A chalet in your garden?

Space is at a premium in the UK. Let's face it, we live on a crowded island. Compared to countries like Australia and the US, our homes are often much smaller. And as our families grow and we accumulate more possessions, finding extra room is becoming increasingly difficult. Of course, moving to a bigger home is an option, but that may be prohibitively expensive or impractical.

There is, however, an alternative. Gardens remain an untapped resource for many, and there is now a huge range of options available for using outdoor space for extra storage, and more. Indeed, one supermarket has recently started selling a five-room log cabin from its website.

But you don't need to think quite so big. If you're simply looking for more storage space there are any number of sheds and outdoor boxes that can be kept secure and waterproof for those items that simply don't fit anywhere else. They are fairly simple to put together, and some of the smaller ones don't even need a concrete base - you just plonk them down wherever you have room.
Storage, however, is just one reason why you may need to create extra space. While most suppliers of chalets and cabins don't recommend they are used as accommodation, they can be employed as summer houses, games rooms, studies, or even just a place away from the house for some peace and quiet.

You can get a self-assembly log cabin for under £2,000, which offers a reasonable amount of room, and a terrace area where you can enjoy the rest of your garden. At about twice that price is a Swedish-designed chalet, which promises great insulation so you can even use it in the winter. Or you could really splash out on that five-bedroom place, which could mean that all of your family get the room they want.

Of course, these products don't come cheap and you may need to think about financing them. Because they are not part of the property, they probably won't necessarily be part of the mortgage, but you could take out a secured homeowner loan to pay for your purchase. Alternatively, personal loans are available for the sort of sums these products cost, subject to your fulfilling the eligibility criteria.

As well as loans, it's worth taking a look at your home insurance if you are considering building on your garden. Not all contents insurance policies will cover either the structure or what's contained within it, so get in touch with your insurance company to see if you need to extend your policy.
Most of the products are self-assembly, although you will generally need good DIY skills to be able to do it all on your own. But if you want to really make the most of your new garden accommodation, it may also be worth looking at whether you can connect them to your home's electricity or water supplies. It's best to get a professional here to make sure the job is done right, and that could add a significant amount to your overall bill.

And remember that some structures will require planning permission. It depends on the type of property you live in, and the area in which you live, as well as the kind of chalet you would like to erect. Failing to get planning permission when it is required could be an expensive mistake.

The information given in this article was correct as at time of publising. It does not, however, take account of any changes in regulations, the law or interest rates since that time.
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