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Can You Sleep in a Garden Room?

Can You Sleep in a Garden Room?

Garden rooms are the trending home offices these days. With a rise in the number of garden rooms comes a rise in the need for education on them. There are so many questions to ask when deciding whether to purchase one. It can be a confusing and frustrating process trying to find all the answers yourself.

The intended use of your garden room is important to consider. As Outdoor Building Group, who sold my mother a garden room in Scotland, notes, certain uses require certain permissions. For this reason, the time to brainstorm all the uses of your garden room is before buying. Will you use it as an office, gym, game room, music room, or sleeping quarters?

Just imagine, waking up to the sunrise surrounded by the beautiful outdoors. In nature yet enclosed in your own comfy garden room. It is a very appealing thought. It’s understandable why someone would want to sleep there. There are some things to consider if you plan to sleep in your garden room.

Is It Legal?

This is no simple yes or no because conditions apply. According to Garden Office Guide, in order to sleep in your garden room even occasionally, you need building regulation approval. You may be thinking it is no big deal if you have a late night working in your garden office and pass out for the night.

True, it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if a nosy neighbor sees you and decides to say something, you could get in trouble if your building doesn’t comply with building regulations.

Building regulations are simply the minimum expected guidelines for construction or expansion of a building. They are put in place for your safety and welfare by ensuring that your building is suitable for its intended uses and meets code. They are also for the purpose of conservation of fuel and power, according to NIDirect.

How Do I Apply for Building Regulations?

If you have weighed all the pros and cons and decided you will be sleeping in your garden room, the easiest thing to do is find a building that already complies with building regulations. Your chosen garden room supplier will tell you which of their buildings comply. If you go ahead and buy one of those, you will most likely be approved and be able to sleep in your new garden room as much as you’d like.

Apply by contacting a building control body (BCB). You can either speak to your local BCB or a private BCB. The application fee differs from place to place. You can find a general price guide at the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council website.

There are various fees associated with building regulation approval. There’s the plan fee (£123), inspection fee (£275), building notice fee (£400), and a regulation fee (£440). These prices are examples for detached buildings. This gives you a general idea of what kinds of prices you are looking at.

Is It Worth It?

Applying for building regulations in order to be legally able to sleep in your garden room is a smart thing to do even if you aren’t sure yet what you are going to use it for.

Advantages for getting your garden room approved include:

  1. If you decide to sell your property in the future, having a fully documented garden room that complies with building regulations will add value to your property and get you more money.
  2. Being able to sleep in your garden room whenever you please. Whether you work late and dose off before going in for the night, or you want a romantic getaway with your significant other, you can legally utilize the comforts of your garden room.
  3. Knowing your garden room is safe for your enjoyment gives you peace of mind.
  4. Even if you don’t plan to ever sleep in it, you never know what the future holds. If you go ahead and get building regulation approval in the beginning, you won’t have to worry about it in the future.

Do I Need Building Regulation Approval for My Garden Room?

It’s a good idea to have a multi-functional garden room. This gives it more flexibility.

The best thing to do if you think that you may ever be tempted to sleep in your garden room is to get the building regulation approval from the beginning. This will cut out major headaches in the long run if you want to start using it for sleeping later.

As mentioned above, they ensure your safety by making sure that the building you are sleeping in, or going to be sleeping in, meets code. This means it is less likely to burn down, less likely to pollute the air or soil, and you know if there are any sanitary issues that need to be dealt with as well.

This is great whether you are planning to sleep in it or not. Safety first!