How much is a garden room?

Others wanted an additional room which they could utilise all year round for applications varying from a garden gym, cinema rooms, playrooms, bars and green retreats or even a yoga studio.

With no planning permission needed in most cases, simply a flat base and access to a high voltage electricity point, consumers are finding garden rooms provide them with a low-cost solution to making the most of their home with extra space all year round.

A simple design consultation starts the process, with consumers able to track the costs involved in designing their dream room, adding in or taking out elements as they go.

Garden room prices can start from £10,000 depending on the size, style, number of windows and doors and cladding choices.

Factors that affect garden room costs

Many variables can affect the eventual final cost of designing and building a garden room.

How big is it going to be?

Garden rooms can range from simple one-room garden buildings to more extensive constructions. If your proposed project is to come under the scope of a ‘permitted development’ according to building regulations and not require planning permission, this will depend on where you plan to put it, how close to your boundary, how large your garden area and outdoor space is and what other buildings you have on the plot.

Is it a modular or a bespoke design?

Most garden room manufacturers, including Make Room Outside Living, have a wide range of different designs and styles on offer, and one of these may well match your own requirements exactly.

If you have something different in mind, then a bespoke garden room design won't be a problem for Make Room Outside, come and talk to us.

What material do you want your garden room to be?

Most manufacturers offer the choice of natural timber elements or composite cladding. So which is best?

Timber gives an attractive natural appearance which can be stained to match colour requirements. It’s hard-wearing and eco-friendly; these days, the wood must come from sustainable sources. However, it will require some regular maintenance over the years.

A garden room built using composite cladding, by contrast, is extremely low maintenance and available in a range of colours and textures. They’re eco-friendly too as they can usually be recycled at the end of their useful life. However, they are usually the more expensive option.

What are the foundation and roofing requirements?

In terms of foundations, there are many choices, including concrete foundations, posts and beams, piers and beams, plinths, ground screws or even concrete piles – the right choice for you will depend upon the type of garden room and where it will be located. There is also a difference in price between flat roof and pitched roof options. Landscaping services will also attract a premium on top of the building process

How about other features like doors and windows?

The number of doors and windows you require will also impact the eventual garden room costs. You have a wide choice, from a simple door through to French and bifold doors, with different window options and even different glazing options.

What level of interior finish will you require?

You can select from plastered walls and ceilings which gives an authentic domestic feel or even wooden cladding for a ‘cabin’ vibe, with skirting and architraves. There is an extensive choice of flooring options from simple plywood to laminate, wooden or carpeted finishes.

Interior electric fittings in terms of plug sockets and light fitments can also be specified in different styles, and plumbing can also be included where you have access to water and drainage and planning permission allows.

Does your garden space mean you will need levelling or landscaping work?

If so, a cost for this will need to be factored into your calculations and will impact the price of the complete installation.

Delivery and installation

Where you live and what the access challenges are for the garden room will impact the cost of delivery and installation. In saying that Make Room Outside have vast experience in delivering and installing garden rooms throughout the UK, whether that be at the back of a terraced house or on the remote grounds of a stately home.

Garden room cost per square metre

So what do garden rooms cost? The price can vary, based on the specifications and individual choices covered. Is a garden room worth it to enhance your property's living space?

“As an example, a traditional extension to your home will cost in the regions of £2,300 per square metre, whereas a Make Room Outside garden room can be as little as £950 per square metre,” advised Ryan Crossley from Make Room Outside. “Obviously, both prices will depend upon individual customer specifications. With our garden tooms, the choice is yours - you can choose to go for an empty shell and finish it off yourself, or our team will provide a full turnkey solution from flooring through to decoration, and even fitting a cat flap so your pets can share the new family room!”

A basic ‘man cave’ installation garden building or superior garden shed with insulation and power could be as little as £2,000. A higher-spec modular or bespoke garden room will range from £15,000 to as much as £40,000.

"At Make Room Outside, our starting price including groundworks, installation and plastering is £9,875, and that includes VAT, for a complete and installed solution," confirmed Ryan.

A fair starting price for a basic model garden room or garden home office is probably around the £10,000 market. Provided there are no defined challenges with the site and you do not need planning consent, this should buy you an attractive option and include professional installation of base, French doors, opening windows, flooring, electrics and insulation.

It will also include VAT and delivery. You should also get a comprehensive 10-year warranty on a building designed to last for 30 years.

Typical prices per size

For a more premium installation, expect to pay more. As a garden room cost calculator guideline, costs per square metre will probably range from around £1,000 to more than £5,000.

• 3m x 2.5m garden room – average cost £11,500

• 3m x 3m garden room – average cost £13,500

• 4m x 3m garden room – average cost £16,500

• 5m x 3m garden room – average cost £20,000

• 6m x 3m garden room – average cost £23,000

• 5m x 4m garden room – average cost £23,500

• 6m x 4m garden room – average cost £26,000

• All prices are dependent upon specification. 

