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Garden rooms, anyone got one?

(35 Posts)
susytish Mon 11-Jul-22 11:08:51

A friend is thinking of having a garden room. Somewhere for guests to stay. They seem quite fashionable as people don’t want to move.
Has anyone had experience of them / knows a good company who does them?

keepingquiet Thu 25-Sept-25 21:42:39

I had one at my previous home- it was a lovely space to sit and be comfy summer or winter- wouldn't have been suitable for sleeping in though as it was glass fronted and no blinds!

PulseHarbinger Thu 25-Sept-25 21:27:06

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Primrose53 Mon 22-Sept-25 12:59:23

My brother and his wife are dreadful snobs so naturally have a garden room. Brick built with wood burner, sofas, huge rugs, cushions galore etc.

I have a corner summer house which I have hardly used this summer as it currently houses disability equipment for my husband. I must get that sorted!

Jaxjacky Mon 22-Sept-25 10:22:14

Five year old thread…

Skydancer Mon 22-Sept-25 09:40:59

What’s wrong with living in your actual house?

Sheebee1 Mon 22-Sept-25 04:01:41

Oops wrong thread!

Sheebee1 Mon 22-Sept-25 03:59:25

Here’s a novel way to smash the gangs. Hire some small boats out of ramsgate, sail to Calais, pick people up off the beaches and bring them to Dover. By pass the gangs altogether.

NotSpaghetti Mon 22-Sept-25 03:38:38

What did uou do, susytish?

PulseHarbinger Sun 21-Sept-25 22:36:56

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NotSpaghetti Fri 22-Jul-22 16:18:20

I am just in the process of choosing bricks to build a "shed" at the bottom of our garden. I called the council to check what permissions were required if any and they said building regs don't apply in my specific area if the floor area of the outbuilding is less than 15 square metres and has NO sleeping accommodation.
There were other rules about distance to boundary, height etc. They said other than local regs (which my project came within anyway) they use this website to check things out:
www.planningportal.co.uk/
If you are intending to sleep in it there are more regs.
I know where we used to live you couldn't put water in without permissions.

It has an easy "outbuildings" guide which may be useful. It was a pdf.

seylen Fri 22-Jul-22 15:40:47

I dream of a garden room, it's so cozy and beautiful. So far I can't find good contractors for my money. Unfortunately, a bit of companies do exactly the kind of garden rooms I like

Oopsadaisy1 Tue 12-Jul-22 13:34:52

Thanks people.

Our manhole is under a 10 ft deep hedge, I know we should keep it in sight, but there you go. It’s a thought though that I should explore ( with a torch, strong gloves and a hatchet)

I wouldn’t mind emptying it if I was the one using it, I won’t be.

PrettyNancy Tue 12-Jul-22 13:21:19

Oops that was meant for Oopsadaisy1 !!

PrettyNancy Tue 12-Jul-22 13:20:21

BlueBelle

So just a new name for a granny flat ?

When my husband empties our motorhome cassette he lifts the manhole in the garden and empties it in there. We put a bit of water in with a bio washing liquid pod and its fine. He would not tip it into the toilet.

Baggytrazzas Tue 12-Jul-22 00:05:18

Oopsadaisy1 and MaizieD, I've not heard word gazunder for years! Last time I heard of anyone actually using one was in a tiny shared caravan, and the vessel was metal, the noise was incredible lol .

Teacheranne Mon 11-Jul-22 23:43:15

V3ra

Oopsadaisy1 we have a chemical toilet in our caravan. We've just been away for the weekend and only used it overnight as we were at our daughter's during the day. My husband has a "liquids only" rule for it, anything more and we have to use a proper mains toilet on the campsite.
Just for a few nights use it's not that unpleasant to empty ?

When we went away in our caravan to France for three weeks every summer, I was the only person allowed to use the caravan toilet, my husband and kids had to go to the camp site ones! My husband agreed ( and emptied it) as I made it a condition of me having to go away in a caravan!

V3ra Mon 11-Jul-22 22:27:12

Oopsadaisy1 we have a chemical toilet in our caravan. We've just been away for the weekend and only used it overnight as we were at our daughter's during the day. My husband has a "liquids only" rule for it, anything more and we have to use a proper mains toilet on the campsite.
Just for a few nights use it's not that unpleasant to empty ?

BlueBelle Mon 11-Jul-22 19:33:14

So just a new name for a granny flat ?

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 11-Jul-22 18:53:53

The problem is that we (I) would have to lug it indoors and empty it down the loo. I’ve read that it can be tricky and very smelly.

Usually camp sites/ canals have a dedicated drop off point.

MaizieD Mon 11-Jul-22 15:38:43

Oh, not gazunder, please! Shades of staying with my grandfather who only had an outside toilet...

Thousands of people have chemical toilets, think of all those folks who have caravans/camper vans or biggish boats. We have one in our horsebox. They're fine. Sounds like a good compromise..

Joseanne Mon 11-Jul-22 15:35:20

A oopsie sounded like a toilet accident in the cabin when I read that! grin

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 11-Jul-22 15:27:44

Mokryna yes we are giving it some thought, although my experiences with chemical toilets are somewhat off putting.

I think that anyone who sleeps there will have to walk 100ft to get into the house and use the loo, it’s hardly a trek and it will only be the other Oopsies in there.
They can cope.
Or they can have a gazunder! That would flummox them, they think they are things you put your indoor plants in……..

Joseanne Mon 11-Jul-22 15:22:53

Yes, you have to position your cabin strategically to link it in with the drains too. DD has the sewage pipe at the correct depth running under the garden path.
Yours sounds cosy with a kettle and tea cups,*Oopsadaisy1*.

mokryna Mon 11-Jul-22 15:21:59

Oopsadaisy1 Have you thought of a chemical toilet?

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 11-Jul-22 15:17:49

Joseanne very true, but we would need Building Regulations approval for installing an inside loo.

However we are looking into an outdoor composting toilet, but they are expensive just for occasional use and are a bit reminiscent of the outdoor privy of my childhood!