BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

Want to expand your living space without extending your home? Look to the garden and create a multi-functional building to enjoy all year round, says Sander Tel

Adding a garden building is an effective and budget-friendly way to eke the most out of your home’s plot. A well-designed garden room can be a fantastic investment, extending your living space and adding significant value to your home. “They can be a more cost-effective alternative to traditional extensions and can be installed with far less disruption to the existing property,” says Matthew Farrington, managing director of Eden Spaces.

Garden buildings are uniquely flexible, too, creating a distraction-free room (or series of rooms) that could provide anything from a relaxed setting to soak up garden views through to a home office, gym, guest suite or more. “Think about how you intend to use the garden room, and that will define whether you should or shouldn’t consider an extension instead,” says Richard Keys, founding director of ByOthers Studio.

Designing your garden building

There are two main routes to choose from here: off-theshelf garden rooms; or bespoke designs from a specialist company or architect. Kit garden buildings are a popular choice. They tend to be affordable, easy to install (sometimes even on a DIY basis) and come in a variety of styles, materials and finishes. So, there’s plenty of choice, and you can achieve an individual look without going through the rigmarole of a full design process. Plus, you’ll be able to deck it out internally to suit your tastes and requirements – albeit working within the limitations of a fixed floor plan.