Garden Rooms & the ‘Race for Space’
Fine and Country’s Tom Bower, a luxury property market consultant focusing on Liverpool, Formby and Ormskirk, tells us how Garden Rooms, when done right, can be the answer to getting ahead in ‘the Race for Space’
Coming up to nearly 18 months and expectantly approaching the conclusion of lockdown, many of us have still yet to find a satisfactory workspace at home, being confined to sharing a kitchen table or tucked away in a spare bedroom.
With adaptable working arrangements set to be the ‘new norm’, more and more of us are looking for alternatives for our working from home needs…. Enter the garden rooms.
Over the past few months, we have started to see garden rooms becoming increasingly more popular in homes. Whether these be for the necessary home office, a home gym to burn off those extra lockdown pounds, or that much needed man cave, for that hour of solace we have all so craved, whilst being so restricted over the tenure of this pandemic. The garden rooms have provided that extra space and extra room every home desires at a fraction of the price of a home extension.
The property market has seen an unprecedented demand during the pandemic, one which we have not seen for many years. This has left us in a position whereby we have had a shortage of properties on the market, thus meaning a surplus of buyers who are looking for that perfect home are missing out and deciding to invest in improving their own homes instead.
On the back of this ‘race for space’ climate we are instead now seeing many people investing in garden rooms to improve their homes and adding extra floor space to their properties.
The luxury property market, in which we specialise, is no different. Our buyers and sellers are still adding and requesting these extra rooms to their properties to add value and comfort to their homes.
We have many clients who contact us requesting properties which have enough land/garden space to include a garden room to add a home gym or summer room.
“When it comes to adding value to a home, I do believe these rooms, when done to the highest of quality can boost the value of a property. These rooms do add to the property’s floorplan and square footage, so I do feel taking these rooms into account when valuing a home is imperative. I would estimate that the value-added would be about 1.5x the cost of the building installation. ”
Having an aesthetically pleasing garden has always been a key factor in increasing a property’s value. Outdoor living has become increasingly popular over the past few years, with homeowners using their outside space for relaxing and entertaining as an extension to their home. However, taking the great British weather into account, a lot of these trends do have an Achilles heel, as when the weather is not great, the appeal of sitting in the garden does diminish. Step forward the garden room!
To make the most of the garden all-year-round, a heated garden room does give you that option and does make you stand out amongst the rest.
Tom Bower is a luxury property market consultant for Fine and Country, focusing on Liverpool, Formby and Ormskirk
Follow Tom on Instagram or visit Fine and Country Liverpool, Formby and Ormskirk’s website if you are buying or selling a premium property in the area.