Garden Room Mistakes: What Not To Do When Buying A Garden Room

17th March 2022

A garden room is such an important investment and getting it right the first time really is a must. However, there are some common mistakes that can and are made which mainly come down to the lack of guidance from a garden room company, lack of research done by the homeowner and rushing into decisions that may not necessarily work for that particular garden/person. And we get that, here at Modern Garden Rooms we know that it can be confusing, it can be overwhelming, there may be a time restriction issue and you may not know what it is you really want or need. This is precisely why we always like to take out time with all of our customers. Why we have our design tool, Garden Room options, why we have particular standards all of our rooms adhere to and why we promise we are here to help at every step of the way. Here we will take a look at the common garden room mistakes people make and how to avoid them (coming to us first being the best way, of course!)

Lack of Development Planning

In most cases, outbuildings such as Garden Rooms do not require planning permission in order to be built as long as they follow these guidelines:

1) That the garden room is no higher than 2.5m from the bottom of the building to the top of the roof (if within 2m of boundary)

2) That you do not take up more than 50% of your garden area with this or any other buildings

3) It is not to be used for living or sleeping accommodation

All of our Garden Rooms meet the height restriction but other companies may not or if you buy a self-build pack, you may not have checked or realised that these do not meet the required guidelines. It is an easy mistake to make but it can end up being an extremely costly one. If you violate these planning permission rules you will be asked to remove your building.

To be absolutely sure of what you are allowed to build on your land always check with your local authority, check with the landowner if that isn’t you and also take some time to chat with neighbours to let them know your plans and to resolve any concerns they may have prior to the Garden Room going up.

Hasty Design Decision Making Leads to Garden Room Mistakes

A Garden Room is going to last you for a good number of years which means it just has to be right. We all know how tempting it can be to jump straight in with both feet on the first idea you come across but not taking your time to really research, to consider all possibilities or to go with the ideal building for your space could cost you more in the long-term. As pretty as all those images are on Pinterest or Instagram, as lovely as your neighbour’s Garden Room is, as much as you’d like it done as soon as possible, sometimes taking a little more time to assess your outdoor space, your needs and what else is available on the market is what is needed before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Here’s how we do it:

Concept

We kick off with a site survey which informs our team as they work with you to conceptualise the best garden room for your garden.

Design Stage

Our Modern team will work with you to review your budget and finalize your layout to create conceptual plans. Based on these plans, we can provide a project estimate and timeline. An example of one of our designs.

Project Planning

We will give you our available build dates for you to choose from. Next, we will begin to order all of the materials that go into building your Modern garden room.

Construction

Project construction time is around 1-2 weeks.

Not Investing In High Quality Windows and Doors

Choosing high quality double glazed or triple glazed windows really is a must when it comes to Garden Room buildings. What separates these from an ordinary garden shed is the fact that you can happily use them all year round without ever having to worry about noise, cold, dampness or drafts. If you think you can get away with single-paned windows and doors or cheap ones you’ll soon find out the hard way why these are not recommended. Your Garden Room wants to be built to the same spec as your home and you wouldn’t scrimp here so definitely don’t with this new project either.

Non-Insulated Garden Rooms

When you are looking to purchase your Garden Room you must ensure that the design and materials include insulating it. Please don’t just assume it will be, there are a lot of companies and a lot of options out there. A reputable company will state things like this clearly on their website but if you are a little unsure, always ask the question. A non-insulated Garden Room will most definitely not be usable all year round and would be one of the worst definite garden room mistakes.

Ventilation

One thing a lot of people overlook when they purchase a new Garden Room is its ventilation. It may not be something that even comes to mind but it is a really important part of your build. Ventilation promotes a good airflow around the room, helping to prevent condensation which can lead to damp and mould issues. If you don’t have ventilation, your Garden Room will end up costing you more in the long run. Again, all reputable companies should bring this up or have this down as a standard requirement with their buildings but if not, make sure you ask them about this.

Heating, Electricity and Lighting

When you need your Garden Room for working, entertaining, exercising in and so on you will need it to be warm in the winter, have access to electrical points and of course lights but not all will come with these within their normal package. Is it an additional extra? In our eyes, no, it is a necessity but not everyone will think like this and the last thing you want is a completed building with no essentials. You will also need to check with the company/contractors how the electrics will be sourced as this can often mean running cables under the garden from your home. This may also be at an extra cost and is far easier to do during the build rather than afterwards.

No Warranty

Although you have paid out for your new Garden Room, did you check that this automatically included a warranty of some kind? No? Uh-oh. You would think that this again would come as standard but this could well be an additional cost and service you have to buy into making it one of the biggest garden room mistakes you could make. If the company you are looking at or working with haven’t mentioned this or don’t offer it, this could start to ring some alarm bells. Any reputable company would be able to give you that guarantee with no qualms. Here at Modern Garden Rooms, our structures are covered by a comprehensive guarantee against design and manufacturing faults, material failure, corrosion and rot for a period of 10 years from the date of installation provided that the company installed the building. Doors and windows, floor coverings, electrical installations, electric appliances, heaters, accessories, telecoms, network and TV connections are covered by a one year guarantee. For us, a warranty is extremely important so ensure you do your research in this area when you are looking for somebody to build your new Garden Room.

Don’t make these common garden room mistakes; take your time, create lists of requirements and choose a company that is right for you.