FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Are your garden offices warm enough to use in winter?
Yes, they are warm enough to use throughout the year as they are all well insulated and come with a free-standing oil filled radiator as standard.
Can I add a skylight to my garden office design?
We are unable to offer sky lights as our roof construction is so meticulously engineered for superior quality of insulation, longevity and quality that it cannot support a skylight. However, we are able to supply and fit ceiling mounted LED panel lights that are a great alternative.
Can I have a toilet and/or kitchen in my garden office?
Yes, you can. We will liaise with a plumber to ensure that any necessary openings are in place, ready for the plumber to connect the required services.
Can I have dividing walls / separate rooms?
Yes, we can install partition walls in any of our larger sized garden offices. Please enquire for more details.
Can I have underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating can be installed as an optional extra, however the heat retention properties of the floor in all of our garden rooms are so efficient, that it is not essential.
Can I install a wood burner into my garden office?
Customers have previously fitted wood burners into their garden room, however it is not something that we recommend. We are unable to fit or prepare for fitting of a wood burner.
Can I live in a garden office?
Our garden offices are not designed to be lived in as they do not comply to building regulations. Living inside a garden office would invalidate your guarantee.
Can I paint/stain the outside of my garden room?
The building will not need painting or staining, however if you would like to change the colour, you can paint or stain your garden office with a water based substance without damaging the protective properties in the wood.
Can my completed garden room be moved to a different location at a later date?
Whilst our garden offices are temporary structures and are moveable – the cost to move a building is chargeable to you and can equate to an amount that does not make moving the building viable.
Can you attach a garden office onto the side of my house?
Our garden office structures will need to remain free standing due to the nature of their construction. However we can build as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, such as your house!
Can you create me a completely bespoke garden office?
We do not offer bespoke building options. However, we do offer many different sizes and styles to suit your tastes and budget. You can start to design your building using our 3D configurator.
Can you design my garden office as a custom shape?
We are only able to construct buildings that are either square or rectangular within the The Garden Office range.
Can you fit solar panels to my garden room?
Currently, we do not fit solar panels to our garden offices. Customers have previously retro-fitted solar panels to power their garden offices, so there are external companies out there that may be able to help.
Please be aware: Fitting solar panels the roof of your garden office may take your building height over the 2.5m permitted development tolerance to avoid planning permission. Also, our roofs are at a 4degree pitch – to get the most from your solar panels they are generally required to be at a greater angled pitch.
Can you give me the details of a garden office near me so I can go have a look?
A lot of our garden office buildings are built for personal use, so we are unable to give out any of our clients details. We do have two showrooms open 7 days a week for you to get a real feel of the quality we offer. Visit either our flagship showroom in Buckinghamshire, showcasing 17 garden room buildings, or our newest hub showroom in Twickenham, with 3 garden rooms on display.
Can you soundproof my garden office?
We don’t offer a completely sound proof solution for your garden office. However, we do offer an acoustic pack which reduces sound by up to 45db, making a considerable reduction in the transfer of sound – however this is not ‘sound proof’.
Our acoustic pack includes:
Knauf acoustic insulation, ply layer, green glue, acoustic rubber matting, acoustic plasterboard, laminated glass and acoustic back boxes on all electrical sockets.
Can your garden rooms be built as a ‘lean to’ against my house?
Our garden rooms must be free standing due to the nature of their construction, meaning we cannot build them as a ‘lean to’ extension. However, our construction methods mean that we can build as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, such as your house.
Do I need to get planning permission?
Planning permission is not normally required as our buildings fall under permitted development (built under 2.5m high externally). Most houses, even in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), have permitted development rights. Flats and listed buildings have no permitted development rights, so will always need planning permission. Don’t worry though, as planning is a relatively simple process for our garden offices and we are on-hand to help with this process.
Do we pay separately for installation and the base?
Full installation including your base is included in the cost of our garden offices.
Do you deliver garden rooms overseas?
Unfortunately, we only install our garden rooms in mainland UK and cannot deliver or install our garden rooms in other countries. We also offer free delivery within 100 miles of our Buckinghamshire factory & showroom (postcode HP18 0XB).
Do you offer any discounts?
We don’t offer any discounts as we are transparent on our prices and will always offer our customer the best value for money from when they are first quoted.
Do you offer electrical connection from my house to my garden office?
We offer a complete electrical connection from your house to the garden office at an additional cost, which will be confirmed at your site survey. However, you are more than welcome to use your own preferred electrician for this.
Do you offer finance plans?
Yes, we do! To find out more about what finance options we offer and to use our finance calculator, click here…
Do you offer painting?
If you should opt to have your garden office building plastered, you can either paint the internal walls yourself, alternatively have our professional painter do it for you. We paint the walls white as standard, unless provided with your colour of choice.
If you do choose to paint the room yourself, it’s worth noting that there will be no flooring, skirting or electrics to contend with as we will install these elements after painting, making it far easier for you to complete.
Do you offer plumbing?
If you are looking to install a bathroom or other facility that would require water to your building, we would be happy to liaise with your plumber of choice to ensure they are comfortable carrying out all plumbing work required to and from the building.
