The trick is to start with how you'll use it, not what it looks like. A studio you visit twice a month needs different things from a gym you use every morning, or a sauna you heat up on a cold January evening. Here are seven garden buildings worth considering, and what to weigh up before choosing one.
A word on planning first
Most garden buildings in England don't need planning permission, as long as they stay within permitted development rules. Don't put it in front of the house, keep it under 2.5 metres tall if it's less than 2 metres from a boundary, and make sure garden buildings don't cover more than half the garden. If anyone will sleep in it, building regulations come into play. The rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in conservation areas, so check the Planning Portal's guidance on outbuildings before you order anything.
Almost every building on this list also needs a solid, level base, so budget for that from the start.
1. The garden office
The one everyone knows. If you work from home three or more days a week, a dedicated office stops your job spilling over the kitchen table, and the short walk across the lawn becomes a commute of sorts.Look for proper insulation and double glazing, or you'll be cold from October to March. Plan the power and internet before the base goes down. A wired connection run through a duct is far more reliable than relying on Wi-Fi reaching from the house.
2. The creative studio
Painters, potters, musicians and anyone with a sewing machine will know the pleasure of leaving a project out mid-way and shutting the door on it. A studio needs good natural light, ideally from the north for even, shadow-free light through the day, and plenty of wall space for shelving.If you're working with clay, paint or anything messy, choose a floor you can mop, and think about an outside tap close by.
3. The home gym
Gym memberships add up, and a garden gym means no queue for the squat rack. Weight is the main thing to plan for. Free weights and machines need a strong floor, so talk to the supplier about rubber matting and the load the floor can take.Ventilation matters more than you'd think. A small building warms up fast once you start training, so windows that open on two sides make a real difference.
4. The garden sauna
The fastest-growing building on this list. Public saunas have opened in towns and along coastlines across the UK in the last few years, and more people now want an outdoor sauna of their own. A garden sauna gets most of its use in the colder months, often after dark, which makes it the opposite of a summerhouse.Shape is the first decision. A barrel sauna is the traditional choice. The rounded shape has no wasted corners to heat, and rain runs straight off the curved roof. Cube and cabin shapes suit more modern gardens. Hekla's barrels, for example, come in two lengths, seating four or six, and can run on electricity or on a log-burning stove.
That heater choice shapes the rest of the project. Electric heaters run on a dedicated circuit, which a registered electrician has to install and sign off. A log burner needs no power at all, so it can go right at the bottom of a big garden, though you'll need dry, seasoned logs and an eye on local smoke control rules. Either way, put it close to a path you can walk barefoot, and think about where you'll cool off between rounds.
5. The potting shed
Not every garden building has to be a room. A good potting shed, with a sturdy bench at standing height, a window over it and somewhere dry to keep seed trays and tools, will get more use than many of the grander options. Add a water butt fed from its own roof and you have a self-contained workspace for most of the year.6. The guest room and garden snug
A summerhouse with a sofa and a heater makes a quiet reading room, a teenager's den or an overflow space when family visit. Remember the planning point above. Once anyone sleeps in it, it's treated differently, so if overnight guests are the plan, speak to your council or building control team first.7. The workshop
Woodwork, bike maintenance or simply a place to keep power tools away from the house. A workshop needs a strong floor, plenty of sockets on a properly protected supply, good lighting over the bench, and a door wide enough to get materials in and out. Sound travels, so think about where your neighbours sit before you decide where it goes.Choosing the right one
The best garden building is the one you'll still use in February. Be honest about how often you'll walk out to it in the rain, and choose the building that makes that walk worthwhile. For some that's a quiet office. For others it's half an hour in the heat with the frost outside the window.
Whatever you choose, sort out three things before you buy: the base, the power and the planning rules. Get those right and the building itself is the easy part.