How to Extend Your Living Space with a Garden Room
Are you looking to expand your living space without the hassles of traditional home renovations? A garden room is a great solution, providing a standalone structure that increases your property’s value and versatility. Fully insulated and secure, garden rooms can be customised for various purposes, whether you envision a home office, gym, or a peaceful retreat. At Express Direct, we are committed to providing high-quality pre-made products that make it easy for you to create your dream garden room. In this guide, we will explore the numerous advantages of garden rooms, including their cost-effectiveness, quick installation, and aesthetic appeal, as well as their potential to increase property value. Learn how you can seamlessly integrate a garden room into your lifestyle, enabling you to fully appreciate the beauty of your outdoor surroundings.
What is a Garden Room?
A garden room is a standalone structure designed to extend your living space without the need for major renovations. Unlike a standard shed, a true garden room is fully insulated, making it comfortable for use throughout the year. It’s constructed to be watertight and secure, with doors and windows that meet the same safety and security standards as your home. Garden rooms maximise the use of your outdoor space, offering a stylish, separate retreat from your main residence. They not only boost the value of your property but also provide a versatile space for various activities, such as entertaining, working out, or working from home. To ensure your garden room feels open and welcoming, selecting the right windows and doors is crucial. Options like large windows, bifold doors, or French doors are ideal, as they let in plenty of natural light, creating a bright and spacious feel.
The Perfect Alternative to an Extension
Garden rooms are a fantastic alternative to traditional home extensions. They are faster to build, more affordable, and often bypass the need for planning permission. In addition to extending your living space, garden rooms create a natural flow between your home and garden, effortlessly connecting indoor and outdoor environments. According to Tim Phillips, senior chartered surveyor and founder of Quantiv, a single-storey home extension of approximately 15 square meters typically costs around £31,500 before VAT (£2,100 per square meter). By contrast, a fully equipped, insulated garden room of the same size can be as affordable as £19,000, including VAT, offering a significant cost saving. At Express Direct, we specialise in a wide range of high-quality products to improve your garden room, including bi-folding and French doors, as well as fixed windows and casement windows. Each product is expertly designed and crafted to complement the style of your garden room, helping you create a bright, functional, and stylish space for year-round enjoyment.
Benefits of a Garden Room
Outside Living Space
A garden room offers a seamless way to connect indoor and outdoor living, creating a natural transition between your home and garden. With large windows or bifold doors, you can extend your living area into the surrounding landscape, allowing sunlight to fill the space, and offering clear views of nature. This design blurs the boundaries between your home and the outdoors, making it easier to enjoy the fresh air and changing seasons while remaining comfortable inside. Whether used for relaxation, work, or socialising, a garden room provides a peaceful setting where nature becomes part of your everyday life.
Increased Property Value
Investing in a garden room is a smart way to boost your property’s value. With its modern design, energy efficiency, and practical use, a garden room stands out as an appealing addition for potential buyers. In a competitive real estate market, having such a contemporary feature can set your home apart, making it more desirable and marketable. Real estate experts estimate a garden room can increase the value of your home by around 5-10%, depending on the quality of the build. This means the investment not only covers the installation and material costs but can also generate a return. A well-constructed garden room can provide a unique selling point, appealing to buyers seeking extra living space, home offices, or creative retreats, making your home more attractive in today’s housing market.
Versatile Space
Offering unmatched flexibility, garden rooms can be customised to suit a wide range of needs. Whether you’re looking to create a home office, gym, or children’s playroom, this space can easily adapt to your changing lifestyle. With endless possibilities, it stands out as one of the most adaptable home additions. For those seeking a personal getaway, a garden room serves as the perfect retreat. It offers a quiet space where you can read, meditate, or simply escape the busy atmosphere of the household, providing a much-needed break from daily routines. For remote workers, having a dedicated office in the garden helps establish a clear division between work and home life, promoting a better work-life balance. Beyond these uses, garden rooms can also double as practical storage solutions, offering space for seasonal items, tools, or hobby equipment, all while keeping your home organised and clutter-free.
Energy Efficiency
Garden rooms prioritise energy efficiency, featuring rigid foam insulation that retains heat and maintains a comfortable environment year-round. Their airtight construction minimises air leakage, reducing overall energy consumption. By using a garden room for work or study, you can significantly cut energy costs, as you only need to manage the temperature in this smaller space instead of heating or cooling your entire home. With double-glazed windows and doors, garden rooms further boost energy savings by preventing heat loss. Additionally, having a garden office is an environmentally friendly choice, as eliminating the daily commute helps reduce your carbon footprint. Even if you previously worked from home, a dedicated garden office is more economical, using far less energy to heat than an entire house during working hours.
