Cross Team Properties

People considering having a garden office building installed may worry about security. After all, garages and garden sheds are notorious targets for thieves, so wouldn’t a garden office be the same? To allay these fears, manufacturers of garden buildings work closely with the insurance companies to make sure that the locks on their doors and windows meet the same specifications that they would expect for a secure home.

Data Security

Data security can also be an issue for those working from home. Can a home network be as secure as one provided by the office? This is normally an issue for your employer’s IT department to handle. If you are self-employed, then ensuring security in a garden office is no different than if you were working in your main home. Ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date, avoid “free scans” and the like, and make sure that you have a strong password and change it regularly. The actual data connectivity in a garden room is the same as in any other home office.

One thing that might concern people considering whether to have a garden room installed in a country like Britain is whether such a structure would be able to cope with the British climate. However, you can relax. For manufacturers of garden offices, UK climactic conditions are near the top of their list of priorities, and they take great pains to ensure that their buildings are suitable for all weather conditions.

Insulation
Garden offices are built to the latest building regulations, which specify that they have to be as energy efficient as a new house or flat. This means that they are insulated to a vey high standard, in order to retain heat and keep out the cold.

Heating
Halogen heaters are common in garden offices. These generate a lot of heat despite their small size, making them ideal for a small structure like a garden room.

Windows
Windows are normally double, or sometimes triple glazed. In addition, they typically provide warm bars around the window edges, for an added layer of draught exclusion.

Garden offices are fast becoming a popular workplace for self-employed people who wish to work from home, and still have some independence and a peaceful atmosphere in which to work. Away from the noise and activity home life can often bring, a garden home office is an ideal place to pursue your career whilst still being able to enjoy the comforts of your own home.

This kind of building does not normally require planning permission and is a relatively stress free option that provides extra space for your home. Garden office buildings provide a safe and secure place to work, and are insulated to provide extra protection from the elements. With double glazed windows and full electrics, these garden rooms are the perfect solution for the self-employed looking for somewhere quiet and secluded to concentrate on their work.

Whilst some preparation is required to provide you with all your needs, garden office buildings can take anything from one to three days for a straightforward design, and up to three to four weeks for a more specialised build. Garden rooms come with a guarantee from the company you purchase your room from. Most companies offer at least five years guarantee, with some companies guaranteeing the roof alone for much longer – in some cases, up to 20 years – along with the standard guarantee for the building itself.

Your garden rooms can be made to your specifications, thus ensuring you have a custom made room that fits in well with the work you are doing. It will provide a comfortable, cosy and secure place to work, and also makes a lovely feature in your garden which will enhance its natural beauty.  Whatever job you do, you may be sure that your garden office will provide you with the best possible place to work from.

Step 1: think about, and plan, your garden in the same way as your house, so that different areas have different roles. You might want separate spaces for outdoor dining, a children’s play area and a storage area, for example. Also think about different garden styles such as country cottage, architectural, natural or formal, and decide what you like best.

Step 2: research the types of plants that grow well in your soil and which areas are shady or bright. Also consider the level of maintenance involved and if you don’t have much spare time keep the lawns and flower beds to a minimum.

Step 3: get stuck in. Don’t be afraid to be bold by moving things around, installing natural dividers such as trees and hedges, and using paving and decking. With a little advice and the right tools you can do all these jobs yourself.

Step 4: don’t be afraid of using water. Installing a water feature can make a very dramatic impact on a garden. With modern pond liners, water pumps and aquatic plants so readily available, this can be a relatively easy way to make a big difference.

Step 5: keep things tidy. One of the quickest ways to make a big improvement to any garden is to get rid of any rubbish such as old tiles and paving stones, broken flower pots and the like. A new shed or store area is ideal for keeping unsightly bags of compost, bits of netting etc. out of sight.

Step 6: make use of outdoor lighting. You’ll be amazed at the range of lighting available these days, much of which is solar powered and therefore doesn’t require an electrician to install. You can use interesting colours; highlight beautiful features and use lanterns and fairy lights to create a romantic atmosphere.

The competing demands of home life and work have been a hot topic for some time now.  The phrase ’work/life balance’ has become a much-referenced term in regards to the division of one’s work and home life.  Achieving a good work/life balance means creating a clear divide between how you operate at work and how you relax at home, making sure that the two do not become entwined.  A garden studio can be a psychologically useful tool for home workers who are struggling to create an ideal work/life balance.

Home workers often find it difficult to ’switch off’ from work mentally when spending their life in the same physical space during their home life as they do while they are working.  Add in distractions such as children, television and neighbours stopping over and it is easy to see why more and more people are opting to have a separate office space for their work at home.

Garden office buildings are unlike most office spaces as it is aesthetically pleasing, surrounded by nature’s beauty and can be designed in virtually any way you want and/or need to aid you in your work.  A garden office is a perfect solution to help ensure that you achieve a good work/life balance.  A garden office creates a space that is outside your home for you to work in, and allows you to be separated physically from your home life during office hours.  Just as importantly it allows you to be separated from your work life after office hours.

