In the past working from home was seen as something for the lucky few but now we are seeing this as more of the norm, rather than the exception. While looking for a property with designated office space may be on your agenda for 2021, we have been speaking to SMG Architects about some other ideas you could consider to give you a suitable space for home working.

Whether you are looking to remain with your current property, or look to purchase a new property with potential, here are our four key changes you could make to your property that will give you space to work from home and possibly increase the value of your home.

Please note that with all of the following must be considered local authority restrictions.

1 Adapting a room/space

Probably the most common way to provide desk space is to take over one of your existing rooms, usually the spare bedroom, dining table or even a landing or under stair space.

Cost expenditure – £0 – 750
Comfort rating – 3/10
Completed in – next to no time

2 Converting your loft/garage/outbuilding

If you have either a generous loft space, unused garage or outbuilding then you are already in possession of many of the ingredients of an extra space i.e. walls, floor and roof.

Cost expenditure – £10,000 – £50,000
Comfort rating – 6/10
Completed in – 1 to 4 months

3 Extending your property

If your property has the ability to be extended, and you had been considering building work anyway, then this might be the catalyst you have been looking for.

Cost expenditure – allow £1,500/m2
Comfort rating – 8/10
Completed in – 2 to 6 months

4 Self-contained garden office

If your garden is large enough then you may want to consider a self-contained garden office. These can come in a variety of forms from off the peg log cabins through to bespoke units.

- Cost expenditure – anywhere between £5,000 for an off the shelf product to £50,000+ for something more bespoke.
- Comfort rating – 10/10
- Completed in – 2 to 6 months