A Garden Room: give your property a new dimension
Nowadays, it’s become trendy to create some additional space in a property by building an orangery, conservatory or a garden room. These assets are appreciated because it gives a certain charm and it can moreover add value to your property. The garden rooms in particular have been more successful compared to others.
Actually, conservatories are quite limited in their architecture and they can get really cold in winter whereas garden rooms can be used as a second house (or summer house) and they are extremely customisable depending on your taste.
In addition, from an estate agent’s perspective it is only when the “conservatory” develops into a “garden room” with solid walls, full central heating and tiled roof that they start to see any appreciable increase in value. Nevertheless, it’s the location of both the property and the garden room which will influence the value of your French property.
However, the building of a garden is rarely motivated by the wish to improve the house’s value but more for practical and esthetical reasons. Here are some assets that a garden room can provide:
- More comfort in winter. A solid, insulated roof helps to maximize insulation
- Lower heating costs. A smaller radiator is needed because of smaller surface area.
- More comfort in summer. A solid, insulated roof gives more protection from the sun, keeping the space cooler in summer and the occupants more comfortable.
- Lower cooling costs. Fewer open windows are required and there is no need to buy roof blinds.
- More privacy. A solid, insulated roof gives increased visual and aural privacy.
Despite its name, a garden room looks more like a house extension than an add-on structure of your garden. Also, compared to a traditional brick-built house extension a ‘package’ garden room can have a simpler construction and a cost less.
Concerning planning permission, garden rooms obey the same restrictions as the conservatory. There can be some exceptions therefore you should contact your local Planning Department before building one.
The garden room is called “maison de jardin” in French as it is considered as a real house for the French. The garden room can transform into a hobby room, a play area, a gym for the fitness enthusiast; or just a place to sit and relax and admire your garden from in summer or spring. If you don’t want to transform the space into a play area, you could easily turn it into a peaceful work area. Indeed, a garden room helps to create a physical and psychological distinction between your professional and family space, promoting a healthier work-life balance.
A garden room is perfect for:
- a startup business
- a small business that wants to avoid renting office space or the daily commute
- Professionals: health practitioners, therapists or music teachers who wish to operate from home
This tradition brought over from the UK has started to enter the French property market as more and more English are asking for it for their French properties. It’s almost certain that the demand will increase in years to come…