There’s certainly something to be said about working from home especially if you factor in the money you’ll be saving on travel expenses. Plus you can’t beat the fact that you can work in your pyjamas! Despite the aforementioned advantages, working from home can be difficult if you can’t find a quiet corner to call your own.
Thankfully there’s a solution. If you have access to a garden shed you can convert it into an office. Many freelancers and remote workers have popularised the idea of working from a home garden office. Garden offices offer a personalised space where you can work in privacy without the distractions of home to hamper your productivity.
Let’s take a look at how you can convert your backyard shed into a garden office.
1) Make a plan
There are many ways you can turn a shed into a garden office. Before you dive in with hammer and nails in hand in order to convert storage shed into office, you’ll need to plan out the type of garden shed office you’ll want to accommodate your work needs. Will you need light? Will you need a computer? Internet? If so, you’ll need electricity in your shed. Make a list of everything you need before proceeding to the next step.
2) Furniture and accessories
Find out what type of furniture and accessories you’ll need to complete your work successfully. For example, if you’re a freelance writer, you’ll likely need a desk with a comfortable chair. If you’re an artist, you’ll likely need an easel.
Figuring out the furniture and accessories you’ll need will affect the way you design your diy office shed. If you plan on being in your garden office for long periods of time, you may even want to add a microwave and refrigerator to have refreshments on hand as you go about your workday.
3) Weatherproofing
What times of the year do you intend on using your shed? During the hottest months in your shed or summer house you’ll likely want access to air conditioning, and during the winter months, you’ll want to trap in the heat.
In both instances, you’ll need to insulate your shed to make it weatherproof. Also, you’ll want to ensure you patch up any holes you may find. It would be a shame if rain found its way inside your new garden office to ruin all of your electronic equipment!
4) Layout
How much space does your garden shed take up? The amount of space you’re working with will determine the design of your office garden. Generally, your garden shed is going to be one of three sizes — small, medium or large.
Small sheds
Even the smallest garden sheds can be converted into an office space. You won’t be able to fit in extra amenities, such as a refrigerator, but as long as you have enough room for a chair and desk (as well as the other essentials you need to complete your work successfully), you can still convert a small garden shed into an office space.
Medium sheds
If you happen to have a medium-sized shed, you’ll be able to have more flexibility when it comes to the layout of your garden office. With a medium-sized shed, you’ll have more space for extra office equipment such as bookcases and printers.
Large sheds
If you’re working with a large shed, you’ll have the most flexibility of all. You’ll likely have access to multiple rooms where you can store everything you need for your work. By getting a new garden office by turning shed, you can store tables, graphs, computers, bookshelves and much more. Also, you can’t beat the extra space you’ll have for a refrigerator!
5) Determining the condition of your shed
If your shed has been sitting in your backyard for a while, there’s a good chance you’ll need to make a few repairs before you can convert it into a garden office. Check the room for leaks and ensure the windows and doors close airtight.
Also, empty your shed of all of its contents. This will allow you to identify possible issues such as wood rot or mould. You can easily do this on your own, but if you truly want a secure shed, you can either have a professional inspect the shed for you or you can buy a new one.
6) Converting your shed into a garden office
Once you’ve completed the above steps, you can finally move on to converting your shed into a garden office. The hardest part of the conversion is adding insulation, heating, cooling, and electricity.
Heating, cooling and insulation
If you’re going to work in a garden office, you’ll want to do so in relative comfort. Heating and cooling will allow you to work in your garden office no matter the season. However, you’ll need insulation to maintain the temperature in the room.
As you install your insulation make sure you cover the walls, floor and ceiling of your shed. This will provide the best coverage. As an added bonus, the insulation will also soundproof the shed to a certain degree. That way you can blast your music as loud as you want without worrying about bothering the neighbors. That also means you’ll be able to work in peace and quiet when you so desire.
Electricity
Electricity is absolutely vital for most offices spaces. If you intend to set up a computer, printer or phone in your office, you’re going to need electricity. However, if you don’t need electricity to complete your work, this section doesn’t apply to you.
You’ll need to hire an electrician to run electricity out to your garden office. This may get a bit expensive, but it’ll be well worth the money spent once you’ve set up your garden office!
7) Decorating and furnishing your garden office
At this point, your shed should now be a fully usable building garden office. Now all that’s left is to furnish and decorate your new office space. Of course, you’ll want to add a desk, chairs and perhaps a couch for comfort. You’ll also want to paint your garden office to make it truly come to life.
You can also add rugs, a bulletin board, curtains and anything else you can think of to personalise your office space. After all, this will be your work area so you’ll want to personalise it as much as you can!
Working from home has never been easier
If you work from home perhaps it’s time you converted your old garden shed into an outdoor office. Not only is it a great alternative to renting an office space, but it’s also the perfect place to complete your work without truly leaving the comfort of your home.
We understand converting wooden sheds into a garden office can be tedious and expensive. To help you save on time and energy, you can purchase a garden office from Garden Buildings Direct. That way you can ensure your garden office has been constructed right. Contact us today for more details.