How to build a garden room on a budget

How to Build a Garden Room on a Budget

A garden room is a great place to relax and unwind or even create your own garden office. There are plenty of different options depending on the budget and size required.

As people outgrow their existing properties and look for more space. An extension has been one of the only options, but it comes with long construction times and a high price tag.

More of us are turning to garden buildings to add more living space. A Garden Room can be used for many purposes, such as a Home office, family room, and even storage.

Garden rooms are a great way to increase your space without spending a lot of money or time. You can save money and make a good investment whilst not requiring planning permission.

It is possible to build a cheap garden room by following a few simple steps.

Choose a Budget Friendly Design

The first step in building a garden room on a budget is to choose a design that is affordable to build. The simplest design is usually the cheapest. A shed-style garden room, which is a small box with windows and a door is usually the most budget-friendly.

This type of garden room is easy to build, and the materials are relatively inexpensive.

The size of the Garden room will affect the cost, a small Garden Room will always be cheaper to build

Planning permission

Consider what size Garden room you can build within the permitted development in your area.

This avoids the extra cost of planning permission and in some cases building regulations too.

Choose Affordable Materials

how to build a garden room on a budget - shiplap cladding

When building a garden room on a budget, choose affordable materials.

Exterior wall cladding: consider using tongue-and-groove cladding or shiplap made from treated softwood. This can be half the price of Cedar or Larch cladding.

Foundations: Use ground screws or DIY Ground rods, which are less expensive than a poured concrete base.

Insulation: If you plan to use the garden room year-round, you may want to insulate it to keep it warm in the winter. This can be costly, so consider using rolls of wool insulation instead of an insulation board, which can be 10 times the price.

Interior walls: You could use sheets of OSB instead of plasterboard and plastering.

Flooring: Lino flooring can be much cheaper than laminate or timber flooring.

Windows and doors

Choose standard-sized windows and doors, these can be bought off the shelf and are usually half the price of custom-made windows and doors.

Consider using french doors instead of bifold doors, these are approximately a third of the price.

Our digital plans for Garden rooms with french doors are made using standard-sized doors and windows to keep costs down

Use Secondhand Materials

how to build a garden room on a budget using a conservatory

The best way to Build a cheap garden room is to use secondhand materials. Look for used windows and doors, which can often be found on Facebook marketplace. You may also be able to find used timber and insulation.

Look out for people taking down an old conservatory and be creative, re-use the windows and doors in your garden room.

Do Some of the Work Yourself

The key to knowing how to build a garden room on a budget is to do some of the work yourself. This can include tasks such as clearing the site, laying the foundation, and painting or staining the wood. If you have some DIY skills, you may also be able to install the windows and doors, which can save you money on labor costs.

Doing the work yourself, will depend if you have the required tool, see our guide on the tools you need to build a Garden Room.

It’s important to know your limitations and to hire a professional for any tasks that you are not comfortable doing. But, It is cheaper to build your own garden room, rather than pay somebody to do the work for you.

We have guides on most of the steps to build a Cheap Garden Room, have a look and see what you may be able to do yourself:

Shop Around for Deals

how to build a garden room on a budget - email for quotes

One step in building a garden room on a budget is to shop around for deals. Look for sales on materials, and compare prices between different suppliers. You may also be able to find discounts on tools and equipment or get a better price by buying in bulk.

It’s always worth writing out an email containing a list of materials a sending it to all the local merchants for a quote. Our digital plans contain a list of materials that can be pasted into an email and sent to multiple building suppliers to get quotes.

Conclusion

Building a cheap garden room is possible with a little bit of planning and creativity.