Is a garden office the best solution for working from home?
When working from home became essential for everyone, it came as a rush. We didn't have time to figure things out; it was simply a case of damage limitation. Pack up your computer from the office and set it up at home. But if you didn't already work from home before the lockdown, likely, your house didn't have a dedicated office space.
Over the past few years, the world as we know it has been turned upside down.
Businesses have had to pivot to stay alive, and working practices had to change to accommodate the new rules. This shift has opened up many opportunities for many of us, enabling us to work from home. Once seen as an emergency stop-gap to keep companies afloat during a national lockdown has now become the norm.
Company owners have been forced to reassess how teams within the business work together. After being forced to look at working from home, quite against their will, most CEOs have realised that it can actually be a very good thing.
Productivity is often increased, the workload is managed, targets are met, and staff morale is high.
Most of us have gained 2 hours or so of our lives each day. Without the commute to the office, we have an extra couple of hours with our family or in bed! Perhaps we are using that time for exercise, meditation, or to engage in hobbies that make us happy. Sounds ideal, doesn't it?
Working from home has seen such a rise over recent years that the term 'remote working' has increased by over 30% in job advertisements. But, whilst there are many benefits to working from home, there are also drawbacks.
It can be tempting to stay in your pj's all day because you have no meetings. And, constant snacking from the fridge, just because you can.
Loneliness is a common complaint; if you live alone and work from home, you could go all day without seeing or speaking to any real people (except those you see on zoom).
With pros and cons for all parties, the balance of remote working, but with a few days peppered through a month for in-person meetings, seems to be the perfect combination.
When working from home became essential for everyone, it came as a rush. We didn't have time to figure things out; it was simply a case of damage limitation. Pack up your computer from the office and set it up at home. But if you didn't already work from home before the lockdown, likely, your house didn't have a dedicated office space.
Giant corporations were being run from the kitchen tables of family homes worldwide. The dining table was upgraded. No more just the humble table; it became the office and the school. Families had to juggle the homeschooling time around meetings where everyone had to stay quiet. This was fine in the case of an emergency (and digital backgrounds definitely helped to hide the mess behind you!), but it isn't a long-term solution.
As working from home is becoming the norm, many people realise they need more space.
Either a spare bedroom or repurposing of a downstairs room, to call their 'office'. Somewhere that you can go to work each morning.
And unless you want to extend your home, kick out one of your children, or move to a bigger property, there are limited options.
A garden office can be a fantastic solution.
You physically go somewhere for work, but it's just at the end of your garden. Yes, you can still wear your pj's if you must!
Not to be confused with a shed, the garden office is a high-end, top-quality structure. They can be purchased as a ready-made, modular item, and you can work from there within a few days! Complete with windows and insulation, ready to crane into your garden.
And, as this is becoming a requirement of most property searchers, the home office cost isn't wasted as it will increase the value of your home overall.
You shouldn't need planning permission unless you live in a flat, listed building or area of specific interest, but you should double-check with your local planning department first.
So, rather than moving to a bigger property or trying to extend your property, simply buy a ready-made solution and get to work!
If you have a garden office already, we'd love to see it. Get in touch!