Build one.
I need an office in my garden to see clients in all year round, so it has to be weatherproof, warm and solid. My choices seem to be buy a garden shed
for £400-600 and try to make it warm and weatherproof or buy a purpose built building for £6000 like this one:
Garden Office
Does anybody have an experince of this or can recommend any companies?
£6k for that
Build one.
£6k for that - are they having a giraffe!!!
Buy a garden shed and make it nice!
Steve
I agree, for £6k you could build something and fit it's own central heating!
At my old house i built a music room, using panels from a concrete garage and a sliding d/glazed patio door, suspended timber floor, and concrete
corrugated roof sheets. used 100mm cavity batts everywhere, and dry lined the walls and ceiling. It was as good as any house and cost less than a
grand in total, including a couple of radiators and wiring. Depends how much you can do yourself as to cost. I would think a decent timber structure
could be easily made warm and dry using a similar internal construction, just make sure you have some ventilation gaps so it wont start to rot.
Al.
Garden Office
Does anybody have an experince of this or can recommend any companies?
Cheers chaps - I thought you may say that! Trouble I have is I'm not a builder, never done any woodwork at all, and have bugger all time! I do know a good builder, so I'll have a chat with him......
what about log cabins
http://www.finlogcabins.co.uk/images/prices_img/wagtail.jpg
£2600.
http://www.finlogcabins.co.uk/log_cabin_price_list.php
Blimey! How much. Build one. I'm sure there's a basic self-build guide out there. Otherwise just over-engineer it and you'll be fine..... If you go and look at shed engineering you'll soon realise it isn't rocket ship technology!!
Jasper,
I'm not a builder as you well know but have built my own concrete panel garage and recently laid my own brick front wall. It's really not
hard. Either option can be done yourself and very cost effectivelty based on the £6k figure you gave. Type of construction imho would depend on how
permanent or temporary you would want the structure to be?
Ned.
Hi Jasper
Before you do anything with a builder it may be worth having a chat with your local council to see what they deem as a "temporary" structure
though, because if its deemd to be permanent you may need planning permission for it.
Chris
There is a guy operating from the barn where i work who has just started his own company. He mainly makes play structures but will happily do outdoor
offices and sun rooms etc.
Cheap he aint but certainly could beat 6K for that!!!
His work is superb. Everything is made bespoke from top quality timbers and the craftmanship in each one he makes is outstanding. Every piece is fully
routered to smooth them off and make it look fantastic.
He recently installed a couple of show pieces in a garden centre outside London and is busy making another one to go on show at Winyard Golf Course
(for those of you who dont know Winyard is a prestiguous development that has attracted many a money folk up here inc footballers etc - one of Sir
John Halls creations of NUFC fame).
Alans is a very down to erath guy and easy to talk to. He doesnt do high pressure sales at all. website - http://www.jigsawplaystructures.com/
The big piece on the site has just been shipped to Ghana.
Thanks Darren, I'll have a look at that. Chris, if It's under 3m and at least 15m from the house and your not in a conservation area it
should be fine - apparently!
Just spoken to a local company who would supply a 10x7 log-cabin with double glazed windows and doors for £2k, then I can just dryline it myself with
a bit of 'help' 
sounds a bit more like it......
[Edited on 10/7/07 by Jasper]
http://just-sheds.com/1201.pdf is a detailed plan for a DIY shed....
although I'd be tempted to go down the own design mahusively over-engineer route....
Jasper,
My 12' x 8' shed "should" of cost £950 (I think) from here:
http://www.olympiansheds.co.uk/
My mate works for them so he built it in his spare time for me and I just paid for the timber, so it was a LOT cheaper than that, especially since I
had double stable doors fitted in the side rather than gable end, but you should give them a call, I am sure they would talk cash and do deliver all
over the place...
hth
Steve
shed
quote:
Originally posted by Jasper
Thanks Darren, I'll have a look at that. Chris, if It's under 3m and at least 15m from the house and your not in a conservation area it should be fine - apparently!
Just spoken to a local company who would supply a 10x7 'shed' with double glazed windows and doors for £2k, then I can just dryline it myself with a bit of 'help'
Steve - just spoke to Nick at Olympian - he's gonna give me a quote..... thanks mate
Ben - I don't even understand the drawings, let along recreate them!
[Edited on 10/7/07 by Jasper]
nick is the (spoilt) son of the owner, so keep seeing if you can push it a bit further - I don;t know him myself but my mate is a sound lad and hates
him!!!
Steve
edited to add: Jasper, speak to him about 'X' Grade on some of your walls/floors if you want - it's just second grade wood with knots
in it, and it's what I've got in my floors and unseen walls!
cheers
[Edited on 10/7/07 by worX]
I think Screwfix do a selection.
quote:
Originally posted by fesycresy
£6k for that
Build one.
I have seen these building at Southampton boat show of all places. Good quality and reasonably priced. Good thick timber not thin planks.
http://www.buydirect.co.uk/
How about a small portacabin?
how good is access to back garden the reason i ask porto cabins second hand can be cheap .they have electric heating lights etc and can with a little effort ie tiled roof look like a holiday chalet
Locost solution: build a frame from 50 X 50 steel box welded, get an old refrigerator van body cut up into panels that fit either completely inside or
completely outside the frame, cut holes for standard window units from Magnet & Southerns and screw in. Make sure the roof slopes, lots of
silicone or PU on the joins , just don't forget to leave a door and the wiring should be easier than the locost!
Caber
Our buisness is run from our huge log cabin it was imported from scandinavia all i can say is that its warm in winter and cool in summer all we have is one small electric radiater on the wall it sits on a large decking we built the deck and we got the company to come and build the cabin fully double glazed cost about £6000 well worth the money.
Does it have to look like the Gypos have moved in?
Portacabin - don't think the wife would like that - and there's only limited access.
Olympian was over a grand for a basic shed with no doors or windows, not cheap....
The buydirect log cabins look good, for a £1500 you get a nice thick wood structure with double glazing supplied.
Thanks chaps for all the input - I'm going with the buydirect log cabin, very good value for under £2k and the wife will like the look too and
it's insulated .....
[Edited on 12/7/07 by Jasper]