[Help] Bespoke garden office advice please

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I recall a thread on this a couple of years ago, and noted some lovely garden offices. A bit out of my price range unfortunately.

However, one of the recurrent NSC banner ads is for Dunster House Garden Offices. I took a peek at their site and the prices are much more affordable (for me). I assume the cost of assembling it is additional.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this company? VFM, customer service, etc?

Cheers,

HWT

 

[pasty]

I can’t help with that company and obviously have no idea of your budget but I recently used Skinners for my garden office and would recommend them.

I went with a 6 x 8 foot version of one of these which ended up coming in around £6k including all the electrical work to connect to mains.

Garden Rooms | Free Delivery and Assembly | Skinners Sheds

Garden Rooms to complement any garden. All our pressure-treated garden rooms include a free electrics package, free upgrade to Firestone rubber roof, free delivery, and free assembly.

www.skinners-sheds.com

 

[Zeberdi]

Hi HWT

Yes, I installed a Dunster House when I first bought my property 7 years ago.

I didnt find them the easiest of companies to deal with - it is a long time ago but the Sales depart seemed to have little communication with the Customer Services department. We had problems arranging delivery at a time that suited us.

I would also add that instead of paying Dunster House installers to erect the Summerhouse, I used a local landscaping company that was utterly useless - they installed the guttering incorrectly (which eventually
fell off) and did not instal part of the pitch tiles correctly which I did not notice until several years later resulting in rot and damp so part of the roof had to be replaced.

I should therefore have paid the extra and use Dunster’s installers since the the summerhouse was actually rather complicated to put up and there was very little margin for movement in the slats. I had to istall a concrete base anyway as that would not have been carried put by Dunsters installers.

Overall, I am pleased with the summerhouse, mainly because it looks good and has added a real character to my cottage garden - part of that was choosing Dunsters own range of paint (which hasn’t yet needed another coat) to colour the exterior.

The quality of the materials are excellent imo so it was worth the expense.

 

[Rodney Thomas]

On a similar note (and for those of us without gardens), does anyone have any experience of building a micro office / hidden office?

I will need to vacate my office soon (3rd bedroom will nee to be used as an actually bedroom). I am looking into an office built into a floor to ceiling wardrobe. Open the door and work. Close the doors to make it look like a living room again. That sort of thing.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Mate of mine used Smart Garden Offices and was pleased with them.

For something different, I had been looking at Beau Bailey Bespoke who hand build Shepherds Huts for use as offices etc.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I can’t help with that company and obviously have no idea of your budget but I recently used Skinners for my garden office and would recommend them.

I went with a 6 x 8 foot version of one of these which ended up coming in around £6k including all the electrical work to connect to mains.

Garden Rooms | Free Delivery and Assembly | Skinners Sheds

Garden Rooms to complement any garden. All our pressure-treated garden rooms include a free electrics package, free upgrade to Firestone rubber roof, free delivery, and free assembly.

www.skinners-sheds.com

View attachment 160335View attachment 160336View attachment 160337

Many thanks. Very nice. I'm aiming for a full width version which would, I guess, be just under twice that. I'm looking to spend up to £15K

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Hi HWT

Yes, I installed a Dunster House when I first bought my property 7 years ago.

I didnt find them the easiest of companies to deal with - it is a long time ago but the Sales depart seemed to have little communication with the Customer Services department. We had problems arranging delivery at a time that suited us.

I would also add that instead of paying Dunster House installers to erect the Summerhouse, I used a local landscaping company that was utterly useless - they installed the guttering incorrectly (which eventually
fell off) and did not instal part of the pitch tiles correctly which I did not notice until several years later resulting in rot and damp so part of the roof had to be replaced.

I should therefore have paid the extra and use Dunster’s installers since the the summerhouse was actually rather complicated to put up and there was very little margin for movement in the slats. I had to istall a concrete base anyway as that would not have been carried put by Dunsters installers.

Overall, I am pleased with the summerhouse, mainly because it looks good and has added a real character to my cottage garden - part of that was choosing Dunsters own range of paint (which hasn’t yet needed another coat) to colour the exterior.

The quality of the materials are excellent imo so it was worth the expense.

View attachment 160338View attachment 160339View attachment 160340

Thanks for the reply. That looks really good.

I made a mistake many years ago of getting some very local people install a kitchen I had designed by Roots, a very good local kitchen and bathroom designer. Result was similar to yours. Mostly excellent but with avoidable and annoying flaws.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Garden Office? Is that like a shed for posh people?

 

[Sheebo]

The most middle class thread ever - classic H

 

[Horses Arse]

On a similar note (and for those of us without gardens), does anyone have any experience of building a micro office / hidden office?

I will need to vacate my office soon (3rd bedroom will nee to be used as an actually bedroom). I am looking into an office built into a floor to ceiling wardrobe. Open the door and work. Close the doors to make it look like a living room again. That sort of thing.

Colleague of mine bought a bed that transforms into a desk. Don't even need to pack stuff away, monitor etc stays in place. Amazing design

 

[Horses Arse]

Don't use Malvern Office Buildings. Pile of shite, installed/erected by folk that hate their job and hate their company. No interest in resolving any issues, lie openly. Shitty shitty company. Wasn't cheap and ended up throwing money at it to get it stable and water tight (altough still dealing with the shitty windows now, 2 years on). It is lovely now, but that's due to the Ukranian guys that came into reinforce the bloody thing, true it up, re-roof it (raised the roof too whilst they were at it) and do all the internals. I still can't believe how shit Malvern were nor how I failed to properly check when looking at their buildings at a garden centre - they looked amazing there. I did vow to return and take a dump in each and every one of their show buildings but luckily I've been too busy working in my office.

 

[ac gull]

Friend is having a brick built one by a builder that did his extension - 4m x 3m - £16k

 

[BN9 BHA]

Garden Office? Is that like a shed for posh people?

These garden office sellers/builders are pretty clever, new name for a summer house / fancy shed.

 

[zefarelly]

Friend is having a brick built one by a builder that did his extension - 4m x 3m - £16k

This is the way forward . . .I built my workshop ( large double garage ) for £10k 19 years ago, insulated, solid, warm, light and a space that's usable for just about anything . . . Most of these garden offices are just expensive sheds IMO.

 

[Horses Arse]

This is the way forward . . .I built my workshop ( large double garage ) for £10k 19 years ago, insulated, solid, warm, light and a space that's usable for just about anything . . . Most of these garden offices are just expensive sheds IMO.

Codswallop. VERY expensive sheds is what they are!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Friend is having a brick built one by a builder that did his extension - 4m x 3m - £16k

Safe standing?

The wooden and [as yet unmentioned] straw offerings have been [will be] blown away by a big bad wolf.
Bricks and mortar will be sound and will be safely standing for years to come ....

 

[BN9 BHA]

I can’t help with that company and obviously have no idea of your budget but I recently used Skinners for my garden office and would recommend them.

I went with a 6 x 8 foot version of one of these which ended up coming in around £6k including all the electrical work to connect to mains.

Garden Rooms | Free Delivery and Assembly | Skinners Sheds

Garden Rooms to complement any garden. All our pressure-treated garden rooms include a free electrics package, free upgrade to Firestone rubber roof, free delivery, and free assembly.

www.skinners-sheds.com

View attachment 160335View attachment 160336View attachment 160337

Needs a path.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Just go for it H, what could possibly go wrong

 

[pasty]

Needs a path.

Haha, you’re not wrong. Although we're thinking stepping stones rather than a full path.

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

Just go for it H, what could possibly go wrong

The WZ love shack.