A 5-Step Guide for Homeworkers Choosing a Garden Office

 

Why Buy a Garden Office?

Garden offices used to be considered a bit of a novelty, but not anymore. Over the past 18 months, many of us have been encouraged to work from home and sales of outdoor offices have soared. The reason for this is that although homeworking has its advantages, it can present a series of challenges too, all of which can be solved through buying a garden home office.

Benefits of a Garden Office

 

Dedicated Work Space

If you put your office equipment on the dining table, you’ll have to eat on your lap. If you use the spare room, there’s nowhere for Granny to stay. And if you choose to work anywhere else in the house, chances are you’ll have to pack up your computer equipment at the end of every day.

Free from Distractions

A house contains more distractions than an office. Whether it’s the postman at the door, the sight of unfinished household tasks, or noisy kids returning from school, daily life in a busy home is not conducive to concentrating on work. What’s more, it does not portray a professional image when you’re speaking to clients via Zoom.

Work/ Life Balance

On the other side of the coin, as much as we all enjoy our work, life away from it can be equally fulfilling, so it’s good to leave work behind when you’re spending quality time with your family. That’s rarely possible when your office is in your living space.
Homeworking is here to stay, which is why having your very own garden office is so important to your wellbeing.

5-Step Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Garden Office

 

Outdoor Office Size

Unlike sheds, greenhouses and summer houses, garden offices are primarily measured in metres. Size should be determined by available garden space, the amount of office equipment, and whether you intend to use your new garden office for anything other than work.

When choosing, remember to ensure that you have enough room to coat the outside of the garden office with wood preservative (if required), to carry out other essential maintenance, and to fully open doors and windows.

Please note that measurements in garden office names are normally rounded to the nearest metre or 10 centimetres, so always be sure to check the detailed specification on the relevant product page of our website.

 

Garden Office Cladding

Cladding refers to the thickness of the walls and is shown in millimetres.

All other things being equal, the thicker the cladding, the better insulated the garden office. For year-round usage in the UK, choose cladding of 44mm and above. Anything thinner and it might only be suitable for seasonal office work.

B&M Top Tip: you'll find all the DIY essentials to help you work on your garden office at B&M Stores! From hand and power tools to decorating essentials like paint brushes, rollers and more.

Glazing

Garden offices are invariably fitted with real glass. Like with a house, the main choice is between single and double glazing, the latter being more expensive.

Glazing is also your garden office’s source of natural light. The larger and more abundant the windows, the better the natural light.

 

Garden Office Roofs

The choice here is between apex, reverse apex and pent styles. This is a matter of personal taste. Apex favours a more traditionally-styled garden, while pent is seen as more contemporary.

If your chosen home office doesn’t include a roof covering, you’ll need to buy one. EPDM, charcoal felt shingles and SBS are all popular and effective choices.

Essential Extras

You’ve got the building, now you need to convert it into your office.

This requires power. You could hire an electrician to connect your office to the mains or buy a solar-powered hub to generate eco-friendly, off-grid electricity.

Your method of supplying light and heating will be determined by the choice above, although a portable gas heater requires neither and is sure to keep you warm and comfortable during the winter months.

B&M Top Tip: once your garden office is built, it'll be ready to furnish! Check out the latest home furnishings and decor at B&M Stores, from cushions, throws, rugs and curtains to indoor furniture. It's no good buying an office without a desk!

 

Fantastic Garden Offices for Sale

B&M stocks the very best garden offices for sale amongst our fantastic range of garden buildings.

Along with premium log cabins and summer houses, which all provide the perfect foundation for a variety of home offices, we also sell Forest’s market-leading Xtend range of insulated garden offices.

 

Forest Xtend Garden Offices (as seen on TV)

Featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s ‘Love Your Garden’, these garden home offices come in a range of designs and sizes. They are all built from super-thick Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) for unbeatable, year-round insulation. They also sport attractive tongue and groove exterior walls, and are fitted with both double-glazed windows and a key-operated lock.

Backed by a fabulous 15-year guarantee, Xtend garden offices have an energy-efficiency rating comparable to a new-build home.

Working from the garden has never been so good! Browse the whole range of garden offices at B&M Garden Buildings. And don't forget to browse our Working from Home section. It's got everything you need to turn your office into a comfortable place to work.

(Please note that there are delivery surcharges for a few remote postcodes. T&Cs apply.)

Which garden office do you like the look of? We'd love to see how your office projects are coming along! Share your photos with the B&M Community on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.