A garden room can be basic and functional or frivolous; the choice is yours.  These structures come in all shapes and sizes, from a fancy garden shed to an ornamental folly.  They can be made from almost any material and built to whatever design you wish.  Garden rooms can be more flexible than a house extension, as it is self-contained and does not have to be moulded to fit in with the existing building.

The cost of building a garden room depends on the material used, the type of installation and the purpose for which it will be used, so costs vary enormously.  You may require planning permission and perhaps even building approval, depending on the size and design.  It is recommended that you contact your local planning department before you begin any construction work.

A garden room offers a versatile space in which your family can relax, pursue leisure activities or spend time working.  Garden offices can be kitted out with electricity and phone lines, combining the benefits of working at home with the technology of the office.  A functioning, living space in the garden is perhaps increasingly necessary, as families grow and expand.  If you have a growing family it is not always easy to find somewhere to work, play and even sleep and often privacy becomes a luxury.  However, the solution may be close at hand, thanks to the wide range of models and prices of garden rooms on the market today.  For flexibility and freedom, a garden studio is perhaps the room of the future.

House prices have been rising for the last few years and, for some, stamp duty costs have become one of the key barriers to a move or property purchase.  For many growing families, it is simply not a realistic option to purchase a larger house in the current economic climate.

A garden room or garden studio is, in many cases, a cost effective way to extend living space, and the costs can be considerably less than the money spent on stamp duty levied on an average family property.  A garden room can, in some cases, be just like an extension or a conservatory added to an existing house, but it is more likely that when people speak about a garden room or garden studio they are referring to a room that is detached from the main house.

Garden rooms can be constructed from any material, and come in many shapes and sizes to suit most gardens and budgets.  They range from contemporary designs in steel or glass to insulated timber frames akin to protected garden sheds.  There are also log cabins, tree houses, summer houses and brick built constructs.

Whatever your particular needs are, a garden studio or garden office can become a cost-effective way of creating more space for your family without incurring the costs and stresses of a move.  They are also an ideal way to maximise your property investment while improving your quality of life.

One of the important parts of paving is its edging, as the usual purpose of this is to keep the main body of the paving firmly in place and to stop the edge slabs from getting damaged.

Edging comes in many styles, shapes and materials, the most common material being concrete, which can be used effectively with all paving types.  Self-edging uses the paving material itself, such as blocks of concrete, to create the edging for the paved area.

However the rest of the paving is intended to be laid, the masonry edging needs to be embedded in mortar.  Where it has become dislodged it should be pulled away and the old mortar removed with a chisel.  A fresh bed of mortar is then laid down and the loosened edging pieces pushed back into their original position, using a straightedge tool to ensure that they are perfectly aligned with neighbouring pieces.  Timber pegs can be driven in to keep the edging perfectly vertical and tight against the paving as the mortar dries; a fillet of mortar should then be applied at a 45 degree angle along the area between the edging pieces and the pegs.

The pegs can be removed once the mortar has set, and the peg holes made good with extra mortar and covered with soil or turf to disguise them.

A neat edging creates a nice finish for a path, and can be chosen to complement the surrounding garden features and the house.  Rope edging is good for older houses, adding a touch of Victorian class; you can use green glass bottles for a rustic effect, or even bricks set at an interesting angle.

If you wish to create your ideal music studio, then a garden room is what you need.  Garden rooms come in a wide variety of sizes and designs, allowing you to find a style that suits your needs and budget.  Adding a garden room to your home will give you the chance to create not just a music room but also a room that you can relax and unwind in whenever you wish.

Many garden rooms are soundproof, giving you the chance to use your music room whenever you wish without disturbing others.  The many spacious designs available will provide you with enough room to store all your music equipment, including guitars, drum sets, pianos and much more.  You can even transform your music room into a recording studio or a cosy den where you can relax and listen to your favourite music.

Some garden rooms are available with full insulation, making them suitable for use all year round. You can also add extra heating or lighting to make your music room suitable for use during winter.  If you are on a budget, choose a garden room that offers an electrics package, or choose a Western Red cedar design as this style requires little maintenance.

When creating a music room, you will be placing valuable music equipment in your garden room.  It is vital that you protect any items you place in your music room by opting for garden room that offers a security package.  Locking systems or security lights can easily be installed in your music room to keep your music equipment protected.

Garden studios are a modern solution to extending living space, but in an aesthetically appealing and often eco-friendly manner.  Many architects and builders, who specialise in their construction, claim a strong attention to detail and the use of natural materials to create the perfect balance between function and appearance, which are essential to the perfect garden studio.

Garden rooms are a perfect retreat for artists and writers looking for a quiet, peaceful room in which to work.  The view achieved by creative landscaping will enhance the mood of the entire studio, which might be used as a music room, either for those who play or simply for those who have a passion for listening.  Artisans might use the space for a workshop and office, while at the more mundane end of the spectrum, a garden studio can be a relaxing office for anyone who works at home; a family room, where children can watch television or do their homework or even a guest room, in which to accommodate visiting relatives and friends.

Garden studios have so many possibilities; the only limit is your own imagination.  As an improvement to the property, garden studios will raise the value of your home and create a beautiful additional element to your garden.  With the right style and construction, a garden studio can be both an extension of the home as well as a great link to your outdoor space.