Do you supply CAD drawings for planning permission purposes?
Yes. CAD drawings usually take a week to be supplied. We ask for a £200 deposit to secure an installation date and a quoted price. This £200 deposit also secures your CAD drawings. This would be refundable in the event of planning being turned down.
Do your garden offices come with a guarantee?
All of our offices come with a 10-year structural guarantee.
Do your garden offices come with heating?
Yes, all of our buildings come as standard with a free-standing oil filled radiator. We also offer a variety of heating options including wall mounted radiators, underfloor heating and air conditioning, which both heats and cools.
Does my quote include VAT?
VAT is included within the cost of all of our garden office buildings.
How can I contact the London Showroom in Twickenham?
To contact our London Showroom please call our head office on 01296 328555, and a member of our team will put you through.
If you need to contact the London Showroom outside of our head office hours, please call 02039855777.
How close can my garden room be built to a wall, fence, boundary or obstacle?
We can build as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, such as a wall or fence.
How close can you build my garden office to my house, fence or outside obstacles?
All of our buildings are built from primarily non-combustible materials meaning we can build close to any solid obstacle or boundary. We will need a minimum of 400mm from the external walls of the building to any solid obstacle for construction purposes.
How do I get internet into my garden office?
We offer two solutions for internet connectivity.
The first is called a ‘Home Plug’. Simply insert one of the plugs into a wall socket and connect the included patch cable into your home router, then insert the other plug into a wall socket in your garden room. This method sends your internet signal through the power network of your home and replicates your home Wi-Fi in your building.
The second solution is to run a full armoured CAT 6 network cable from the router in your house to the garden building. This will usually follow the same route as your main power cable, we can quote for this at your site survey.
How long does a garden office take to build?
The base will normally take between half-a-day to 1 day to install. The building itself will usually be constructed the following week where we allocate between 1 and 5 days depending on the size. If you require plastering or our acoustic pack then the process will take a couple of weeks longer due to the drying time of the plaster.
How many sets of keys will I be given for my garden office?
You are normally given 3 sets of keys.
How much is it for a site survey on my property?
We offer free site surveys. If you would like to book one in you can give us a call in the office or fill out our survey form on our website.
How quickly can you build my garden office?
Our garden offices are constructed within 2 – 5 working days at your site.
Installation slots are available all-year-round. Due to high demand, lead times for our buildings are currently significantly longer than usual.
Cancellation dates also become available from time to time if you need your building more quickly.
Give our sales team a call to find out our lead times and next available installation date: 01296 328555
How secure are the doors & windows?
Our windows and doors are double-glazed to BS7412 specification and feature tough Pilkington K double-glazing which is both safe and thermally efficiency. All windows and doors are fitted with high security (insurance grade) multi point locks and bolts with a 5-lever locking system.
How well insulated are your garden offices?
We use the industry’s leading providers for our insulation and double-glazing for excellent thermal retention. The floor, walls and roof panels are filled with market-leading high-density polyurethane insulation, and the doors and windows are fitted with Pilkington K™ Optiwhite double glazing. Our double glazing is 28mm thick as standard and 28.6mm for our acoustic pack.
U values:
- Glazing on Windows and Doors – U-Value 1.2
- Walls – U-Value 0.35
- Ceiling – U-Value 0.22
- Floor – U-Value 0.35
I already have a concrete base in place, is this ok?
Yes; as long as the concrete slab is free from cracks and is a minimum of 4” deep. If your existing base is smaller than your proposed garden room, we can combine our pile system with your existing base to create foundations for your building.
I live in a conservation area, do I need planning permission?
If your garden room falls within permitted development rights then you should not require planning permission. However, if you live in a conservation area, you would need to build behind the rear elevation of your house for the garden room to fall under permitted development.
Is there car parking at your showrooms?
Westcott, Buckinghamshire:
Car parking is completely free and right outside our front door!
Twickenham, London:
There are a number of car parks just a short walk away from our Twickenham Showroom. All of the car parks have a charge per hour:
– Arragon Road (TW1 3ND) – free on Sunday
– The Embankment (TW1 3DU)
– Holly Road (TW1 4HF)
On what days do you perform site surveys?
We mostly do site surveys Monday to Friday during the day whilst we offer limited availability on Saturdays. If you would like to talk to us about booking one, please call us on 01296 328555.
What are the exterior finish options for cladding?
As standard our Garden Offices are clad in Scandinavian Redwood, which is maintenance free. We also offer upgrades to a honey redwood, cedar and composite black and grey cladding. Best of all, you’re able to configure your building to have different cladding on certain elevations.
What are the first steps?
If you are interested in one of our garden offices, contact us for a comprehensive brochure & pricelist, along with any additional queries you may have. A visit to our showrooms can help give you a better feel for our product and quality.
We deliver a free site survey service, allowing us to have comprehensive look at your location, land and access. During this consultation, you are provided with samples of the building, and together we can design the perfect garden room to suit your requirements.
What are the heights of your buildings?