Cost-effective & Quick Installation
Compared to traditional home extensions, garden rooms provide a more affordable and time-efficient solution. The construction process is quicker, requiring less labour and fewer materials, which keeps expenses down. With Express Direct, you can have your garden room features ready in as little as 5 days, streamlining installation and reducing hassle. We focus on pre-built products designed for easy installation, but we recommend hiring a qualified tradesperson instead of attempting a DIY approach. Each product comes with a detailed fitting instruction manual, ensuring that skilled installers can complete the job effectively. If they are unfamiliar with terms like “toe and heel” or lack experience, we suggest reaching out to our sister company, Express Bi-folding Doors, for a full surveying and fitting service. The combination of cost savings and quick setup makes garden rooms an ideal choice for homeowners looking to expand their living space. For more details, visit our showroom to consult with our expert team.
Things To Consider
Planning Permission
Most garden rooms do not require planning permission, but it’s essential to verify local regulations to ensure compliance. Generally, garden buildings fall under Permitted Development Rights, allowing them to be constructed without planning permission as long as certain criteria are met. Specifically, the structure must be positioned less than 2.0 meters from the property boundary and cannot exceed a height of 2.5 meters from the existing ground level. However, these rights may not apply if your home is a listed building or if it is located in a designated area, such as a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a conservation area, or a World Heritage Site. With careful planning, you can quickly and efficiently expand your living area while ensuring compliance with all regulations.
Materials and Insulation
Selecting the right materials is essential for constructing a garden room, with popular options including timber, treated SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels), and glass. Timber is the most favoured choice; a survey by Which found that 79% of garden room owners opted for solid wood. Its natural appearance allows it to blend effortlessly with garden surroundings, with cedar and redwood being particularly prized for their durability. However, wood does require regular treatment and staining, while wood composite provides a lower-maintenance alternative since it doesn’t need frequent upkeep.
Treated SIPs provide an excellent solution due to their superior insulation and sturdy framework, making them suitable for year-round use. On the other hand, glass garden rooms maximise natural light and offer breathtaking panoramic views, creating a spacious and airy atmosphere. To further improve energy efficiency and insulation, opting for double or triple-glazed aluminium windows and doors is highly recommended.
High-Quality Features
Selecting high-quality features is an essential step when designing your garden room. At Express Direct, our doors and windows, made from durable premium aluminium, provide both practicality and a sleek, modern aesthetic that complements your garden room beautifully. Options such as bi-folding and French doors establish an effortless link between indoor and outdoor areas, while the addition of windows not only enhances natural light but also creates the illusion of a larger space and provides essential ventilation. We offer a selection of pre-made options, including bifold doors, French doors, glazed access doors, and both fixed windows and casement windows in various sizes, allowing you to choose between unobstructed views or windows that open for fresh air. With the right combination of windows and doors, you can create a space that feels open and inviting while enjoying the benefits of natural light and fresh air.
Our Garden Room Features
At Express Direct, we offer a carefully curated selection of aluminium products designed to help you create your ideal garden room. Our range features pre-built options that include bi-folding doors in 2 sizes, elegant French doors, and single-hinged access doors. Each garden room door comes with a 42mm add-on profile that includes trickle vents for efficient airflow, allowing you to plasterboard the interior without blocking any ventilation openings. Our doors are glazed with 28mm toughened soft coat low E glass as standard and feature a strong five-point locking system on the master door, complemented by steel shoot-bolt locking rods in all intermediate panels for increased security.
To maximise natural light and ventilation, you can also choose from our selection of fixed and casement windows, ensuring your garden room remains bright and inviting. Manufactured in our advanced 200,000-square-foot facility, all our products undergo rigorous quality checks, guaranteeing durability and style tailored to your needs. Explore our collection to find the perfect combination of features for your new outdoor space.
Extend Your Living Space Today
A garden room is a smart and versatile addition to any home, offering a range of benefits, such as cost savings, energy efficiency, and additional living space. With thoughtful planning and the right materials, you can design a stunning outdoor area that meets your specific needs while blending seamlessly with your property. Whether you envision a serene workspace, an engaging entertainment area, or a peaceful retreat to unwind, the possibilities are truly limitless. At Express Direct, we provide high-quality products and expert guidance to help you transform your garden into a practical extension of your home. Not sure which garden room doors and windows suit your space? We invite you to visit our showroom to begin your journey toward creating the perfect garden room. Our friendly team of advisors is available to answer your questions and assist you in selecting the best options for your needs.
