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Can I Build a Home Office in My Garden?
4 October 2024
Working from home has taken the world by storm in recent years, and while it might be nice to cut down on commuting times, it still can present its own set of challenges. One of the most common issues our clients mention is the struggle with separating work life from their personal life - it's much easier to bring the office home with you when your office space is your literal home!
So, what can you do about it? Here at Fair Dinkum Builds, we offer a range of fully compliant and quality residential sheds that are perfect for creating your own office space next to your home rather than within it. The ability to leave work behind and 'go home' will not only help your work-life balance, but it can also improve relationships with other members of your household, too.
But how do you go about building your own home office in the garden?
First Step: Planning Permission
Whether you need planning permission will depend on several factors, including the size and specification of your building, how close your neighbours are to you, and where you'll be positioning the office in relation to your house. We highly recommend seeking planning permission before moving ahead with any build, and this is something we can help with if you work with us.
For any sort of residential building, such as home offices, it's always safer to check with a local planning authority before organising the build. This protects you from penalties and fines, as well as needing to remove the building if you get caught. Some planning authorities won't even require permission, so this is just more of a formality!
What Does Planning Permission Consider Before Granting a Permit?
When applying for planning permission, there are several things the local authority will look at before granting you permission. Here are a few of the most common:
The Primary Use of Your Building
When applying, you'll need to mention what you're planning on using the building for. An 'incidental building' is one that houses things that you wouldn't keep in your main house, such as tools, outdoor furniture, and even livestock. This makes sheds and summer houses 'incidental buildings', but using them as office spaces tends to blur the lines or whether its classification changes.
Are you after a permanent office where you can spend eight hours every single working day, or are you on the hunt for a more occasional working space? The former will most likely require permission, but many of our customers believe this is a worthy cause to make their home office as effective and beneficial as possible.
Size and Positioning of Your Garden Office
Smaller residential sheds might not need planning permission, but larger and more specialised structures might. If your shed is over 10 square metres, you'll likely need approval. However, if you're not using the shed to live in or serve as your main dwelling, you will most likely have a simpler approval process.
Your council will have specific shed planning guidelines and zoning requirements, but the general rules of thumb are:
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Sheds under 10 square metres often don't need planning permission
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A permit may be needed if your shed is taller than three metres or 2.4 metres near a boundary
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You'll likely need a permit if the shed is attached to something else
Again, we highly recommend that you ask your local council whether you need planning permission before building your home office in your garden to prevent being awarded a penalty. In Australia, permits have specific rules, but some can also come with exceptions and easy ways to apply.
Pros and Cons of Building a Home Office
Now you know a little more about whether it's possible for you to build a home office in your garden, let's consider whether you should or not. Here are some key pros and cons of turning a residential shed into your office.
Benefits
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Working from home is the future of many businesses, so it makes sense to be prepared and build your own office that you can use for years to come
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Getting outside and closer to nature can actually improve productivity by 15%, according to studies
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Residential sheds are much cheaper than extensions and can add plenty of value to your home, so your home office can be an investment that keeps on giving
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Even if you don't use it as an office forever, residential sheds can be used for many other things such as storage, a home gym, and more!
Drawbacks
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Furnishing and building the shed can be time-consuming and expensive, so it's definitely an investment in more than one sense of the word
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You'll also need to remain up to date with the upkeep of your building, which can cost more money in the long run
Designing Your Home Office Shed With Fair Dinkum Builds
Once you're ready to take the leap and build your home office, we're here to help in any way we can. One of the things our customers love most about our residential sheds is the limitless design possibilities we offer, letting you be in charge of building your perfect shed. You tell us what shed profile, colour, size, doors, roof, and extras you want, and we'll do the heavy lifting! Design your own with our free shed designer app.
Plus, all of our sheds come with a 30-year system warranty and a completely compliant design, giving you a perfectly safe place to work away from home. We'll help you every step of the way, and our shed experts can even help you navigate your local council requirements to answer any questions you have about planning permission.
Get in touch for a free quote on your new home office
Not only can you build a home office in your garden, but we think there are also plenty of reasons why you should! As soon as you have the correct planning permission permit, feel free to get in contact with us at Fair Dinkum Builds to start designing your dream home office. We put you in the driving seat so you end up with a shed you're completely happy with, making the transition from office to working from home much easier and more enjoyable.