Garden Rooms · Problem & repair
Outgrown the house but not ready to move
This is the most common brief we get that is not about a driveway: the house works, except for one missing room. An office, a gym, a teenager's space, somewhere for a hobby.
There are three realistic answers, and the right one depends far more on how you will use the space than on cost alone.
How to tell this is your problem
- Working from a bedroom corner or the dining table
- Exercise equipment in the living room
- No quiet space for calls or study
- A garage full of everything except a car
- Considering moving purely for one extra room
Repair or replace?
If you want separation from the house, choose a garden room. If you want more connected house, convert or extend. Do not choose a garden room to solve a kitchen problem.
Repair options, cheapest first
- 01
Garden room
Fast to build, minimal disruption inside the house, and genuine separation between work and home. Usually permitted development within the usual limits, but always confirm.
- 02
Garage conversion
Uses existing structure and footprint, keeps everything under one roof, and is typically the least expensive route to a warm, connected room.
- 03
Extension
The most disruptive and most expensive, but the only option that enlarges the connected living space itself.
- 04
Do nothing structural
Sometimes a reorganised garden, a proper terrace and better storage relieves the pressure at a fraction of the cost.
Why it happens
Home working became permanent
A temporary desk arrangement has quietly become the main workplace, without the acoustics or separation to suit it.
Household changed shape
Growing children, a returning family member or a new hobby has absorbed the spare room.
Dead space on the plot
An underused garage, a large garden or a redundant side return often holds the answer already.
Moving costs outweigh the gap
Stamp duty, fees and moving costs frequently exceed the cost of adding the one room that is missing.
Cost and time on site
Indicative cost
Garage conversions are usually the most economical per square metre of warm space; garden rooms sit between conversions and extensions.
Typical duration
Garden rooms are typically a few weeks on site; conversions similar; extensions considerably longer.
Every quote is priced after seeing the site. Tell us how you want to use the space and we will say honestly which route fits.
Need more space at home: common questions
- Does a garden room need planning permission?
- Many fall under permitted development within size, height and siting limits, but conditions vary by property. Always check with your local planning authority before committing.
- Is a garage conversion cheaper than a garden room?
- Usually, because the structure, roof and foundations already exist. The trade-off is losing the garage and its storage.
- Will a garden room add value to my house?
- A well-built, insulated and powered room is a genuine asset, but any valuation effect depends on the property and local market - we would not promise a figure.
- Can a garden room be used all year?
- Yes, when it is properly insulated, ventilated and heated. That is the main difference between a garden room and a summerhouse.
Services that fix this
Landscaping
Full back-garden transformations - patios, lawns, planting and lighting.
Garden Rooms
Insulated garden offices, gyms and studios - foundations to finish.
Related reading: Garden Room Planning Permission in Surrey & Hampshire
Ready to transform your outdoor space?
Free site visits and no-pressure quotes within a 30-mile radius of Ash Vale - covering Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.