Considerations - Garden Retreat The Timber Building Company?

Deciding on the position of your Garden Retreat:

1. Please make sure the site is level; please contact us as there are many solutions to levelling a site.

Your Garden Retreat will not normally require planning permission if it is in your back garden, however you will require planning permission if you wish to place it in your front garden.

2. How far will your Garden Retreat be from the main house, will you need to lay a path in the winter when it is wet?

3. What lighting will you need internally and externally, will you need lighting to get to your Garden Retreat when it is dark?

4. Take into consideration direct sunlight through the windows which may cause excessive heat and if shining onto your computer screen it will make it difficult to work.

5. What utilities will you need to your Garden Retreat, water, electricity, phone, TV etc.?

6. When positioning your building please allow for any roof overhang, verandas and access for maintenance.

7. If you have restricted or narrow access or difficulty in parking please advise us.

Deciding on the design of your Garden Retreat:

1. Ensure you do not confuse garden rooms with other structures. Garden rooms are designed to be used all year round and must be comfortable, so often people have converted a summerhouse in to a garden room or office and have been disappointed. Certainly if you are going to spend a lot of your working day in the building it must be comfortable especially if you are going receive visitors in an office environment.

2. Always make sure you have enough glazing to provide you with natural light, it is a fine balance ensuring the right levels are attained but you are not over exposed to excessive sun in the summer and wind and rain in the winter. You will also need to take into consideration the position of your Garden Retreat specifically relating to trees and bushes which can considerably reduce the amount of light in summer.

3. Plan ahead. If your Garden Retreat is going to be used as an office make sure you purchase a building that can expand with your business for example additional employees and office furniture.

4. Insulation and lighting are highly recommended and can be provided by Garden Retreat either as standard or an additional service dependent upon the product purchased.

5. All the external finishes are of the highest quality and will require little or no maintenance once treated. You can expect to re-paint as often as you would the woodwork on your own house. Dependent upon the Garden Retreat you choose will depend whether you will need to paint the exterior once constructed. We have a wide range of hard wearing exterior paints in many colours; we can paint the building for you if required.

6. If you ever decide to move house remember you can dismantle them and relocate them, but please also remember they will have a resale value in the event you cannot take the building with you.

7. Please bear in mind that the range of different buildings can suit a range of uses, they can make wonderful art rooms, studios, garden libraries, a gym, a writing room, a music room or just somewhere for the kids to go with their friends.

8. All buildings need a base, If we are not laying your base please ensure your contractor completes it to a recommended specification, if the base is not level we will not be able to erect the building, please call for advice.

Other Considerations

1. Wooden decking can be used to entertain and enhance the look.

2. A burglar alarm for piece of mind and to keep the insurance premiums down.

3. If you choose to have a water supply you may also have to consider a soak away. Most people have a water dispenser, a kettle and fridge.

4. Consider what type of heating you would want, thermostatically controlled which is most common or under floor heating which is very desirable but more costly.

5. Sound proofing will be required by some professions, using good quality insulation will provide a level of sound proof quality.

6. Some of the buildings come with double glazing; you may want to consider replacing single pane glass with double glazed units.

7. Choose hard wearing good quality laminated wood flooring, carpets are more rare and do not last as well.

8. Roofing can be provided in a range of finishes, please do not hesitate to discuss this when ordering.

9. Plastered plasterboard provides the best finish to be painted on.

10. Guttering should be a consideration to keep the rain water away from the walls of your Garden Retreat. Again dependent upon the package you may want to consider this as an option which we can advise on.

11. Garden Retreat can provide services UK wide although we do tend to service the south of England more often than not. We will however service further a field if required, please discuss with our advisor's.

Please contact us either on-line, by telephone on 01202 473 904, or e-mail us and we will call you back.

To The Top