Garden Offices Surrey

This is a question for your accountant, but many self-employed people and sole traders do offset some or all of the running costs of a dedicated home office — including electricity — as a business expense. The structure itself may also qualify for capital allowances. Because every situation is different, we always recommend speaking to your accountant before buying. What we can confirm: a dedicated, signed-off building with its own electrical certificate is a much stronger claim than a corner of a spare bedroom.

Most garden offices fall under Permitted Development — no planning permission required. The key rules: single storey, not covering more than 50% of the garden, and no taller than 2.5m within 2m of a boundary. Listed buildings, conservation areas and national parks may require consent. We confirm your permitted development position at the free site visit. See our getting started guide for more detail.

The best solution is a Cat 6a cable run in armoured conduit underground from your router to the garden office. We can include this in the build — it's far more reliable than a WiFi extender or powerline adapter, and gives you a full gigabit connection for video calls, large file transfers, and multi-monitor setups. We handle the trench, conduit and termination at both ends as part of the electrics scope.

For a solo desk setup with a monitor, printer and storage, 3×2.5m is our most popular size — plenty of room to work comfortably. If you want space for two desks, a sofa, or a meeting area for clients, 4×3m gives you real flexibility. We'll recommend the right size for your garden and your plans at the free site visit, based on how you actually work.

A well-built, certified garden office typically adds 5–15% to property value — often significantly more than the cost of construction. Estate agents increasingly list garden offices as a headline feature, and buyer demand for home working space remains strong. A building with a signed electrical certificate and proper foundations adds more value than an uncertified flat-pack alternative.

Absolutely. A finished, plastered and decorated garden office is a professional space you'll be proud to use for client meetings. It's separated from your home, free of domestic noise and distractions, and — with a level deck or path — fully accessible. Many of our customers choose to add a small seating area and external feature lighting specifically to create a client-ready impression.