Working remotely is now more common than ever. Large corporations already announced that they plan to keep remote working the norm, and smaller businesses are following suit. This means that investing in a comfortable home office makes more sense, since you can be more productive when you have the space to support your work.

Of course, a home office doesn’t have to be the spare bedroom converted into one. You can also set up a garden office and have an even better time working. Before you start planning to build a garden office, however, here are some of the things you need to know first.

Check Local Regulations

Before you go ahead and start planning for a garden office, make sure you check with local officials first. You want to be extra certain that you can create the garden office without breaking any rules, and that you get the proper permits before you get started.

Now is also the best time to identify the right outdoor space for your office. You cannot just pick a corner and start building; you have to think about lighting, heat and weather conditions in general, and of course, space for the office.

Separation is a key factor here. You want the garden office to be far enough from the main house so that it can be quieter and more private, but you also want to pick a spot that gives you the best lighting without sacrificing a lot of the landscape you already have.

Safety First

The next thing you want to think about is safety. Having a separate building means you have to also secure it. Remember that you’ll be storing office equipment, a computer for working, and other appliances in the garden office. Sufficient security measures must be put in place.

If the garden office is positioned in the corner, you must also think about access from outside the property. What’s behind the wall closest to the office? Is it easy to gain access to the property if you have a structure near the wall?

As an added measure, consider adding a CCTV system to the outbuilding and nearby areas. If you already have a home security system in place, the systems for both buildings can be integrated for easier monitoring.

Design and Plan

The design of the outbuilding will determine how comfortable the garden office is once it is ready for use. You may be tempted to go with a simple, all-enclosed building design, but comfort will not be at a maximum if the garden office is too enclosed.

Your choice of materials matters too. Glass is great for a modern-looking garden office, but it also means you have to take extra steps to make sure that the inside of the office is cosy enough for work. You wouldn’t want to be in a hot space in the middle of the day, would you?

Composite is a great material to consider for decking, cladding, and fencing. Ecoscape UK, a leading name in composite decking and cladding, has a wide range of materials that are perfect for a garden office. You can choose from the available colours and textures for different looks.

Connecting the Garden Office

Once you have a design created and materials picked, it is time to think about how you can connect the outbuilding from the main property. A pathway is the obvious choice, but it is not the only thing to think about when designing the connection.

You also need to think about whether to add shade to the pathway so that you can access the garden office when it rains. Your choice of materials once again plays an important role, along with the shape of the pathway itself.

One thing to also take into account is access to the garden office. Do you want to have access to the garden office only from the house? Or do you need to create additional pathways to the front garden or the garage? Answer these questions and you are ready for the final part.

Getting It Built

The last piece of the puzzle is building the garden office. There are two things you need to decide here, the first one being whether you want to use a prefabricated structure or build a custom one from scratch. This depends highly on your budget and timeframe.

The second part is choosing a contractor for the job. You want to make sure that you are working with a reputable contractor so that you can realise your vision for the perfect garden office without dealing with complications along the way.

With these basics covered, you can start building your garden office and have a new, more comfortable place for working remotely, away from the main property and the distractions that come with working from home. A garden office is a fantastic investment to make right now indeed.