Global House Plans

How times have changed, just 10 years ago people lived at home and then went to work. Nowadays more and more people are working at home via the Internet or just the phone. But home and work life do not always mix well, so some are choosing to commute again, but only to their own garden. Garden office buildings are springing up all over the UK as the new place of work.

Choosing the right kind of garden office buildings needs to be though about carefully. I made a mistake some years ago: Working in the garden shed was a route I chose when living in a small chalet in The French Alps. I had little space in the main home, so building a large ‘garden chalet’ seemed the way forward. I chose a ‘kit’ garden chalet with 44mm thick logs and double-glazed windows. The design was from a company based in Estonia, so the structure was strong enough to deal with heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. The problem was the lack of insulation.

The problem with my shed was that it was way too hot in the summer and just too cold to heat efficiently in the winter. I had thought that the double-glazed windows and the thick pine log walls would keep a stable temperature inside, I was very wrong. In the more temperate climate of the UK, this would not be such a problem, but it is still worth looking at garden office buildings with proper insulation.

The modern ‘garden studio’ is certainly a step up from a pine garden shed. They are designed to be used all year round. A factor often referred to is the ‘U value’: this is also more correctly referred to as the ‘overall heat transfer coefficient’, which describes how well a building conducts heat. It measures the rate of heat transfer through a building element over a given area, under standardized conditions. Specialist garden offices often have a ‘U value’ similar to that of a new build home and I would urge that you consider this when choosing a garden office.

For those who find that the space that they have is really starting to feel small, getting a prefabricated building put in the garden may just be the answer. In fact, it is easier to build a home in this way and even a novice could probably do the work. Modular home prices are well within reach of the modern family but it adds a further dimension to the original house.

There are many different reasons why people want some extra space. It may well be that the family requires a family getaway house somewhere in the hills or on a lake somewhere. These buildings are perfect for this since they only need some foundations to be laid before erecting can take place. Of course, the complexity of the place will play some part in the construction but since all of this is sent like a flat pack, just screwing it together is not too difficult for even those who do not know one end of a screw driver from another.

Perhaps the most common reason why people have a small house put in the garden is to start another business. This extra office space is great for the stay at home parent who wants to get back into the swing of normal life. Once the kids are down for their afternoon nap, the parent can get out into the office to carry on doing some work.

Of course, it is not only office space which this is used for either. Moms who want to start-up a day care center or babysitting service also find this a handy place to have the children play without messing up the house. Even their own kids can use this space to get on with their homework too and gives them a quiet environment so that they can continue studying.

After the kids have flown the nest, this makes an ideal library or office for the parents to build a library for themselves or just to fit in that much longed spa or gym that they have been dreaming about for years. If it is true that we all have one book in us, this would be the ideal place to settle down and pour it all out on paper.

This extra space is certainly very easy to construct as people will contest to on the website connected to the manufacturer. Check out what styles are available and make sure to get one which fits the most uses for now and for in the future. If there is nothing that fits the needs exactly, it is very easy to ask them to modify something so that it will fit in with what the family wants.

The finishes are important too particularly if there are children involved. Wipe clean surfaces are always handy when sticky hands are involved so finding a place that has veneer flooring too is probably a good idea. This rather up market full size ‘dolls’ house will certainly assist all in the family from the very young to the older generation for sure.