Log Cabin vs Garden Room: What’s the difference? 

Nicola Crawford Garden Room Buyer's Guide, Garden rooms Leave a Comment

Additional space. It’s something we all dream of right? You love your home but you don’t want the hassle of moving your whole life to another house. Plus the housing market is so MAD right now, that you can’t face the stress of moving.  Maybe you need a place to master your craft. Or, your family has expanded and you want to create a safe and comfortable place for them to stay and holiday. Or with the current climate maybe you want a place to separate your work from home. You’ve seen a space in your garden that would be perfect to create that extra space and room for what you want to achieve. You like the aesthetic and feel …

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How much does a Large Garden Room cost?

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You’re ready. It’s time. You’ve been putting up with a cramped living space for too long and you need more. Never mind your small and medium-sized Garden Rooms. You are ready to go all out. You are ready to go BIG with your Garden Room dreams. Whether it’s a photography studio, a place to put the mother in law when she comes to stay, or a retirement oasis, our large Garden Room offers a roomy solution, complete with light, power and heating for the perfect garden escape. So, let’s get into it, shall we? How much is a large Garden Room from Gillies and MacKay going to cost you? Related content: How much does a Garden Office cost? Garden Office …

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How much does it cost to install a Medium-Sized Garden Room?

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Dog grooming. Personal training studios. A place for you and your friends to hide from the kids and drink some prosecco. Whether you need space to turn your passion into profit. Or you just need somewhere to unwind and chill out with friends, a Garden Room will do the trick. A Garden Room is the (even) cooler big sister of the already amazing Gillies and MacKay sheds and summerhouses. It’s a practical and usable space, complete with lights, power, heating and even plumbing if you want it. An extra space to work, play or stay. But how much will this little slice of heaven in the form of a Garden Room set you back? Let’s get right into it shall …

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How much does a Small Garden Room cost?

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You need more space. A nice quiet space. Somewhere away from all the noise, the never-ending laundry pile and the constant bickering over who gets control of the remote. Maybe you need somewhere to channel your inner J.K Rowling. Or a place to run your business empire that isn’t overrun with dirty dishes. Maybe it’s not even for you, but a ‘child’ that just won’t leave, no matter how many hints you drop. Whatever the reason, you need a space that will keep you and your family warm and dry. Somewhere with lights, electric and heating – all the cosy feelings of a house, but, well, separate. You need something a cut above your standard shed or summerhouse (even one …

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Garden Room Maintenance: 3 Top Tips

NattyShedGirl Buyers Aftercare, Garden Room Buyer's Guide, Garden Room FAQs, Garden rooms Leave a Comment

Maintaining your Garden Room is paramount to the longevity of the building. The better you look after your Garden Room, the more likely it is to be passed down through the generations. Over the years, I’ve seen all forms of neglect and lost love for these beautiful creatures. So I thought I’d best help you keep the magic alive, when it comes to your Shedlife, by sharing some top tips. There are 3 crucial ways to keep your Garden Room in tip-top condition and stop it from becoming foosty, run down and haggard. And they are: TREAT VENTILATE REPAIR   1. TREAT First things first: whatever the external cladding, it’s always best to use some form of treatment on it. …

'Andrews' style garden room in green

What is the best size for a Garden Room?

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So many factors will play on what size of Blackstone Garden Room you will want. Primarily, it will come down to the space you have and to what extent you want to build to. For example, it’s purpose: if you intend to use your Blackstone as a holiday let then it’s going to be bigger than if you’re just thinking about some office space. Let’s talk through the different size categories we tend to stick to at Gillies & Mackay. As you can imagine after 30 years of building Garden Rooms there’s a fair bit of repetition in the requirements. So, we’ve come up with a simple range to make choosing yours easier. The Range Just a wee one? (up …

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What kind of base do I need for a Garden Room?

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At Gillies and Mackay our buildings are fairly HEFTY, to say the least. So, when we’re thinking about the foundations for a Garden Room, we need to appreciate that the weight has a huge influence over what kind of base we should construct. Typically a Garden Room will weigh over 2 tonnes. We would normally recommend a concrete plinth built to a specific specification. However, new technologies, such as ground screws, are offering a more eco-friendly alternative. Let’s have a look at both options… Please note: We highly advise you obtain landscaper/construction quotes for base work before ordering your Gillies and Mackay building to obtain a full and clear picture of project costs. Concrete Plinth For years we’ve been involved …

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Garden Rooms: Do I need Planning Permission and/or Building Control

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Nothing gets my shed door slamming more than when customers can’t get the right information about Planning and Building Control from their local authorities. More often than not, customers are under the assumption that if you don’t need Planning (based on the Permitted Development Act) you are absolutely well within your rights to erect a building in your garden. No questions asked… Well, not quite. What’s this Planning all about then? Planning are interested in the aesthetics and the overall impact the building will have on the surrounding environment. They’re not much concerned about the structure or whether you’re going to be safe in it. Planning regulations are the same for every council. The permitted development rules for an ancillary (Garden) …

image of a beautiful garden room

What is the best construction for a Garden Room?

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If you’re familiar with Gillies and Mackay, you’ll know we don’t muck around with specification, especially when it comes to our Garden Rooms. We know what you need when it comes to staying warm, dry, loved and comfortable in your Shedlife. That’s why we have developed the best specification of Garden Rooms to withstand the Scottish climate. Grant and I love nothing more than to barter back and forth with new ideas, new technologies and a whole world of possibilities for design, specification and techniques. Our Garden Rooms are made with a 5-tier wall specification that looks and sounds like this… External Cladding As standard, we will always use 19mm thick tongue and groove Redwood which has been tanalised to …

Finished Half Build - Steven Marshall Photography

DIY Garden Room: The Half Build

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The Half Build Garden Room Listen… It’s okay. You can tell me, I’m totally cool with it. It’s only natural. You’ve got the skills, you’re right handy around the house and this might just be the dream project you’ve always wanted! I’m talking about ‘Do-It-Yourself Garden Rooms’. We’ve made 100’s of Garden Rooms for our amazing G&M customers over the past 30 years. So it comes as no surprise when people start to realise the potential of doing some of the work themselves, not least to save a tidy penny, but also because they want to. There are pros and cons, as well as different stages to consider, but we will discuss all of the important aspects in this blog …