I need a shed/home office (for bikes etc!)

mroli

any tips or recommendations of good companies people?

I am getting a bit tied in knots - what I want is a decent quality 4mx3m shed with insulation and double glazed windows and an electrics pack so I can use it in the winter and it won't be freezing.

The options i seem to be able to find are all singing, all dancing home offices starting at around £7k, or cheap, bog standard shed/garden houses at about £1.5k (which all seem to be the same model "Murcia"

Needs to be under 2.5m for permitted development purposes - if anyone can point me in the direction of decent companies that they have used, or even have good alternative suggestions, do let me know! I am not adverse to building a pre-fabricated shed myself, but don't have the time to build something from scratch.....

Thank you!

arlowood

Try a search for "Summer House" or "Garden Room". Might get you something a bit better than the bog standard shed.

For example Garden Buildings Direct have this:-

http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/log-cabins/billyoh-frontier-montana-no-verandah/22362?gdftrk=gdfV2333_a_7c385_a_7c8392_a_7c14096_22362&gclid=Cj0KEQjwo7auBRCOtoqn_s-G7aMBEiQAxArNrNib2lPuDz6Tu75VM-s0oPPl16zwnK2wy7TWAvFu21EaAjDj8P8HAQ

where you can modify the spec as you wish for around £1200. Not sure about the electrics but I'm sure a local sparks could set you up with something within your budget.

de_sisti

Would this help?

alan_sherman

I'll follow this with interest as when funds allow I'd love to have a similar thing. Do you have a bit more space as I believe you can go up to 15 sq metres floor area under permitted development and without requiring building regs approval so you could go 3.5 x 4.25 (or similar) for the internal floor area. That is a pretty sizable room.

My research has led me to wonder whether going for a proper brick build makes more sense as the home offices with wooden construction will require maintenance. Also I would be up to the boundary on three sides so no use for side or rear windows (and no space for maintenance). A brick build with foundations would age a lot better but cost a bit more to build. The wood cabin costs get really high as soon as you start trying to make them warm and dry and run electrics, and have decent glazing and insulation.

I think a brick build with a flat roof under 2.5m with a nearly full width bifold door would be great. Spec good insulation, power, LED lighting, underfloor heating and a run of ethernet and TV aerial wire from the main house. I'd consider moving the wood burner out there but realistically not the best method of heat for a turbo dungeon as you'd need to stop sessions to feed the fire.


You could get a local builder to put the main structure up so it is usable initially, then worry about the posh finishing stuff over time as funds allow.


Anyway, all dreams. I remembered I have no money so got a small shed off freecycle

mroli

Alan - yes, a larger shed made of brick would be ideal. However this will not get clearance from the accountant and her word is final on this. I have tried the maintenance argument which falls flat unfortunately - apparently a couple of hours with a paint brush every year is not equatable to the higher price of a brick build outhouse.

De Sisti - unfortunately that link is no good for me as it is to an existing brick outhouse - Im starting from scratch.

Arlowood - ive tried that - just a little concerned that the sort of thing that you get for £1k is a bit flimsy, subject to movement/leaking and by the time youve added all the extras such as a proper shingled roof, floor and ceiling insulation, double glazing, wood thicker than balsa wood, internal plaster boarding or mdfing then you
re up to to a larger no very quickly....

I was hoping that someone may have firsthand experience?!

Philly8mt

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19679799#p19679799]mroli[/url] wrote:

Alan - yes, a larger shed made of brick would be ideal. However this will not get clearance from the accountant and her word is final on this. I have tried the maintenance argument which falls flat unfortunately - apparently a couple of hours with a paint brush every year is not equatable to the higher price of a brick build outhouse.

De Sisti - unfortunately that link is no good for me as it is to an existing brick outhouse - Im starting from scratch.

Arlowood - ive tried that - just a little concerned that the sort of thing that you get for £1k is a bit flimsy, subject to movement/leaking and by the time youve added all the extras such as a proper shingled roof, floor and ceiling insulation, double glazing, wood thicker than balsa wood, internal plaster boarding or mdfing then you
re up to to a larger no very quickly....

I was hoping that someone may have firsthand experience?!

I'm currently converting a stand alone brick built garage to be my office/bike cave. Luckily I didn't have to start from scratch ... But .... If I did I reckon I'd be tempted to go brick and just add to it as funds allowed. Done in the right place/right way, you may even have the argument that it will increase the value of the property?