Our buildings are built as standard at 2.5 metres externally. The fronts of our buildings are always the highest point of the garden room, allowing water to run from front to back into the rear guttering. Making the heights externally and internally:
- As standard: 2.5m (External Height) – 2.2m (Internal Height – Front)
- Extended height option: 2.7m (External Height) – 2.4m (Internal Height – Front)
What are the next steps for me to order?
To order a building we simply require a £200 holding deposit to secure your installation date. Your £200 remains refundable until 5 weeks prior to your chosen base installation date. 5 weeks prior to your base installation date you pay 50% of the balance, which allows us to put your building into production. Upon build completion and sign off, we will require payment of the remaining balance.
What are the U-values of your buildings?
Our garden office buildings are highly effective against heat loss.
The thermal performance of a building is measured with a U-Value, with the lower the U-value the better the material is as a heat insulator. Our buildings have the following U-values:
- Glazing on Windows and Doors: 1.2
- Walls: 0.35
- Roof: 0.22
- Floor: 0.35
What are your showroom opening hours?
Twickenham, London:
Open 7 days a week | 9am-6pm
Westcott, Buckinghamshire:
Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm
Sat | 9am-4pm
Sun | 10am-4pm
Drop in any time – no need to book an appointment! Our friendly and knowledgeable team are always on hand to help.
What comes as standard in a garden room by The Garden Office?
As standard, all of our buildings are clad in maintenance free Scandinavian Redwood. Included is a 2.3m French or sliding door set and an opening lozenge window. We also include a choice of four flooring options, three double plug sockets, a choice of internal lighting, an external light, 2-way consumer unit (fuse box) and oil filled radiator. Not forgetting of course: base, installation and VAT.
What groundwork is required before installation can begin?
We would require the ground to be cleared and level to within 200mm prior to the installation of your base.
What is a garden office?
Garden offices are stand-alone structures, architecturally beautifully and finished in natural materials to provide a stunning addition to your home and garden. Built in measurements from 4m² to 30m², a garden room is a contemporary extra space solution for your home – a modern alternative to traditional home extension methods.
What is the deposit to reserve my garden room installation date?
We require a £200 holding deposit to reserve your installation slot. The £200 is fully refundable until 5 weeks before the installation of your garden office.
What is the finish of your walls? Do you offer plastering?
All of our buildings come as standard with a melamine finish, which is a UV stable, wipe clean, contemporary surface. However, we do offer plastering as an option, the cost of which will depend on your building size (please contact us for more details).
What is the kelvin of your LED panel light?
Our LED panel light is 4000k.
What is the largest building that you make?
We will build up to 30 square metres internally in many different dimension options. We do not build our garden rooms any larger than this configuration as to avoid the need for building regulation approval for your development plans.
What is the lifespan of a garden office?
Our garden office buildings are designed to last for over 30 years and come with a 10-year structural guarantee.
What is the smallest garden office that you can build?
The smallest building we offer in The Garden Office range is a 2.5m x 2.5m.
What is your flooring system like?
Your garden office will sit on a series of structurally insulated metal floor panels, which are resistant to rust and separates the building from the ground. This prevents moisture rising through any natural materials, and provides airflow beneath the building, improving thermal efficiency and deterring weed growth and vermin.
What maintenance is required on the wood cladding?
None! Our standard Scandinavian Redwood cladding is slow-grown and pressure treated, so will not require any maintenance. Over time the wood will start to silver off, however, if you want to change the colour then you can do so with a water based wood stain.
What thickness is your double glazing?
Our double glazing is 28mm thick as standard and 28.6mm for our acoustic pack.
What type of foundations do you offer?
Included in the price of every garden office is a concrete mini pile foundation to level your building. This system comprises of a series of piles in a grid system spanning the entire area of your building. Our composite steel floor system is then laid on top with the use of composite pads where required. The piles are generally between 300mm and 600mm deep. The exact requirements for your building may differ due to your gound composition, meaning that piles may be more shallow or deep. The requirements for your building will be confirmed before works begin by a member of our base installation team.
When do I pay my final balance?
We require the final balance once the building work has finished, and you have signed your garden office off as complete.
Where do you deliver to?
We deliver across the entirety of mainland UK. Delivery is FREE within 110 miles of our factory in Buckinghamshire (HP18 0XB). If you are outside of the 110-mile distance, then we will be able to quote for delivery.
Where is your showroom?
We have two showrooms! London & Buckinghamshire.
The Buckinghamshire Showroom is the flagship store, showcasing 17 different garden room designs in different sizes and finishes.
Our London Showroom is a hub showroom, a great location for our London based customers with 3 garden room buildings on display.
Buckinghamshire: Green Retreats, Street 2, Avenue A, Westcott Venture Park, Buckinghamshire HP18 0XB
Open 7 days a week: Mon-Fri | 9am-5pm, Sat | 9am-4pm, Sun | 10am-4pm
London: Green Retreats, 15-19 York Street, Twickenham TW1 3JZ
Open 7 days a week: Mon-Sun | 9am-6pm