Are garden rooms a cost-effective alternative to a traditional home extension?

So should you choose a garden room a more traditional home extension, or even a loft conversion?

Key benefits for the garden room are:-

• You usually don’t need planning permission

• They’re quick to install – generally just 5-7 days maximum when purchased from Make Room Outside Living, as opposed to many weeks, or even months for a house extension with associated disruption.

• Garden room companies offer many different design options to match your budget and tastes.

• They’re extremely versatile – an office, a gym, a TV room, a playroom – and create a private space away from your domestic living arrangements; ideal if you want a separate workspace.

• A garden room is generally more affordable too.

A house extension or loft conversion can:-

Increase your property value and kerb appeal, and add extra space to your home. However, it will require a more substantial investment.

So it looks like the garden room is the better choice in terms of speed, cost and flexibility.

What additional costs might there be for extras?

When you’re specifying your garden room, you might like to know what additional extras are available, what all the costs are and how much you might be expected to pay for these more bespoke designs.

• Bespoke choices like hot tubs and splash pools will come at their own cost, dependent upon the availability of water, plumbing and drainage. Your garden room company can advise on this.

• Cladding options – there are a wide range of different choices and quality materials, and the cost for these will be detailed in your initial quotation, dependent upon choice and quality.

• Electrical options – the electrical pack will be configured to suit your individual requirements, but remember if you want additional lighting, plug sockets, a Smart Hub etc, this will impact upon the cost of your pack.

• Outside lighting – similarly, if you require outside lighting and/or waterproof outside sockets, there will be an additional price to pay for these, prices start from only £25.

• Heating – a basic heating pack may be included with a modular design, but if not, be prepared to pay from £300 for panel heating to £500+ for underfloor heating for your garden room.

• Door options and colours – sliding, French, and bifold doors are the usual choices, expect to pay an additional £3,500+ for bifold doors, dependent upon the size and finish. These are available in both aluminium as well as PVC. Different door furniture choices may also incur additional costs.

• Windows – pricing will be dependent upon colour, style and openers.

• Interior finishes – plasterboarding, skirting, architraving – again, these will be priced into the garden room cost according to individual requirements.

• Internal decoration – if you require a full internal decorating job once the project is complete, this will be quoted by your garden room supplier.

• Plumbing – prices will be dependent upon the availability of water and drainage.

• Canopy roof side extensions – your perfect garden room can be specified with a canopy extension to cover a patio alongside the construction.

• Expect internal timber/composite decking to cost in the region of £150-200, more if the area is more extensive.

A real-world example

The team at Make Room Outside recently completed a project on behalf of a customer who had been quoted £69,000 for a traditional build extension. The time window for this was estimated at six to eight weeks – weather-dependent – and also entailed additional costs for making good the garden area around the planned build.

By contrast, garden room suppliers Make Room Outside completed an alternative garden room project for just £33,000, with all work carried out inside a seven-day window and no damage to the surrounding garden. What’s more, there was none of the disruption and dust associated with an extension which invades the home and can cause temporary chaos.

This modular project measured 7050mm x 3950mm and was constructed using beautiful Red Cedar wood. Built using a concrete pile system to support Make Room Outside’s steel frame system sat on adjustable steel feet, no planning permission was required as the building size was under a 30sqm footprint, did not exceed 2.5m in height and was sited more than a metre from any of the property boundaries.

The customer selected an elegant aluminium four-metre, three-pane bifolding door, which effectively brings the garden into the space yet retains all the comforts of indoors when the weather is more inclement. Make Room Outside completed all the interior finishing works, plastering and painting to create a comfortable and cosy additional living space.

"At Make Room Outside, we are a team of experienced tradespeople including joiners, builders, plasterers and surveyors, with a show site featuring nine bespoke garden rooms so customers can visit to take a look at the quality and different finishes we offer as well as buying directly from us, the manufacturer"

Ryan Crossley, Director

"One of our many USPs is that we use a steel base rather than timber, as timber close to the ground can absorb moisture. This steel frame sits on our own pre-designed adjustable steel feet that connect each steel frame."

"In addition, our special grooved system allows for a seamless, clean and quick installation process on-site with most of our work being done in the factory beforehand. Our panel system and pre-jigs make production efficient and cut to perfection every time, so we can offer extremely fast lead times of four to six weeks. Typical build time is approximately five days, from groundworks to flooring and skirting."  

Summary

Although garden rooms come as modular or bespoke options, there is a bespoke element in each and everyone, dependent upon individual requirements, and this will be reflected in the eventual cost.

Contact our Halifax office today to organise a site survey to determine an initial garden room cost to enhance your living space and home life.