Ever asked yourself…
“Does my garden office add value?”
It’s something UK homeowners ask more and more these days. Not just from a ‘how nice would that be?’ lifestyle perspective… But from a cold, hard financial point of view.
Does building a garden room actually add value to your property?
Yeah, kind of. But it’s not quite that simple.
Let’s take a look at what goes into that ‘kind of.’
What You’ll Learn
- What Is a Garden Room?
- How Much Does It Cost to Build a Garden Room?
- Does a Garden Room Add Value?
- What Makes a Garden Room Worth More to Buyers
- When Do Garden Rooms Fail to Add Value?
- Garden Rooms: The Verdict — Is It Worth Building One?
What Is a Garden Room?
Ok, first thing’s first. What is a garden room?
A garden room is a fully-insulated standalone building built within the garden of a residential property.
Essentially it’s one step up from a shed – and one step down from building an extension on your house.
To be clear, this isn’t about a basic summer house or outbuilding. Purpose-built, high-quality rooms come complete with insulation, electrics, heating…
Real garden rooms that can be used year-round and match the quality of your property.
These key features are what differentiate a summerhouse from a garden room.
And also what contributes towards a garden room actually adding value to a property.
Home buyers can spot poor quality build garden rooms a mile off. And so can property surveyors.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Garden Room?
Before talking figures on value, it’s worth covering how much garden rooms cost to build in the first place.
It’s where most homeowners start their research. And for good reason!
The price of building a garden room starts at around £10,000 and goes up to around £30,000+, depending on size, spec, and finish. Going fully bespoke will only increase that cost.
See the dedicated guide on how much garden rooms cost to find out more.
Knowing how much you’ll have to shell out is important. Particularly if you’re hoping for your garden room to add value in the long run.
Because when it comes down to it, how much a garden room costs to build is only half of the equation. The real question is…
How much does a garden room add?
Note: Garden rooms on the lower end of the market will cover an area of around 10–15 square metres. Larger garden rooms in the £20-30k range provide real value for buyers.
On average, a loft conversion will cost you more. An extension will cost significantly more. And eat into your life for months on end.
Garden rooms sit nicely in the middle. They’re expensive enough that they merit some return. But they don’t require planning like an extension.
Does a Garden Room Actually Add Value?
Let’s address the most important question…
Yes. Well-built garden rooms can add value to your property.
How much value? Well, that depends…
Consensus from property experts around the UK suggests garden rooms can increase property values by 5–15%.
On a £350k house, that’s an extra £17.5k to £52.5k.
Not too shabby for a structure that can be built in a matter of days.
It wasn’t always this way. But estate agents are now singing from the same hymn sheet.
A survey carried out by property software firm Hassle found that:
- 84% of property professionals said garden rooms helped with saleability
- 72% said they added £15k+ to a property’s value
- 50% of property professionals said houses with garden rooms sold quicker than those without
That doesn’t lie.
As more buyers look for flexible space post-pandemic — remote workers in particular — demand for high-quality garden rooms is only going to increase.
Rightmove reported a 1,046% rise in searches for the term ‘garden office’ over the last 10 years.
Buyers want garden rooms. And the increase in demand has naturally inflated how much value they can add to your property.
TL;DR: Build your garden room right, and it’s worth as much as any other room in the house.
If it’s well built, insulated, and includes heating and electrics.
What Makes a Garden Room Worth More To Buyers?
Not all garden rooms are created equal when it comes to adding value.
While some householders can bank an extra 10% on their property’s value by installing a garden room, others will fall short of that mark.
Here are the things that matter when it comes to adding value.
Year-round usability
If your garden room is only fit for summer use then buyers will discount it when considering how much they’re willing to pay for your property.
Proper insulation and heating are essential for adding value.
Build quality
This can’t be stressed enough. A cheap, poorly built garden room will reduce your home’s value.
If it’s draughty, has damp walls, or just looks low-quality — the cost to build a garden room won’t be recouped.
Flexibility of use
The number one garden room search term on Google? ‘Garden office.’
Remote and hybrid workers are driving demand for high-quality garden offices. But buyers will also pay a premium for rooms that can be used for multiple purposes.
Think home gym, studio space, or guest bedroom.
How it matches your garden
Some garden rooms feel like an extension of your property. Well-built. Thoughtfully positioned with some landscaping and lighting to match the exterior.
Others look like a tin shed that your gran came up with in the back of.
Buyers can spot the difference. Any garden room that blends with (and complements) the garden space will add more value.
The better these boxes are ticked, the more value your garden room can add.
Professional surveyors value high-quality garden rooms between 70-100% when calculating a home’s overall property value. Higher-end builds in urban areas can even command a higher ROI.
The Mistakes That Prevent a Garden Room From Adding Value
Garden rooms can also decrease your home’s value.
Sounds surprising, right?
Yes, garden rooms have the potential to add serious value to your home. But that isn’t a given.
Here are some of the things property buyers and surveyors will mark against a property:
- Poor insulation. If your garden room feels like the Arctic… Then it’s not hitting the ‘year-round usability’ mark mentioned above.
- Planning. As with most garden buildings, garden rooms are covered by permitted development rights. Although anything built over a certain size (or too close to a boundary) can require applications to be made. Always double-check first.
- They eat into your garden. Okay, this won’t affect your valuation. But a garden room that takes over your garden totally will put buyers off. Particularly parents who lose the ‘grass for the kids to play in’ or folks who want plenty of space for outdoor entertaining.
- Budget looks. Again, this sounds obvious. But garden rooms built from cheap materials or that look like they’ve seen better days will hinder, not help, your property value.
Garden Rooms: The Verdict — Is It Worth Building One?
If you’re after a relatively low-cost way to add value to your property, garden rooms are hard to beat.
Sure, you won’t create nearly as much space as a traditional extension. But neither will you empty out your bank account.
Build a high-quality garden room and you’re looking at ROI of up to 100% on resale. That sure beats the 30-50% you’ll likely see from an extension.
But as covered above…
All garden rooms are not created equal.
Just remember this:
- Garden rooms can cost anywhere from £10k to £30k+ to build
- They can add between 5–15% value to your home
- Quality of build, insulation, and purpose are the biggest influencers on value
- Garden rooms built purely for summer use won’t add anything
- Your garden room shouldn’t take over the garden either
Take care of these and a garden room could be one of the best investments you make as a homeowner.
