This question has many different answers, depending on what you want to use it for, so we can begin by dividing the three different TYPES of garden buildings available and their uses. This information will hopefully put you on the right path to making the right decision.
Dwelling Units (Mobile Home – Granny Annex – Lodge – Caravan)
In order to meet this category any unit that has to comply with the Caravan Acts, see below MUST meet five crucial tests as follows:
These rules are fairly complicated and could fill a book but Urban Marque Ltd have simplified the routes to legal ownership and this information can be found in our free help documents. Go to our website www.urbanmarque.com and request details – ref: Urban Marque Ltd Help Guide no. TEG 15.
Again, there are a lot of non-compliant ‘log cabins’ or ‘garden bungalows’ on the market but they do not comply with any planning laws and certainly won’t be habitable in colder months unless they comply with BS3632:2023 AS A MINIMUM STANDARD.
If you intend to live in the garden lodge of your choice, it must be of a similar construction and integrity as a traditional house – yet still meet the Caravan Acts. Urban Marque Ltd are one of the few designer/manufacturers that can achieve this fine balance. These unit type are also known as independence living units as they are a perfect solution for stationing in a garden or care home to provide long or short term accommodation for retired parents, children and visitors. The added benefit, if chosen with care is the cost can be a fraction of a new traditional home, yet supply all the same facilities and comfort.
You can have a garden lodge home up to 20m long x 6.8m wide ( 136m2 up to 5 bedrooms) although most units will be between 40m2-50m2 for single occupation to around 65m2 – 85m2 for 3 or 4 bed accommodation.
A good supplier will offer you the opportunity of choosing a standard design from a set list or the facility to alter any standard design to suit your requirements and for the adventurous, why not design your own? Usually a sketch is enough for a designer to work off and it shouldn’t cost anymore that choosing a ‘standard’ design as all have to be re-engineered to suit your exact site location. Steer clear of the temptation to buy a ‘second hand’ unit as it will not have been designed for your location. Park Homes – also known as Static Caravans or Mobile Homes are not individually designed site-specific with a comparatively low specification compared to Lodge Homes and often considerably more expensive, with the emphasis on furniture quality instead of build quality. Long life expectancy (same as a traditional house), depending on suppliers specification and maintenance.
Garden Buildings
The name ‘Garden Building’ is often hijacked by sellers of Shed Buildings to make them sound more impressive. A Garden Building is normally recognised as a small unit designed and installed to be a functional room or rooms for daytime occupation. A typical use would be an office or a workroom that can be comfortably occupied for these purposes. There are many different qualities available ranging from glorified sheds to designer functional buildings so the choice is up to the buyer, and usually price drives the decision. If you intend to work from home or spend a day in your studio you need to be comfortable, so insulation is an important aspect to consider. Walls, floor zones and roof voids should be well insulated and attention should be paid to glazing compliance as both these aspects control heat loss. Modern foils also prevent overheating in the summer months. Good quality garden buildings will also have a twin wall with a cavity in between the walls and an insulated floor cassette to raise them off the ground.
High-end modern units can be quite a statement in your garden and can be externally finished in many different combinations of attractive, hardwearing and durable finishes. Our advice is go for the highest specification you can afford as you won’t want to work in a wooden crate of an office for very long. Many cheap options on the market are imports from Eastern Europe and really are basic and don’t meet any UK standards.
These types of buildings don’t require planning permission as they are covered by a rule called Permitted Development under Outbuildings and the basic rule of thumb is, most of the above can be built in the curtilage of your home under Class E of the rules subject to the following conditions:
- Maximum roof ridge height is 4.0m if more than 2.0m away from a boundary
- Maximum flat roof height is 3.0m if more than 2.0m away from a boundary
- Maximum roof height is 2.5m if within 2.0m of a boundary
- Eaves height is a maximum of 2.5m
Permitted development does not allow anything to be installed at the front of a house or on the side if in a conservation area. The rules for Listed Buildings and ANOB areas are different and we will gladly explain if you contact Urban Marque. Good Life expectancy if quality installation and maintained correctly.
Shed Buildings
This category includes all sorts of non-dwelling garden structures from basic sheds to garden shades and day rooms to summer-houses. These types of buildings are the budget end of the market and have single skin walls rarely exceeding 60-70mm thick, rarely have insulation in the walls and roof and must not be used for any form of occupation or any loadings. They usually sit on a concrete pad base and don’t require any planning permission.