Garden rooms & annexes
Insulated garden offices, studios and self-contained annexes built to be used in January, not just in July.
Separate space, on the same plot
Working from home changed what people want from a garden. So did the cost of moving elderly parents into care, and the number of adult children still at home. A garden room or annexe answers both: proper separation from the house, without buying more land.
Garden offices and studios
A permanent, insulated structure with power, lighting, heating and data — built on a proper base with a designed floor, not a timber shed on paving slabs. Usually permitted development, and usually the cheapest way to get a genuinely quiet room.
Annexes
Self-contained accommodation for family, with a bathroom, kitchenette and its own entrance. These are effectively small dwellings, so they need proper design, drainage, insulation, fire separation and — in most cases — planning permission. We handle the applications and the coordination.
Converting what's already there
Herefordshire and Monmouthshire have no shortage of outbuildings, stone barns and old garages sitting unused. Converting one is often better value than building new, and can be more likely to gain planning support. Worth assessing before you commit to a new structure.
Garden room and annexe questions
Do garden rooms need planning permission?
A garden room used as an office or studio is usually permitted development if it's single storey, stays within height limits, doesn't cover more than half the garden and isn't forward of the principal elevation. An annexe with sleeping and cooking facilities is a different question and often does need permission — particularly in conservation areas or the Wye Valley landscape.
What does a garden room cost?
A properly insulated, year-round garden office typically runs £18,000–£35,000 depending on size, glazing and whether it has plumbing. A self-contained annexe with a bathroom and kitchenette is considerably more, because it's effectively a small house.
Can an annexe be lived in permanently?
That depends on the planning position. Ancillary accommodation for a family member is treated differently from an independent dwelling, and the conditions attached matter. We'll go through the route with you before any work is designed.
Are they usable in winter?
They are if they're built properly: insulated floor, walls and roof, thermally broken glazing, ventilation and a heat source. The cheap flat-pack versions aren't, which is why so many end up as expensive sheds.