to remove an existing building before installing the foundation system that overcame the sloping site, and then the building itself. The JML team handled the finish touches too. Establishing a pathway from the house to the office.
Custom interior
The interior of the garden office was fitted out to the customer's specification. This included a run of cupboards and custom shelving in the alcoves created by the corner glazing section.
The custom specification continued with the electrics. Full audio-visual systems were incorporated along with Cat 6 cabling and telephone lines. So that desks can be positioned without cablings draping over the floor, electrical floor boxes have been installed.
