Does a garden room add value to your home?

For years, homeowners really only had two options to add more space to their property: add an extension or move house. However, an increasingly popular solution has emerged: the garden room. If you like the idea of a garden room but are asking yourself, “will it actually add value?”, then read on. We’ll explain why it’s a great way to invest in your property..

What is a garden room?

First things first, what exactly is a garden room? Let’s make sure we’re all talking about the same thing.

If you’ve been imagining a fancy shed, then think again (or possibly find a new garden room supplier!). A garden room is a self-contained, insulated building built for year-round use. They’re fitted with double glazing, electricity, lighting and heating, making them feel more like a natural extension of your home than an outbuilding. 

Garden rooms come in all shapes and sizes, and you can use them for a range of purposes: home office, art studio, guest room, gym, playroom, or simply a place to relax.

Does a garden room add value?

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s move on to the key question: does it add value?

Yes, adding a garden room can add value to your home. Some estate agents and property experts estimate that a garden room can add as much as 1.5 times the cost of the installation or between 5%-15% of the property price.

But whether it will add value, and what that value will be, will depend on a range of factors, notably your location, the size and cost of the garden room, the quality of the build and the property market. 

If you’re looking to add a garden room to create more space, then it’s also important to compare it with your other options. A typical single-storey extension can cost anywhere from £25,000 to £100,000+, will probably require planning permission, and is likely to cause significant upheaval to your daily routine. If you move house in the UK, the average cost of stamp duty tax, legal costs, estate agent and mortgage fees, surveys and removals is £15,000. 

In contrast, you might find that a garden room offers a quicker and more cost-effective route to gaining that all-important extra square footage. Installation takes only 2-3 weeks; disruption to your daily life is minimal because we manufacture our panels off-site; and in most cases, a garden room falls under permitted development, meaning you don’t need planning permission. 

What factors can affect a garden room’s value?

Quality of construction 

A high-quality, insulated garden room with proper foundations, double glazing, cladding and a sealed rubber membrane roof will add more value than a basic, uninsulated structure.

Location

In high-demand housing markets or areas with limited space for renovations or extensions, such as London, Glasgow or Edinburgh, garden rooms are more likely to add value.

How well it integrates with your garden

Does your garden room stand out like a sore thumb, or does it complement the rest of your garden? We’re talking landscaping, complimentary plants (inside and out), pathways, water features and fencing.

How does a garden room add value?

1. Increased floor space

One of the primary ways a garden room adds value is by increasing the usable living space in your home. Traditionally, when more space was required in a property, an extension or loft conversion was often the chosen route. However, these options usually require planning permission, have to adhere to strict building regulations, take a long time to complete and create significant disruption and upheaval. 

This is where a garden room offers a cost-effective solution with the floor space you need. With a garden room, you can add one or even two new rooms to your home in a completely separate space away from the main house. For potential buyers, this extra space is often a key selling point, particularly in urban areas where square footage is at a premium.

2. Multi-purpose use

Garden rooms can be designed for a host of uses, whether it’s a gym, music room, home office, living room, or even an extra bedroom or guest accommodation. This flexibility makes your property more attractive to a broader audience, increasing its market value.

The other key thing to remember with a professionally built garden room is that we are not talking about a posh garden shed; they are weatherproof, insulated, heated, and wired for technology. A garden room is a high-quality space that can improve your work-life balance, provide an extra living space for parents or children to escape to, or one of the many other uses our customers have found for their rooms. 

3. Aesthetic appeal

A well-designed garden room can enhance the overall look and feel of your property, by linking your outside space to the main house. They can be designed to blend in - or indeed stand out - with any space, whether it's a smaller urban garden or a countryside retreat. At Outside In, we work with landscape specialists as part of our design and build process, so not only can we install a garden room, we can also design the walkways and patios, and choose the plants and trees.

It’s also important to highlight that a garden room doesn’t just come as a standard box; you can customise it how you want it. Choose the type of cladding, the technology, and the glazing. You can even add a living sedum roof. 

4. More attractive to prospective buyers

Finally, a garden room can make your property more appealing to a wider range of buyers. If you do come to sell your home, it’s all about standing out from what’s already on the market. Families would appreciate the extra space it affords; professionals who work from home could use it as an office; and hobbyists might see the appeal in a dedicated gym, craft room or music studio. 

So, whether you're looking to sell in the near future or simply want to enjoy the benefits of an extended living space, a garden room is a worthwhile addition that offers both immediate and long-term rewards.

Looking to add your own garden room? Get in touch for a free quote.