Frequently Asked Questions About Garden Buildings

Garden buildings are exempt from building regulations as long as:

1. They do not contain any sleeping accommodation 
2. They have a floor area of 15m2 or less.

OR

1. They have a floor area between 15m2 and 30m2, and they are sited 1m or more from the boundary.

Our friendly team are knowledgeable regarding building regulations. They will be delighted to discuss this with you during the design process.

Find detailed information regarding exemptions from building regulations here.

Covenants are rules affecting how a property can be used and are usually written into the title deeds when a house is built. 

As the name suggests, restrictive covenants restrict you from doing or allowing to be done certain things on your property. 

Typically, covenants are intended to maintain the character of the area and are imposed by developers to ensure uniformity.

If you want to check if there are any restrictive covenants affecting a property you already own, you may be able to identify these yourself by looking in the ‘Charges Register’ of the title document.

We recommend these are double-checked before any alterations or additions to your property. 

You do not necessarily need planning permission to work from home. The critical test is whether the overall character of the dwelling will change as a result of the business.

If the answer to any of the following questions is ‘yes’, then permission will probably be needed:

• Will your home no longer be used mainly as a private residence?
• Will your business result in a marked rise in traffic or people calling?
• Will your business involve any activities unusual in a residential area?
• Will your business disturb your neighbours at unreasonable hours or create other nuisances such as noise or smells?

We construct your garden room on site and will need a minimum of 0.5m from any boundary. 

If your building is more than 15m2, it will need to be constructed 1 metre from the boundary to be exempt from building regulations. 

The area must be cleared of all obstructions, including trees, large rocks and shrubs, and reasonably level.

Aybel Spaces can construct our rooms fully or partially on top of existing concrete slabs as long as they are robust enough. 

We will need access to power and water throughout the build and ideally, a place to park the van.

Our friendly team can advise on what is needed during the site survey, consultation or design phase. If you wish, we can price for any ground clearance works required. 

Yes, this is not a problem in most cases and is a common addition. To install a plumbed-in toilet, we will need to run water to the garden room (usually from the house) and take waste water away from the garden room.  

The wastewater will need to be carried away to a nearby sewer.  Usually, this will involve digging a trench to lay the wastewater pipes and make the required connections.

Every house has different access to mains water and the local sewer, so this would all be subject to a site survey.  You may also want to add a small water heater for hand washing.  

A toilet is handy if you use your garden room as an office, gym or games room, but remember, if you are thinking of creating self-contained accommodation, you must obtain planning permission and comply with building regulations.

Yes, this is not a problem in most cases and is a common addition.

To install a shower, we will need to run water to the garden room  (usually from the house) and take waste water away from the garden room.  

The wastewater will need to be carried away to a nearby sewer.  Usually, this will involve digging a trench to lay the wastewater pipes and make the required connections.  

Every house has different access to mains water and the local sewer, so this would all be subject to a site survey.  You may also want to add a small water heater for washing.   

A shower room is handy if you use your garden room as a gym or changing room. Remember, if you are thinking of creating self-contained accommodation, you will need to obtain planning permission & comply with building regulations.

Yes, this is not a problem in most cases and is a common addition. 

To install a kitchen, we will need to run water to the garden room  (usually from the house) and take waste water away from the garden room. 

The wastewater will need to be carried away to a nearby sewer.  Usually, this will involve digging a trench to lay the wastewater pipes and make the required connections.  

Every house has different access to mains water and the local sewer, so this would all be subject to a site survey. You may also want to add a small water heater for washing.  

A small kitchen area to make drinks and wash up is handy if you are going to use your garden room as an office gym or games room. But remember, if you are thinking of creating self-contained accommodation, you will need to obtain planning permission & comply with building regulations.

Yes, an office is an everyday use for a garden building and will generally not require planning permission or building regulation approval, subject to certain conditions.

Aybel Spaces Garden Rooms start from £14,000, including VAT. This price includes all aspects of the design and build, including foundations. 

Not to be confused with a ‘shed office’, our garden rooms are fully insulated and double glazed for all year-round use.

Yes, a well-constructed garden room increases the living area of your home. It can be considered an investment that will add value.

Yes – The standard specification includes a wall mounted electric radiator. However, due to the high level of insulation, you will only need to use this during the coldest periods.

Yes, your garden room walls, floor and roof will be built using unique structural panels with excellent insulation properties.. For example, our 96mm thick panel has 74mm of solid insulation, creating incredibly well insulated and airtight buildings. 

Yes – we provide a 10-year insurance backed warranty for all of our builds. 

The warranty includes deposit protection insurance. In addition to the structural building warranty, we offer, through our suppliers:

• Laminate and engineered wood floorings – 10-year residential warranty
• Windows & doors – 10-year residential warranty
• EPDM rubber roofs – 10-year residential warranty.

We can add a toilet, kitchen & shower to your garden room to make it a self-contained room (commonly called an ‘annexe’ however, you will need planning permission and building regulations approval. Our experienced team would be delighted to talk you through the process.