Create an indulgent entertaining space with a garden room

Whether you are longing to extend or expand your entertaining space, to create enough space for a new hobby, or to house a state-of-the art fitness studio or even a tranquil retreat, a garden room or annex could be for you.

There are, however, several key considerations to be made when curating the perfect space to enjoy.

Edward Medd, Co-Founder of Vita Modular, the bespoke modular buildings specialist uses his expertise to share with us advice for creating the luxurious area you have always dreamed of in the comfort of your own garden – whether that be the ideal setting for sumptuous late-night parties, or a chic home bar stocked with the finest wines for a sophisticated soirée.

A winter retreat

Until recently, homeowners looking to extend their living or leisure space with a garden building were generally faced with very little choice but to opt for timber shed style structures which are simply not practical to use in colder months. However, garden rooms have come a long way from draughty wooden summerhouses, providing an innovative solution for those seeking a space that offers a little more solidity and durability.

Modular buildings are also becoming increasingly popular, and due to the wonderful thermal properties with a high level of thermal efficiency, they certainly come into their own as the months get colder. 

It is important to ensure that when selecting a garden building, homeowners not only have complete peace of mind knowing that they have a garden room that is built to last, but they also have a space that can be enjoyed with friends and family comfortably all year round. For example, Vita Modular garden rooms are designed to meet current UK building regulations – meaning they benefit from the same energy performance criteria of any modern new build home. 

Sound, lighting and luxurious extras

Connection to an existing power supply is essential, allowing you to enhance your room and create the ideal atmosphere with a sound and lighting system. With the right set up, a garden room can be completely self-contained; if you have full internal electric wiring, you can think about installing a wine cooler, or even a fully-fledged bar.  

For optimal temperature control in the colder months, I would suggest considering electric underfloor heating solutions before your installation gets underway. 

Securing your investment

Insurance for any valuable items stored in your garden room, such as high-tech sound systems or premium furniture is essential. If your garden building is built with non-combustible materials and fire-rated to UK domestic standards, most UK insurers accept this as an extension to a homeowner policy, which means you can rest assured knowing your valuables are safe.

Keeping in with the neighbours

Extravagant celebrations with friends that go on into the early hours of the morning are likely to fracture relations with the neighbours. I believe it is wise to consider additional sound-proofing features, keeping the noise outside of your garden room to a minimum and allowing nearby residents a peaceful night’s sleep. 

Extending your home

What people don’t always know is that modular buildings don’t have to be stand-alone garden rooms. At Vita Modular, for example, our offering also includes unique, modular home extensions which can be manufactured to almost any shape, configuration or size; and connect to any building type or age – ideal for those wishing to keep the party even closer to home. 

There is a growing understanding of the many advantages of modular buildings, which in my view provide the perfect bespoke solution for homeowners seeking additional living and leisure space.

What about planning?

Planning permission is not normally required, for example all our garden buildings fall under permitted development. Most houses, even in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), have permitted development rights.

If you live in a conservation area you would need to build behind the rear elevation of your house for the garden room to fall under permitted development. 

If you live in an area that has an Article 4 directive, this means that your local planning authority has removed Permitted Development rights for your area. 

Flats and listed buildings have no permitted development rights, so will always need planning permission.   

For further information, please visit vita-modular.co.uk