Mccaria

I had one built this year. Part brick, part wood, part glass. Electrics run from the main house via a fairly big cable now buried underground. Didn't do water as you start getting into questions of whether it is for habitation rather than a shed. My budget was a bit higher than yours, but certainly using brick and glass cuts down massively on the annual maintenance. In the end I went bespoke which did push up the cost but ended up with what I wanted.

mroli

Interesting. I have a builder coming round tomorrow so might ask him. Looks like I could keep the costs down by maybe going for French Doors rather than a bi-fold door on a brick build - and I take the point about water - I'm happy to run a hose from an outdoor tap anyway - so that's not a problem. If I got it insulated then could bung an oil filled rad in there (or just get on the turbo and warm it up manually)... Will see what he says. Thanks for the tips and suggestions....

alan_sherman

Please update with what your builder says and prices if possible.

stueys

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19681206#p19681206]alan sherman[/url] wrote:

Please update with what your builder says and prices if possible.

Yes please. And a view on planning, I understood that anything brick needed planning as it was regarded as a permanent structure. Be interesting to see what he says.

trek_dan

If its a genuine garage or outhouse and under a certain size no planning permission needed. However you start getting into it being a habitable room (i.e with services and windows) it should have both planning and building regulations approval. Depends how 'liberal' with the truth you are willing to chance being...

rs6mra1

With that budget and for what you want i would say build it yourself as I have built one myself this year. I used mainly 4x2 timber and there are two windows and a wider than normal sized door. It is insulated with foil backed insulation to keep the warmth in during the winter and cool on hot summer days. The floors joists have 120mm thick insulation and the walls & roof 60mm. My total cost was about £3.5k but the insulation is expensive and i went over the top with certain tools and materials. I did all the wiring myself and then got an electrician in to check my wiring and to go live & certify. The only other trade i got in was a plasterer. I have the soil pipe and water pipe installed but not connected as yet due to the fact that I am going to have to lift a patio to connect them which i didn't want to do this time of year. I also ran 4 ethernet cables from my switch to the outbuilding. I kept the height under 2.5m and i have never done anything like this before. No building experience whatsoever and its all been with the help of the internet. It was fun! The carpet is being laid today and i'll be working from there and will have my bike stored in there and weights.

Philly8mt

My efforts so far .... Cleared the rubbish, boarded out, plastered, lighting sorted and laminate floor put down.

Painting next then it's furniture and the bikes being installed.

mroli

Well our builder has failed to turn up 2 days in a row which isn't a great start. Will report back when I get a bit further down the track - thank you for tips and advice received so for though - very helpful stuff. The idea of a self build is a tempting one - Just worried about time and ability to do it though!

ugo.santalucia

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19682416#p19682416]mroli[/url] wrote:

Well our builder has failed to turn up 2 days in a row which isn't a great start. Will report back when I get a bit further down the track - thank you for tips and advice received so for though - very helpful stuff. The idea of a self build is a tempting one - Just worried about time and ability to do it though!

For DIY I suggest log cabin type construction... simple and solid

mroli

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19682702#p19682702]ugo.santalucia[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19682416#p19682416]mroli[/url] wrote:

Well our builder has failed to turn up 2 days in a row which isn't a great start. Will report back when I get a bit further down the track - thank you for tips and advice received so for though - very helpful stuff. The idea of a self build is a tempting one - Just worried about time and ability to do it though!

For DIY I suggest log cabin type construction... simple and solid

mroli

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19682702#p19682702]ugo.santalucia[/url] wrote:

For DIY I suggest log cabin type construction... simple and solid

That's where I'm kind of going at the moment. Simple interlocking design...

alan_sherman

I was just talking to a bloke at work who went the Dunster house route. The rapid pad foundations sound great. Place built in a day. As ever the base cost of the shed / log cabin is reasonable, but add in the insulation and thicker floor walls etc and price goes up. Good to have the full price breakdown though (gets to 7K all in by the looks of it).

He is very happy with his a year after install. His regret - not getting insulation when he bought it so is retrofitting.

https://dunsterhouse.co.uk/premiumplus-lantera-w4-5m-x-d3-5m

Dimensions would be perfect for me.

mroli

Yeah, I'd looked at them. Attractive initial price, but ramps up very quickly!